Julie Thurgood: The Vision Behind Hereward Farms

Some businesses are born from spreadsheets and

forecasts. Others begin with a quiet moment of curiosity. For Julie Thurgood-Burnett, the beginning of Hereward Farms came down to a single thought spoken aloud on her land in East Garafraxa, Ontario:

That question, asked without pressure or expectation, would go on to shape one of Canada's most distinctive farmto-skin and farm-to-home brands. What started in 2020 as an experiment with just 40 lavender plants has since grown into a 250-acre working farm, home to more than 6,000 lavender plants, hundreds of thousands of sunflowers, and a full line of all-natural skincare and home products crafted entirely on-site.

Julie's journey is not just about farming. It is about listening to instinct, trusting curiosity, and building a business that feels as good as it looks.

Life Before Lavender

BeforeJuliebecamesynonymous withlavenderieldsandcalm escapes,shewasirmlyplantedin theworldofmarketing.Strategy, branding,andstorytellingwere hertools.Sheunderstoodhowto builddesire,howtopositiona product andhowtocreatetrust. However,somethingwasmissing.

“I'vealwaysbelievedinthepower ofnaturalproducts,”Juliesays. “Skincareandhomeessentials thatdidn'trelyonchemicalsbut insteadharnessedwhattheearth alreadygivesus. ”

Whensheandherfamilystoodon theirlandinEastGarafraxa, surroundedbyopenieldsand possibility,theideaofHereward Farmshadnotyetfullyformed. Therewasnomasterplantoleave corporatelifebehind.Therewas onlycuriosityandawillingnessto try

That willingness would change everything.

The Power of Starting Small

Planting40lavenderplantsisnot aboldbusinessmoveby conventionalstandards.ForJulie, thatwasthepoint

“Therewasnoroadmapandoddly enough,thatwasliberating,”she relects.“Iwaslearning everythingasIwent”

Theearlydayswereilledwith trial,error,andhands-on discovery.Learninghowtogrow

lavenderinOntario'sclimate. Understandingharvestcycles. Figuringouthowtodry,bundle, andpreserveitproperly.

Explainingtovisitorswhy lavendermatteredintheirst place.

Juliewasnotchasingwhatother farmsweredoing.Shewasnot benchmarkinggrowthorracing towardscale.Shestayedirmlyin herownlane.

“Ifsomethingworks,itworks.Ifit doesn't,weadjustandmove forward,”sherecalls.“Uncertainty becamepartoftheprocess insteadofsomethingtofear.”

ThatmindsetallowedHereward Farmstogroworganically.Each decisionrespondedtowhatthe land,theplants,andthepeople wereaskingfornext.

Creating an Experience, Not Just a Product

Julie saw early on that Hereward Farms could offer something deeper than skincare or home goods – it could offer reconnection.

“People have become disconnected from where things come from,” she says. “Iwanted to solve that.”

The Lavender Lounge, Boutique, and Café became an extension of that vision. Open year-round, it invites guests to slow down, walk the fields, enjoy simple comforts, and breathe. It is not manufactured calm. It is felt.

Visitors come for the lavender and stay for the atmosphere. For many, it becomes a ritual. A place to return to. And yes, as Julie adds with a smile, the butter tarts areworth the drive.

“We're not just selling lavender products,” she explains. “We're creating memories.”

From Fields to Formulations

Asinterestinthefarmgrew,so didarecurringquestionfrom visitorsandcustomers.

Whatdoyoudowithlavender?

Sellingrawbundlesalonedid notfeelcomplete.Juliedidnot wantthelavendershenurtured tobecomedisconnectedfrom howitwasused.That realizationmarkedaturning point.

“Farm-to-skinandfarm-tohomebecameaphilosophy beforeitbecameabrand,”she explains.

Soonafter HerewardFarms beganproducingall-natural skincareandhomeproducts usingonlythelavendergrown ontheirland.Oils,balms, soaps,andhomeessentials followed.Everyproductcarried atraceablestory.Julieknewthe soil.Sheknewtheharvest.She knewtheprocessbehindevery bottleandbar

“Itclosedtheloop,”shesays. “Oncethatloopwasclosed, HerewardFarmsbecameabout trust.”

Atatimewhenmanybrands labelthemselvesnatural withoutfulltransparency,Julie choseclarityoverconvenience. Ingredientsare straightforward.Formulations arehonest.Trendsdonot overridevalues.

Hermarketingbackground playedacrucialrolehere.Julie understoodhoweasilytrust canbelostwhenbranding outpacesintegrity.

“Wedon'toverpromiseandwe don'thidebehindlanguage,” shesays.“Wefocusonclarity consistency,andsubstance.”

Not Your Grandmother's Lavender Brand

Lavenderoftencomeswith preconceivednotions.Rustic. Traditional.Predictable.

HerewardFarmsisnoneof thosethings.

Juliebuiltabrandthatfeels groundedyetmodern,calmyet conident.Theresultsspeakfor themselves.HerewardFarms productsandstoryhavebeen featuredin Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle Canada, The Globe and Mail, and the Toronto Star

Thesefeaturesvalidatedwhat Juliealreadybelieved.Clean, Canadian,farm-grownbeauty couldbebothluxuriousand authentic.

Butrecognitionwasneverthe endgoal.Communitywas.

Growth Without Losing the Soul

GrowthatHerewardFarmshas beenrapid,butneverreckless. From40lavenderplantsin 2020tomorethan6,000today, withplanstoaddanother

2,000plantsinspring2026, expansionhasfollowed intention.

Sunlowerswereaddedtothe ields,nownumberinginthe hundredsofthousands.New productlinescontinueto emerge.Thefarmnowspans 250acresofpurpose-driven land.

YetJulieremainsclearabout whatgrowthshouldnevercost.

“Expansionisexciting,butnot attheexpenseofsoul,”she says.

Sustainabilityisnota marketingphraseatHereward Farms.Nothinggoestowaste. Noteventhelavenderstems. Theoperationisdesignedto respectthelandasmuchasit beneitsfromit.

Being100percentCanadian, fromcultivationtoproduction, isapointofpride.Itreinforces transparencyand accountabilityineverystep.

Leadership, Motherhood, and Presence

Julieisnotjustafounderand CEO.Sheisalsoamother a builder andawomanwhohas navigatedbothtrialsand success.

“Balanceisn'tstatic,”shesays. “Itshiftsconstantly”

Farminghastaughtherthat seasonschange,andsodo

priorities.Therearetimes whenthebusinessrequires moreofher,andtimeswhen familydoes.Insteadofforcing symmetry,shefocuseson presence.

“WhenI'mworking,I'mfully init.WhenI'mwithmy family,Iprotectthattime iercely.”

Herchildrenwitnessthe businessbeingbuilt.Theysee theresilience,theeffort,and thepridethatcomesfrom creatingsomething meaningful.ForJulie,that visibilitymatters.

“Leadershipdoesn'trequire perfection,”shesays.“It requiresintention.”

Advice for Those Standing at the Edge

Julie'sstoryresonatesdeeply withwomenwhofeelapull towardsomethingdifferent yethesitatetoact.

“Youdon'thavetoleap,”she says.“Youjusthavetomove. ”

Sheencouragescuriosityover certainty.Actionoverwaiting. Comparison,shebelieves,is thefastestwaytoloseyour ownpath.

“Conidencecomesafter action,notbeforeit,”she adds.“Followthecuriosity Stayinyourlane.”

Permissionisnotrequired.

Neitherisexplanation.

A Place People Return To

WhenJulielookstothefuture, hervisionremainsgrounded.

HerewardFarmswill continuetogrow,but thoughtfully.Asabusiness,it willexpandproductlinesand experienceswithoutlosing integrity.Asaplace,itwill remainadestinationforcalm, connection,andauthenticity

“Iwantpeopletoreturnhere toslowdown,”shesays.“To reconnectandbreathe.”

Atitscore,HerewardFarms willalwaysstandforchoosing better.Forhonoringtheland. Forcreatingsomething honestinaworldthatoften movestoofast.

Fromasinglequestioninthe soiltoabrandcelebrated acrossCanadaandbeyond, JulieThurgood-Burnetthas proventhatdreams,when tendedwithcare,cangrow wildly

You don't have to leap, You just have to move.