Douglas Co Unicorporated by David Frese, photos by Steven Hertzog
Throughout the county, unincorporated areas have thriving businesses. Kathy and Jack Wilson are facing a bit of a dilemma. The owners of Washington Creek Lavender, south of Lawrence in Lone Star Township, had a spectacular crop in 2020. Just spectacular. But COVID-19 kept everyone home in 2020, including workers. So Kathy had to weedwhack the fields twice by herself. This year, however, the 6,000 violet lavender plants lining the acres of the Wilson’s hilltop farm have turned the dark grey of an approaching thunderstorm. Remember that week in February when there was a 70-degree swing in temperatures? The lavender plants didn’t handle it well.
Several years ago the same thing happened, and the plants recovered. This year, Wilson says, “Who knows? “When we make a mistake, we don’t make the same mistake twice,” he continues, pausing for the punchline. “We make it seven or eight times.” Washington Creek Lavender is but one satellite business orbiting Lawrence in Douglas County. BlueJacket Crossing Vineyard and Winery, near Eudora, and McFarlane Aviation and Vinland Valley Nursery, near Baldwin City, are among many others. These sorts of mom-and-pop businesses are the lifeblood of many rural and exurban communities in Kansas, says Erik Sartorius, executive director at the League of Kansas Municipalities. “Whether in cities or counties, these businesses survive because they offer a service or product that is unique to Kansas,” he explains. “Small businesses support our communities through their efforts to provide employment, support the sales tax base and provide unique retail opportunities that showcase Kansasmade products.”
The town of Vinland
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