Herb Farm
The Gardens
Laying out the garden
Creating the garden beds
First plantings
Original workshop
Alongside the development of an herbal product range was the establishment of the Herb Farm gardens. The first challenge Lynn faced was getting Council permission to subdivide the land she hoped to use to grow herbs and build a studio. Resource consent was difficult to get as subdividing the property went against existing Council regulations. Neighbours had to be given opportunity to put in any challenges and one did – it took a lot of time to work through the issues but Lynn and her family met that challenge built a studio and started to put gardens down.
“As the interest in herbs and natural remedies has gradually built up the Herb Farm has built with it. We just kept growing the themed gardens and we now have three acres.” People pay to get a map which describes the gardens and some of the herbs. Guided tours are offered and people can taste a leaf that is 300 times sweeter than sugar or smell a plant that will clear their sinuses. “We tell them the properties of the herbs and how we make some of the extracts that go into the remedies. A visit is interactive, educational and fun – we just share our belief and passion for herbs.”
Lynn also shares her knowledge by teaching the DARE programme, “I think through that I’m creating an awareness with children who discuss what the see and learn with their parents.” Lynn is often invited to talk about herbs; she writes for the local newspaper every week and speaks on the radio once a fortnight. The Herb Farm and like minded businesses in the Manawatu have set up a cluster called Health, Herbs and Honey that is being promoted internationally particularly in Korea and Taiwan. Herb Farm is promoted in four or five tourist brochures and has recently appeared in two Japanese magazines.
To read one of the articles written about the Herb Farm in Japanese magazine click here .
