Business Is Blooming

Aroma Acres Is Committed To The Freshest Products And Sustainable Practices

Lavender is a popular summertime bloom with a reputation as a medicinal plant. A visit to Aroma Acres lavender and wildflower farm in New Paris is both therapeutic and energizing. It is

Flourish, Here.

also a wonderful place to simply enjoy the scents, the views, and the friendly welcome from Owners Rich and Nancy Borkholder, and their daughter, Caryn Webster.

In July, the peak season for lavender, rows and rows of purple-hued plants cover the fields at the Borkholders’ home. Other rows feature wildflowers, sunflowers and other floral blooms. Wildflowers bloom from July to October.

Produce including microgreens is grown

As a caregiver, you manage multiple responsibilities for your loved one. When you need help, The Thelma A. Schrock Adult Day Services program is here for you – a few hours a day or a few days per week.

Open Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. For more information call 574-537-4181 or visit www.greencroft.org on-site too, in the greenhouse and fields. It’s a seasonal business, from spring and summer flowers to chrysanthemums and pumpkins in the fall. Throughout the year the community is invited to come out for artisan markets or workshops, like the lavender wreath making event held in July.

A longtime farming family who raised calves, the Borkholders switched to growing lavender about six years ago. It wasn’t easy at first. The polar vortex a couple of years ago wiped out hundreds of plants, leaving only 17 to survive.

“We both like gardening and felt this was a better use of the land,” Nancy says.

Lavender is a perennial plant that grows from one to three feet. It is considered an herb. Its blooms are small and blueishpurple in color, and grow on spike-like stems. The oils in the flowers add a distinctive, balsam-like fragrance to essential oils or recipes.

“I like the medicinal aspect of the [lavender] plants,” Webster says. Lavender is supposed to have a calming effect. It is antifungal, an antibiotic, and may help those with difficulty sleeping, Webster says. “It can be infused into oils and can reduce inflammation in the body,” she adds.

Webster also has perfected a special blend of lavender and ingredients that she serves in lavender lemonade and lavender hot chocolate. Lavender can be used in food recipes too.

Microgreens represent one of the more popular produce options raised by the Borkholders. Microgreens are considered nutritious and are available year-round.

“One serving of broccoli microgreens yields all of the vitamins you get from eating one whole head of broccoli,” Rich says.

They opened their you-pick operation to the public about three years ago. Visitors pay 50 cents per stem to harvest from the flower beds, or they can purchase previously picked flowers packaged in a bundle. Recently the Borkholders welcomed a wedding party who picked their own bouquets for the ceremony in the fields. They also hosted a group of 80 children from the Boys & Girls Club, scout troops and church groups.

The farm is also available for photo shoots.

The artisan markets held in the summer and fall feature local booths selling a variety of handcrafted wares. This fall, about 40 to 50 vendors will set up shop at Aroma Acres for the fall artisan market, set for September 23 and 24.

In the marketplace barn, a variety of lavender products and farm produce is sold. Selections vary by the growing season. For example, in the fall, the pack-a-pumpkin event is a popular sale, in which shoppers fill a hollowed out pumpkin with wildflowers for $10. The pumpkin can then be used as a fall decoration.

The Borkholders encourage the picking of wildflowers. It is an important part of taking care of the crop, Rich says. “The more you cut them, they more flowers the plants produce,” he says.

There are many reasons for people to visit Aroma Acres. Guests include lavender lovers and people who simply want to step away from busy lives.

“Some people don’t have the space to grow lavender or flowers,” Nancy says. “Some people just want to come here and sit.”

“I have to say that I did not know how calming and peaceful it can be here,” Webster says.

Aroma Acres is located at 69590 County Road 21 in New Paris. For more information, visit aromaacresfarm.com or follow them on Facebook. Send email inquiries to aromaacresllc@gmail.com.