We can’t wait to welcome you to our Family Farm and hope this list of Frequently Asked Questions helps you plan your visit!
VISITING OUR FARM QUESTIONS:
Q: What is your address and phone number? We do not answer our Farm phone frequently so please do not leave a message. Email us for questions: info@lavenderoaks.farm (It is “dot farm”, not “dot com”).
A: Our address is:
Lavender Oaks Farm
3833 Millard Whitley Rd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919-909-7417
Q: How do I find your farm? It doesn’t come up on my directional App?
A: Please update the App you use for directions and our farm should come up for you. If you Google, “Lavender Oaks Farm” you should see directions provided from your location. We are located off Jones Ferry Rd and Hwy 54, less than 5 miles from downtown Chapel Hill. When you get to our gravel road Millard Whitley Rd. drive very slowly and follow the purple arrow signs through our stone pillars/iron gates entrance. Continue following the “Lavender & Barns” signs to our main Visitor Parking area. You’ll pass our private farmhouse on the right “Macdonald Residence” but please do not turn into our driveway.
Q: Where do I park?
A: Please park in our Visitor Parking lot and walk to our barns and fields. We do have handicap parking adjacent to our Main Barn and the sign says, “Reserved Parking.” Please make sure to hang your handicap parking insignia from your rear view mirror.
Q: What is the best way to contact the owners?
A: Please email Karen Macdonald at info@lavenderoaks.farm. Please note it is “dot farm” not “dot com.” We do not have year-round staff on site, so every email, phone call, Facebook message, Instagram message, and snail mail goes directly to the owners, Robert and Karen Macdonald. We love hearing great things from all our visitors, and try to reply to all messages within a few days. #eieio.
Q: When do you return phone calls?
A: We receive quite a lot of inquiries on our farm phone, so Email is the fastest way to get a reply: info@lavenderoaks.farm.
Q: When are you open?
A: Please check our “Visiting our Farm” tab on our website for dates and hours we are open and please make sure to check the dates we are closed for private events. ALWAYS check our website or social media for weather cancellations during lavender season. We will close for inclement weather and apologize if you drive a long distance and find us closed due to a sudden change in weather. It is not safe to have visitors in our lavender fields during a thunderstorm or rain.
Q: Is there an Admission Fee to visit?
A: Yes, we charge $5.00 per person only during lavender season (Children 12 and under are free). We support local charities with a portion of our Admission Fees.
Q: What activities do you have on your farm for children?
A: Our farm is family friendly and all about getting the kids out in nature! Our lavender fields are a great opportunity to see honey bees, butterflies, bumble bees, and other insects and birds enjoying the lavender and see pollination up close! We do not have a playground, toys, or games of any kind on our farm, but our hope is that children of all ages experience the beauty of our forest, fields, and the wonderful scents and sounds of nature!
Q: I love lavender, but I’m afraid of bees, so how do I see your lavender up close?
A: The lavender is such a relaxing plant that the bees and butterflies happily dance from flower to flower and it is quite a beautiful site. They are so busy pollinating and enjoying our lavender that they really don’t seem to notice visitors. We do ask that our visitors respect the nature among our lavender fields and not swat or bat at our friendly buzzing friends.
Q: Where are the Barns and Lavender Fields located on your farm?
A: When you get to our gravel road Millard Whitley Rd, drive down the road and follow the purple arrow signs through our stone pillars/entrance, you’ll pass our farmhouse “The Macdonald Residence” on your right, and keep going all the way down to our parking area. Please park in our main Visitor Parking lot and do not drive down to our Barns.
Q: How far is it from your parking area to the lavender fields?
A: It is a short walk mainly on gravel from our parking lot to our lavender fields.
Q: Is it okay if I just drive into your farm on days you are closed just to take a quick peek?
A: No! We are thrilled you want to see our farm, but please remember this is our home and we provide plenty of dates/hours for the public to visit, so we do ask that you respect our privacy on the days we are closed. We promise not to visit your backyard unannounced too! Tours for a private event are By Appointment Only, so please email Karen to arrange a tour: karen@lavenderoaks.farm.
Q: Can I bring my pet with me to the farm?
A: No, we love our furry friends, but unfortunately our lavender does not. Please leave your dogs and all pets at home. We do make exceptions for weddings and allow your dog to be a part of your wedding ceremony, but your fur baby must remain outside at all times, be on a leash, and then escorted home after the ceremony.
Q: Do you have a restaurant on your farm?
A: No, we do not have a restaurant on our farm, and we do not sell food or drinks on our farm. You are welcome to bring your own food and drinks, but please be courteous and take all your garbage with you when you leave. We do not keep a dumpster on our farm!
Q: Can we picnic on your farm?
A: Yes, but we are a “Leave no trace” farm, so please take everything with you including your garbage.
Q: How do I sign up for one of your Lavender Dinners or other events?
A: Please see our “Farm Events” tab on our website for all the latest events on our farm. We do post our events on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Q: Can I take photos on your farm?
A: Yes, for your own enjoyment and not as a Professional Photographer you may take photos of our lavender and barns when you visit. We do not allow Professional Photographers to schedule “mini sessions” or bring clients to our farm without permission. Please email Karen at karen@lavenderoaks.farm to request permission to bring a client for photographs. We only allow a few “Golden Hour” sessions during lavender season and those usually book quite quickly.
Q: Do you have restrooms on your farm?
A: Yes, our Main Barn has two restrooms that are accessible from our outdoor patio. Please do not enter our Main Barn from the restrooms as we may be hosting a private tour or setting up for an event. Please help us maintain the cleanliness of our restrooms and please close the exterior door when you exit.
Q: What if I get to your front gates and they are open, but the website says you are closed?
A: Please DO NOT drive on our farm if we are closed even if our front gates are open! We live on our farm and frequently leave our gates open for private events, tour groups, appointments, and deliveries.
Q: What if it is raining or storming?
A: We will post closings on our website and social media as soon as possible if the weather is too dangerous to have visitors. If you are visiting our farm and inclement weather occurs we will immediately ask our visitors to seek shelter in their vehicles and close our farm.
Q: Is your farm handicap accessible?
A: Yes our barns and restrooms are handicap accessible. Please email us at info@lavenderoaks.farm if you have questions about handicap visitors. We will do our best to accommodate your visit.
LAVENDER QUESTIONS:
Q: When does your lavender bloom?
A: Our 9 varieities of lavender begin in late May and continue through July. We can’t tell you exactly when or how much will be in bloom, but we post a weekly photo of our fields on our social media (FB: @lavenderoaksfarmnc, Instagram: @lavenderoaks).
Q: Do you sell lavender plants?
A: No, we do not sell lavender plants or seeds
Q: Do you give advice on growing lavender?
A: We can only tell you our experience growing lavender in our region Zone 7. We do not provide advice for growing lavender in your yard.
Q: When can we cut lavender?
A: We begin “u-pick’ lavender in June and will watch our lavender closely to post the exact date as soon as we can.
Q: Do I need to bring anything to cut lavender?
A: Yes, please bring scissors to cut our lavender when we allow cutting.
Q: Can I cut lavender in the rain?
A: No, we don’t allow cutting of our lavender in the rain, or within 6 hours of a rainstorm
Q: Which varieties do you grow?
A: Please see our ”Lavender” section on our website for details of our 9 varieties.
Q: Do you offer tours?
A: We offer a “Culinary Lavender Lunch & Learn Tour” for individuals and groups a few times a year. Our Group Tours must be scheduled for 10 guests or more. We book up very fast, so please email Karen at karen@lavenderoaks.farm for more information, or click on the “Culinary Lavender Lunch & Learn Tour” tab for more details.
FARM SHOPPE QUESTIONS:
Q: When is your Farm Shoppe open?
A: We open our Farm Shoppe during our seasonal hours, but also several times a year in the off-season for “Farm Open Houses.”
Q: What kind of lavender products do you sell?
A: We make both culinary and apothecary lavender products from lotions, salves, baths salts, to spices, teas, syrups, jams, and more! We sell lavender themed fine linen tea towels, sachets, too.
Q: Do you sell fresh and dried lavender bouquets?
A: We have fresh lavender available during our blooming season in June and July and you are welcome to come cut some when we are open. We sell dried lavender year-round if we had a good harvest. Please email us during the off season to schedule an appointment to purchase our dried lavender bundles.
Q: Do you sell your lavender products online?
A: No, at this time we only sell our products in our Farm Shoppe.
Q: What form of payment do you take in your Farm Shoppe?
A: We accept cash, and credit cards in our Farm Shoppe.
Q: Will you donate products to our fundraiser?
A: We do donate our products for fundraisers quite often, but all requests must be sent in writing to Karen at karen@lavenderoaks.farm. We will do our best to help your cause, but can not guarantee a donation.
SPECIAL EVENTS & WEDDING QUESTIONS
Q: Do you allow weddings on your farm?
A: Yes, we do allow weddings on our farm and please email Karen at karen@lavenderoaks.farm to arrange a tour. Our venue rental fee document and more information is on the “Weddings” tab, plus we keep a “Wedding Calendar” updated on our website of our available dates. We do not allow weddings every weekend. We book up very fast, so please consider scheduling a tour at least one year in advance of your proposed date. We do provide quite a lot of décor, services, and planning assistance, too! We do weddings the way they are meant to be done so you can relax and enjoy all your favorite people in a timeless setting so close to everything you need!
Q; Do you host Corporate Events and Fundraisers/Galas:
A: We love to help a good cause, or create an exciting event for a corporate outing/retreat. Please email Karen at karen@lavenderoaks.farm for information on our culinary lavender events tailored to both small and large groups, plus to inquire about using our Barn to host your next fundraiser/gala.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS:
We hope we have answered your question, but if not, then please email us at info@lavenderoaks.farm.
We look forward to sharing our dream that is Lavender Oaks Farm!
In Lavender Love,
Robert & Karen Macdonald, aka Mr. & Mrs. Lavender
#eieio