Some businesses are born from spreadsheets and forecasts. Others begin with a quiet moment of curiosity. For Julie Thurgood-Burnett, the beginning of Hereward Farms came down to a single thought spoken aloud on her land in East Garafraxa, Ontario.
“I wonder if lavender would grow here.”
That question, asked without pressure or expectation, would go on to shape one of Canada’s most distinctive farm-to-skin and farm-to-home brands. What started in 2020 as an experiment with just 40 lavender plants has since grown into a 250-acre working farm, home to more than 6,000 lavender plants, hundreds of thousands of sunflowers, and a full line of all-natural skincare and home products crafted entirely on-site.
Julie’s journey is not just about farming. It is about listening to instinct, trusting curiosity, and building a business that feels as good as it looks.
Life Before Lavender
Before Julie became synonymous with lavender fields and calm escapes, she was firmly planted in the world of marketing. Strategy, branding, and storytelling were her tools. She understood how to build desire, how to position a product, and how to create trust. However, something was missing.
“I’ve always believed in the power of natural products,” Julie says. “Skincare and home essentials that didn’t rely on chemicals but instead harnessed what the earth already gives us.”
When she and her family stood on their land in East Garafraxa, surrounded by open fields and possibility, the idea of Hereward Farms had not yet fully formed. There was no master plan to leave corporate life behind. There was only curiosity and a willingness to try.
That willingness would change everything.
The Power of Starting Small
Planting 40 lavender plants is not a bold business move by conventional standards. For Julie, that was the point.
“There was no roadmap and oddly enough, that was liberating,” she reflects. “I was learning everything as I went.”
The early days were filled with trial, error, and hands-on discovery. Learning how to grow lavender in Ontario’s climate. Understanding harvest cycles. Figuring out how to dry, bundle, and preserve it properly. Explaining to visitors why lavender mattered in the first place.
Julie was not chasing what other farms were doing. She was not benchmarking growth or racing toward scale. She stayed firmly in her own lane.
“If something works, it works. If it doesn’t, we adjust and move forward,” she recalls. “Uncertainty became part of the process instead of something to fear.”
That mindset allowed Hereward Farms to grow organically. Each decision responded to what the land, the plants, and the people were asking for next.
From Fields to Formulations
As interest in the farm grew, so did a recurring question from visitors and customers.
What do you do with lavender?
Selling raw bundles alone did not feel complete. Julie did not want the lavender she nurtured to become disconnected from how it was used. That realization marked a turning point.
“Farm-to-skin and farm-to-home became a philosophy before it became a brand,” she explains.
Soon after, Hereward Farms began producing all-natural skincare and home products using only the lavender grown on their land. Oils, balms, soaps, and home essentials followed. Every product carried a traceable story. Julie knew the soil. She knew the harvest. She knew the process behind every bottle and bar.
“It closed the loop,” she says. “Once that loop was closed, Hereward Farms became about trust.”
At a time when many brands label themselves natural without full transparency, Julie chose clarity over convenience. Ingredients are straightforward. Formulations are honest. Trends do not override values.
Her marketing background played a crucial role here. Julie understood how easily trust can be lost when branding outpaces integrity.
“We don’t overpromise and we don’t hide behind language,” she says. “We focus on clarity, consistency, and substance.”
Not Your Grandmother’s Lavender Brand
Lavender often comes with preconceived notions. Rustic. Traditional. Predictable.
Hereward Farms is none of those things.
Julie built a brand that feels grounded yet modern, calm yet confident. The results speak for themselves. Hereward Farms products and story have been featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle Canada, The Globe and Mail, and the Toronto Star.
These features validated what Julie already believed. Clean, Canadian, farm-grown beauty could be both luxurious and authentic.
But recognition was never the end goal. Community was.
Creating an Experience, Not Just a Product
Julie saw early on that Hereward Farms could offer something deeper than skincare or home goods – it could offer reconnection.
“People have become disconnected from where things come from,” she says. “I wanted to solve that.”
The Lavender Lounge, Boutique, and Café became an extension of that vision. Open year-round, it invites guests to slow down, walk the fields, enjoy simple comforts, and breathe. It is not manufactured calm. It is felt.
Visitors come for the lavender and stay for the atmosphere. For many, it becomes a ritual. A place to return to. And yes, as Julie adds with a smile, the butter tarts are worth the drive.
“We’re not just selling lavender products,” she explains. “We’re creating memories.”
Growth Without Losing the Soul
Growth at Hereward Farms has been rapid, but never reckless. From 40 lavender plants in 2020 to more than 6,000 today, with plans to add another 2,000 plants in spring 2026, expansion has followed intention.
Sunflowers were added to the fields, now numbering in the hundreds of thousands. New product lines continue to emerge. The farm now spans 250 acres of purpose-driven land.
Yet Julie remains clear about what growth should never cost.
“Expansion is exciting, but not at the expense of soul,” she says.
Sustainability is not a marketing phrase at Hereward Farms. Nothing goes to waste. Not even the lavender stems. The operation is designed to respect the land as much as it benefits from it.
Being 100 percent Canadian, from cultivation to production, is a point of pride. It reinforces transparency and accountability in every step.
Leadership, Motherhood, and Presence
Julie is not just a founder and CEO. She is also a mother, a builder, and a woman who has navigated both trials and success.
“Balance isn’t static,” she says. “It shifts constantly.”
Farming has taught her that seasons change, and so do priorities. There are times when the business requires more of her, and times when family does. Instead of forcing symmetry, she focuses on presence.
“When I’m working, I’m fully in it. When I’m with my family, I protect that time fiercely.”
Her children witness the business being built. They see the resilience, the effort, and the pride that comes from creating something meaningful. For Julie, that visibility matters.
“Leadership doesn’t require perfection,” she says. “It requires intention.”
Advice for Those Standing at the Edge
Julie’s story resonates deeply with women who feel a pull toward something different yet hesitate to act.
“You don’t have to leap,” she says. “You just have to move.”
She encourages curiosity over certainty. Action over waiting. Comparison, she believes, is the fastest way to lose your own path.
“Confidence comes after action, not before it,” she adds. “Follow the curiosity. Stay in your lane.”
Permission is not required. Neither is explanation.
A Place People Return To
When Julie looks to the future, her vision remains grounded.
Hereward Farms will continue to grow, but thoughtfully. As a business, it will expand product lines and experiences without losing integrity. As a place, it will remain a destination for calm, connection, and authenticity.
“I want people to return here to slow down,” she says. “To reconnect and breathe.”
At its core, Hereward Farms will always stand for choosing better. For honoring the land. For creating something honest in a world that often moves too fast.
From a single question in the soil to a brand celebrated across Canada and beyond, Julie Thurgood-Burnett has proven that dreams, when tended with care, can grow wildly.
Just like lavender in a field.
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