Startup Star: Lavender Fields at Pumpkin Blossom Farm

Missy Biagiotti used to joke that she wanted to make lavender the next pumpkin spice, “but it doesn’t seem like a silly notion anymore,” she says.

The seed for Lavender Fields at Pumpkin Blossom Farm was planted when Biagiotti and her husband, Mike, purchased a vacation home, a storied property in Warner that had previously served as a catering facility, horse farm, boarding house and even a wood stove company, in 2007. But the vision didn’t come until later, when Biagiotti was helping her sister through a period of intense medical care, and they realized how powerful lavender could be in creating a calm, restorative environment.

In 2019, the family, including their three kids, planted their first 2,000 lavender plants, which were flowering in time to open to the public in 2020, the perfect outlet for people looking to experience serenity once pandemic restrictions were lifted. They now have more than 7,000 plants, and a growing list of lavender products.

“It was a profound experience for many, after little contact with nature, to be sitting among the blooms on our hillside,” Biagiotti says. 

Biagiotti, an entrepreneur at heart, says growing lavender in northern New England is a farming challenge. She’s grateful to the generous spirit of other lavender growers, particularly one in Maine, who shared her tricks and techniques for getting the plants through bitter winters.

“We now have a small but mighty army of raving fans who visit for yoga, relax in the field, purchase many of our online products and continue to be our biggest cheerleaders,” Biagiotti says. “You really can’t be in a bad mood at a lavender farm – they’re a pretty Zen group of fans.”

And that fan base is growing. The farm has grown revenue more than 440% between 2020 and 2022. Biagiotti sees nearly unlimited growth, as Lavender Fields’ product line could evolve to include just about anything that would benefit from the scent of lavender blossom. Biagiotti also plans to add educational offerings. These strategies will grow the business, she says, without driving more traffic to her fields. Biagiotti says she doesn’t want business growth to impinge on the peaceful atmosphere of the farm.

“The purpose behind our products is what fuels the passion. It’s what keeps me dreaming,” she says.