A Big Change
Former U.S. Air Force Captain Tricia Dennis spent more than 17 years commuting to her corporate attorney job in downtown Detroit. She was tired of the grind, so when her husband, Gregory, decided to start a lavender farm, she was completely on board.
“I joke that on April 30, 2017, I was in my business suit and heels behind a desk, and on May 1, I was sitting behind a tractor getting covered in dust and putting in flower beds,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed it immensely.”
Located in Imlay City, Michigan, Indigo Lavender Farms opened to the public in 2018. The business is proudly veteran-owned and woman-owned.
Trish loves to be on the farm working the garden and pruning the lavender during the summer months. She believes in naturally sustainable farming and works to use best practices for the lavender and honeybees. Everything on the farm is all natural, and there are no chemicals used on the plants.
Much More Than a Farm
Indigo Lavender Farms is much more than a farm. Community members get involved at the farm and can pick their own lavender to bring home.
In the first year, Indigo Lavender Farms had just under 4,000 plants, and by 2018, it had more than 10,000 plants.
Today, the farm boasts more than 14,000 plants and is considered the largest lavender farm in Michigan with six fields and nine varieties. The farm is not only home to the purple flowering plants but also a farm store with local-artisan-made goods, a greenhouse, garden, chicken coop, wetlands and more.
There are also nearly 500,000 pollinators on the farm, and they are an important part of the farm ecosystem.
Support From the Community
Tricia said that the couple has received a lot of support and encouragement from the community, other lavender growers, USDA and GreenStone Farm Credit Services.
“I feel fortunate with my background as a lawyer because I had some knowledge about running a small business; however, it is very challenging. I’ve learned a lot about the farming and the business side as well,” she said.
Tricia said she and her husband approached the USDA for a farm ownership loan, and as part of the requirements, they needed to bring in a banking partner.
“We were referred to GreenStone, and the experience has been outstanding,” she said. “They have terrific customer service and lots of options and alternatives to assist in terms of repayments or refinancing.”
GreenStone was Indigo’s finance partner together with the USDA for the original farm loan. They later approached GreenStone when they wanted to acquire more property for the farm. Before they knew it, Indigo quickly grew from 27 acres to 50 acres, which resulted in a second loan with GreenStone.
“GreenStone has been fabulous,” Tricia said.
This story was originally published in GreenStone Farm Credit’s Partners Magazine.
