“We are women, and there is certainly a place for women today in agriculture.” -Mary May

Mary May and her daughter Allison Horseman are the dynamic mother-daughter duo that develop and maintain more than 300 acres on the Lavender Farm at Woodstock. 

Mary’s farther, Lehman, started the farm back in 1926 as the Colyer Farm. However, times were tough and Lehman needed another source of income. He moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he worked for the Dodge Brothers and sent money home to pay back the loans he’d taken out to save the family farm. 

Something Different

Today, Mary and Allison are proud to carry on Lehman’s dream. “Once we moved back to the farm and realized this is where we were going to stay, I really had the desire to do something to honor my agricultural roots,” Allison said. 

Yet, Mary and Allison also wanted to try something new. “We were looking for something different. That’s when the idea for lavender came about,” said Allison. Customers can find Mary and Allison’s lavender at local retail stores, as well as through online outlets. 

In addition to selling lavender, Mary and Allison host a variety of events at the Lavender Farm at Woodstock. For example, they put on the “farm-to-fork-to-film” dinner and invite folks to come visit in celebration of “Summer Saturdays at the Farm.”

A New Legacy

From lavender production to event planning, Mary and Allison are proud to assume their roles as women farmers and women business owners. “One of the most rewarding experiences that we’ve had with growing lavender and working together on the farm, is the fact that it is a mother-daughter team. We are women, and there is certainly a place for women today in agriculture,” Mary said. “We are honoring our legacy by what we’re doing together here today, and we hope to do this for many more years to come.”