Jeff Strong’s earliest memory of Midway traces back to childhood trips from his family’s home in Springville, Utah, to fish at Strawberry Reservoir. He recalls being intrigued by “the pretty hamlet” just past Deer Creek. Decades later, he considers himself tremendously lucky to call it home.
Jeff’s first career was not as a lavender farmer. He and his family—Jeff, his wife Sarah, and their five children—moved around the country and the world throughout his extensive career in the consumer products industry. He worked as a C-suite executive for recognizable companies, including Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. His career gave them the opportunity to live in several cities across the U.S. and abroad.
During their time in Australia, they would rent a home in Midway each summer while visiting family in Utah. As retirement approached and they began deciding where to put down roots, Midway felt like a natural choice. They’ve called it home since 2009. They first lived in the Valais neighborhood and eventually purchased the five-acre property where they live now.
From my experience with retirees (read: my pilot father), the idea of spending the rest of your days in leisure doesn’t hold much appeal. Jeff seems to fall squarely into that category. He jokes, “I needed something to keep me out of trouble.” The result is Lonehawk Lavender—Midway’s very own bona fide lavender farm, nestled in the foothills near Soldier Hollow. It’s an extraordinary place to wander between rows of lavender, listening to the buzz of fuzzy bees, and to pick up locally produced lavender goods. Using a still purchased from a company in Oregon, they distill their own lavender essential oil on site.
The farm is primarily Jeff’s project. His wife, Sarah, spends much of her time traveling to visit their children and grandchildren, who are scattered across the country. Jeff has carefully thought through every detail—from the logo to the soil itself. The farm is terraced in tiers that wrap around the property, and the Strongs’ home is surrounded by lavender plants as well as a variety of stunning evergreen trees (another of Jeff’s agricultural ambitions, though that’s a story for another time).
Their home is beautiful and sprawling, with large, strategically placed windows that capture the best views of the property and surrounding mountains. There’s a pond, stocked with a self-sustaining supply of trout, and a newly constructed barn where they’ll process lavender for its many uses; it will also house the farm’s gift shop.
As I walk the farm, it’s a brooding, rainy early April day. The plants, trimmed back at the end of last season, are just beginning to wake for spring. Tiny, soft green leaves peek out if you look closely. At this stage, before their signature purple bloom, they bear a striking resemblance to sagebrush—the hardy native shrub that dots Utah’s landscape. They appear rugged, sturdy, and shrub-like.
Lavender’s similarity to sagebrush is part of what appealed to Jeff as he considered what to plant. He had been leasing the land for alfalfa but wanted to grow something with a broader appeal. He had four main criteria:
- Something that would be hard work—but not too hard—so it could remain a hobby.
- Something that would beautify the land.
- Something with practical use and redeeming value.
- Something that could produce value and profit.
Check, check, check, and check. As Jeff puts it, “[I chose lavender] because, once established, it’s hardy. These plants are hard to kill.” Lavender’s ability to thrive in Midway’s mountain climate, combined with its beauty (and unmistakable scent) and versatility, made it the perfect fit.
Jeff planted his first crop in 2023—1,600 plants across eight different varieties—from an organic farm outside Grand Junction, Colorado, called Sage Creations. Fitting all 1,600 plants into a Honda Ridgeline proved to be a bit of a challenge, but in true can-do fashion, he made it work. “They were just stacked everywhere!” he recalls. One can only imagine the wonderfully overwhelming scent.
The next challenge was getting them all into the ground. Jeff had just three days to plant everything and quickly realized he couldn’t do it alone. He reached out to friends, and a small army—his saving grace—showed up. Together, they planted every last one in a single evening. To speed things along, one person drilled holes with an auger while another followed behind, placing each plant.
That first year, he lost about 400 plants, largely due to irrigation and drainage issues. “[Lavender] needs very little water,” Jeff explains. “Learning that balance was hard.” Then came another challenge—one familiar to anyone with a yard. After the snow melted, he noticed small mounds of dirt running alongside his carefully planted rows. Voles had tunneled in and chewed the lavender plants down to nubs.
Three years in, Jeff is still learning and adapting. He’s working to “crack the code” on what the community wants—a process he knows will come with time and experience. With the still used to produce oil on site, he jokes, “If lavender doesn’t take off, we can always try our hand at whiskey!” In reality, much of that “code” lies in choosing which varieties—and how many—to grow. “There are hundreds of varieties,” he says, making selection a science.
Each variety serves a different purpose. Grosso—what he calls the farm’s “bread and butter”—is ideal for oil production. ‘Riverina Thomas,’ known for its massive blooms and long stems, is stunning for display. ‘Miss Katherine,’ a soft silvery pink, works beautifully for both essential oils and culinary use.
So why take on something this demanding in retirement? For Jeff, the answer is simple—and it’s also his favorite part. He loves watching people “get lost here.” As he puts it, “In our crazy, fast-paced, overstimulated, overcommitted world…nature and beautiful things make us feel better.” He wants people to “bring your heart and your brain to this beautiful place”—to experience the colors, fragrance, and calm. Visitors are free to wander, pick up a sickle, and cut their own bundle of lavender.
This season, Lonehawk Lavender’s new barn will expand production of dried bouquets, sachets, hydrosol, wreaths, and other lavender goods. The cozy farm shop will also feature products from other local makers. Jeff hopes the property becomes a gathering place for the community, with plans for a Fourth of July open house during peak bloom, yoga classes beneath the evergreens, and other events throughout the summer.
Take a little piece of calm home.
1233 S Lone Hawk Ln Midway
lonehawklavender.com
