Meet Carolyn Blair | Entrepreneur, Lavender Farmer, Artist, Events Planner, Shops Owner, Dreamer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carolyn Blair and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carolyn, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had always dreamt about having a flower farm where I could have farm animals, create art and host various events. I wanted to share with other people the love and passion I have for art and nature….a place that would be magical and give others a sense of peace and tranquility if even just for a day. I have suffered for years with various health issues, so I had been using lavender for medicinal purposes. I took a vacation to Sequim Washington about 15 years ago and that is when I first saw a field of lavender and really fell in love with it. I did lots of research and realized that it would do well in our climate in Oracle, Arizona. I then took the big leap about six years ago and planted our first field of lavender.
In doing my research, I knew that lavender was quite popular and that it could be used for beauty/health products, culinary purposes, and crafting. I would advise people to do lots of research before starting a business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I want people, especially women, to know that it is never too late to pursue a dream! I always had some kind of internal stirring that told me I could do something special. Decisions you make in life sometimes takes you on a path that you didn’t intentionally choose. Then you feel like, “Oh, it’s too late” but it isn’t! I was in my 50’s when I started this business. In some ways it is nice because my children are grown, I have had other jobs and now I am doing what I really love so there is much more appreciation. I am not worried about proving myself to anybody. My business is really agritourism which is a new industry especially in Arizona. We are the only Lavender Farm in Southern Arizona hosting events and activities so that has been a bit of a challenge. We are basically paving the way and learning as we go.
The challenges have been numerous! First, there is almost zero funding/grants in Arizona for farms like ours. Agritourism is so new there is not information available on it in Arizona. We took a huge leap in 2019 to expand the business and purchase more property. It was a huge risk take our life savings to do it. We said what was the worst that could happen? The following year we had a world-wide pandemic, the worst drought in Oracle’s history, a wildfire that we had to evacuate when our original field was in full bloom. What didn’t happen?!!
I am proud that we not only persevered but prospered during this time. We continued on with our plans and ended up doing well because we were an outdoor farm/venue that the public felt fairly safe visiting.
I want people to know that the farm has really been a magical inspiration for me, and it is a heartfelt mission. We have put our hearts and soul into it. I can’t begin to say how many hours we have put into it physically, mentally and emotionally. I believe that is the only way a small business can survive. I also believe that people can feel the genuine love and authenticity we have for the farm and business in general.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oracle is a beautiful community where we like to say the mountains meets the desert. It has four gentle seasons, so we get the best of everything….cooler summers & light snows. Of course, I would start with a visit to Life Under the Oaks Lavender Farm for a Lavender Inspired lunch basket and harvesting fresh bundles of lavender, visit the shop, etc. Then I would head over to Sue and Jerry’s Trading Post to look at metal artwork and antiques. Next, I would take my guests out to the Arizona Zipline Adventures for the views, maybe zip, and visit their cute shop. After that, I would have a cool beer at the Ore House. Finally, I would spend the night right next door to the Lavender Farm at historic El Rancho Robles, which has beautiful grounds.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a Shoutout to Sue & Jerry Parra from Sue & Jerry’s Trading Post in Oracle. They have been a huge support for us while growing our business. They have been there for us physically (providing a shop space for us when we didn’t have one) and emotionally through some difficult times.

Website: http://www.lifeundertheoakslavenderfarm.com

Instagram: lavenderoaksfarm

Facebook: Life Under the Oaks Lavender Farm

Image Credits
Photo credit: Love and Lumen Photography and peter.fuhrman