Farm Journal  ·  March 26, 2026

Farmstead 1868 Founder Named to Inc. Magazine 2026 Female Founder 500 List

When I started Farmstead 1868, I didn’t have a big business plan or a five-year roadmap taped to the wall. I had lavender plants, a lot of curiosity, and a belief that small farms and small businesses can create something truly meaningful.

So being named an honoree on the Female Founders list by Inc. is one of those full-circle moments that makes you pause, breathe, and say… what just happened!?

This recognition isn’t about me. It’s about the messy, muddy, beautiful journey of building a farm-based brand from the ground up, and the community that makes it possible.

Farmstead 1868 began in the humblest way: growing lavender, experimenting, and sharing products with people who loved them. What started as a passion quickly turned into something bigger: Distilling our own essential oil, creating farm-grown goods, teaching classes and welcoming visitors to the farm, partnering with other small businesses and female farmers, and building a brand rooted in transparency, education, and joy.

Every step forward comes with a learning curve, and plenty of trial and error. (So much error. So much learning.) Awards are exciting, of course. But this one carries extra meaning because of what it celebrates.

The Female Founders list highlights women who are building companies, creating jobs, supporting communities, and reshaping industries in their own way. Many of us are balancing families, farms, side hustles, and the everyday realities of running a business.

Being included among so many inspiring founders feels both humbling and energizing. It’s a reminder that small businesses matter. Small farms matter. Women-led businesses matter. And that the imposter syndrome is very real.

And the ripple effect of community support is also very real.

Moments like this can look shiny from the outside, but the truth is far more than what meets the eye. This journey includes late nights labeling jars, early mornings checking plants and weather forecasts, packing orders at the kitchen table with kids, and even typing emails while nursing a newborn.

And a lot of figuring things out, one step at a time.

Recognition like this reminds me how grateful I am for every customer, every class attendee, every person who has shared our products with a friend, and every message of encouragement along the way.

This milestone feels less like a finish line and more like a deep breath before the next chapter. The mission hasn’t changed: create stress-free useful products rooted in the farm and invite people into the process.

No founder builds something alone. This recognition belongs to our customers, our supporters, and the community that has helped Farmstead 1868 grow season after season.

Thank you for being here, from the muddy spring days to the harvest celebrations and everything in between.

Here’s to the next chapter 💜