We were lucky to catch up with Alexandra Reid recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alexandra, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
When I was young and just learning big words in school, I asked my mum if I was an “optimist” or a “pessimist.” She said I was neither; she called me a “realist.” Later, when I had my first corporate job, my boss told me that failure wasn’t about things going wrong, but about not having a plan. He said it was fine to change the plan if it wasn’t working, but not having a plan at all was the real failure.
I’ve never believed that whining and complaining about things achieved anything positive. I couldn’t stand coworkers who endlessly complained. On the other hand, I never believed in ideas that didn’t have some tangible form of reality. I do believe in “hope,” but I think you have to work to make it available to you.
These life experiences have shaped me. I strongly believe in the force of nature—it’s tangible, I can see it and feel it. Now that we are farming lavender and other herbs, nature’s force is even more evident, and its energy gives me optimism that we can succeed in our farming venture.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As we enter our fourth year of learning about farming, tractors, implements, the land, the lavender, and the Carolinas, we are excited about the future and the joy and entertainment we can bring to the community and travelers alike. We’ve launched a few handmade, evidence-based products featuring lavender, like our dry shampoo and hair repair oils. Next year, we plan to open the farm for photography, u-pick events, and some small gatherings.
We’re also expanding the farm, growing more lavender and building sustainable infrastructure, thanks to the help from USDA NRCS conservation grants.
Our farm is called Agape Farm South. “Agape” means “the highest form of love,” traditionally referring to God. We also see it as the power in the land, nature, and the love we share while growing this farm. Our products are branded under Agape Lavender Lab as we strive to find Western-based research, science, and evidence to support the historical and anecdotal claims of medicinal products.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
This question has the three answers built in, and we didn’t start with all of them. The qualities within us that have gotten us this far are sheer determination. Or hardheadedness! That aspect within oneself that is just so sure, so confident, that you can make it happen. That cockiness that if others can succeed you can too. Its not exactly the most positive quality, but it is within us.
Our skills come from doing. We have had to do several things over, our lavender rows for example. We first did four 150ft rows by hand. That was not only very physically exhausting, but it wasn’t as tight as it needed to be. So we upgraded with an attachment to the tractor that makes the row and buries the cover at the same time. But doing the rows by hand helped us understand how the layer machine worked, which in turn helped us to fine tune it more quickly. Doing and building upon skills I see us doing forever.
One day in passing my partner said “what do we know about growing plants”. So I went and took a small farm bootcamp offered at my local extension and then followed it with a year long Master Gardeners program. This has helped us not so specifically about lavender, but about the bigger picture and it has taught us how to research and look for things. YouTube University is helpful, but knowing where to go to for science or evidence based information is more helpful.
If your the type of person that already knows everything, you have nothing left to learn. Be open to trial and error, be open to the sweat equity, search, find, hunt and plan. Keep moving.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We have had a few groups of locals to the lavender farm. This community is desiring something new, fun and special. I have been told not to host food trucks or have bouncy houses for kids. There is plenty of those opportunities in town for that. They want and experience, a bougee experience.
We have very limited facilities at the farm but its charming and in addition to the lavender it will have multiple little gardens, like a native garden and a pollinator garden. I have started a list of ideas to create events within our limitations. A tea bar with tea flights, a silk scarf making day with dyes from picked flower petals, maybe even a farm to table meal if I can find enough local that make their own cheese, or process their own meat.
I am in need of additional ideas, please share.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://AgapeFarmSouth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agapefarmsouth_lavenderfarm/?next=%2Foauth%2Fauthorize%2F%3Fredirect_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fbusiness.facebook.com%252Fbusiness%252Finstagram%252Fclaim%252Foauth%252F%26app_id%3D532380490911317%26response_type%3Dcode%26scope%3Dbasic%26state%3DI0igPTaP1GqUSTl9
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089921435262
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