“Do you have a lavender dream?”
That question, posed on social media, was how Katie Rinker first learned that Seven Oaks Lavender Farm was up for sale. Katie, a lavender lover who enjoyed visiting the Catlett farm near Nokesville, quickly asked her husband, Jason, about buying it. He was hesitant, but Katie smelled opportunity.
Previously, the couple thought they were going to live the rest of their lives in their Manassas home on a small plot of land by a busy intersection. But after months of discussion and prayer, they became the proud owners of 13.5 acres of land and a whole lot of lavender. “Here, it’s perfectly quiet,” said Jason. “It’s so stunningly beautiful; every day we can’t believe (it). This is a dream.”
Katie and Jason Rinker are parishioners of All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas, and parents of seven children: Dylan, 30, Danyelle, 27, Ben, 22, Hope, 16, Matthew 15, Luke, 13, and Lily, 8. They’re involved with marriage preparation and religious education at the parish. Katie, who homeschools their children, helps with the Manassas area homeschool group and Jason helps run the parish men’s group. When he’s not on the farm, he also works as a buyer for Giant.
Their lavender farm opened May 30 for the few weeks that the flowers are in bloom and closes July 14. Visitors to the farm can snip lavender stems from the fields, see rabbits, enjoy a picnic on the lawn and try lavender cupcakes, lemonade, and ice cream. Though they make the lemonade and cupcakes in-house, they grow culinary lavender on the farm and send it to a local ice cream shop that makes the frozen treat for them. Their farm shop sells lavender products of all kinds, including lip balm, marshmallows, candles, soap, honey and lotion. “It’s everything you can think of lavender,” said Jason. “And even things you can’t think of,” said Katie. “Like lavender vinegar.”
Jason had a garden and chickens at his childhood home in Oakton, and he has construction experience, too. But the couple learned the most about farm life from the former owners, who hoped that a family would live on the property and take over the fields.
“They’ve been coming out every week, teaching us the business,” said Jason. Even with their help, it’s been a lot of work sprucing up the place. But it’s fun work, said Katie. “The front sign is new, we redid the whole front of the shop, we poured a concrete pad, we redid the sandbox (and) the bunny pen. We built the snack shack,” said Jason. “We planted over 200 new lavender plants,” said Katie.
Jason and Katie’s kids, parents and siblings have pitched in, too, though some more willingly than others, joked Jason. “Today, we had six tons of gravel brought in, and everybody was out there shoveling and raking,” he said. “The boys mow the property, the girls take care of the bunnies and help in the shop, and everybody helps a little bit out in the field. It’s definitely been a family adventure.”
Katie is excited to spend time with friends and fellow lavender lovers. “I’m looking forward to meeting all the people and having them see what we’ve done,” she said. “I’ve had friends from high school, friends from college, old colleagues who all say they’re coming, so I feel like every day is going to be a reunion.”
And when the crowds head home, purple bouquets in hand, Jason is looking forward to quieter days on the farm. “It’s beautiful, it’s peaceful, it smells great,” he said. “Just to be able to sit on a blanket and look at God’s creation … it’s like a little slice of heaven,” said Katie.
Maraist is a freelancer from Reston.
Find out more
Go to sevenoakslavenderfarm.com or call 703-307-3739.
