Why Great Lakes Lavender Growers Need Each Other

The Great Lakes region is an excellent place to grow lavender, provided the lavender has received a full briefing on humidity, lake-effect weather, spring mud, surprise frost and the local tradition of experiencing three seasons before lunch.

That complexity is why growers need one another. In 2023, Great Lakes Lavender Farm published an introduction to Great Lakes Lavender Growers in a member-farm context. This update makes an important distinction: Great Lakes Lavender Growers, or GLLG, is an independent regional membership organization, while Great Lakes Lavender Farm now also hosts its own digital Grower Community and learning tools. Confirm current association membership on the official GLLG website. The names are similar because the lakes were apparently unwilling to hire a naming consultant.

What is Great Lakes Lavender Growers?

GLLG describes itself as a member-supported organization of commercial lavender growers in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Formed in 2014, it works to support information sharing, education, research and the regional lavender sector. It also maintains a farm map and hosts grower education, including an annual conference.

The organization is not the United States Lavender Growers Association, though GLLG reports a constructive relationship with the national group and with Michigan State University Extension.

For membership, conference and directory details, use the official GLLG website. Great Lakes Lavender Farm does not control another organization's eligibility, schedule or benefits.

Why regional knowledge matters

Lavender guidance is often written for a dry Mediterranean climate or a western production region. The fundamentals still apply—sun and drainage remain undefeated—but Great Lakes growers must interpret them through cold, humidity and variable winter cover.

Regional growers can compare:

• Cultivar survival through specific winters.
• Raised-row and drainage designs in local soil types.
• Bloom and harvest timing by latitude and lake influence.
• Disease pressure during humid summers.
• Winter protection that helped, harmed or did nothing except entertain the neighbors.
• Local markets, processors, distillation resources and events.
• State nursery, food, cosmetic and agritourism requirements.

One farm's observation is a clue. Many labeled observations across several seasons begin to look like knowledge.

What to record before asking what worked

"My lavender died" is emotionally complete but horticulturally under-documented. Useful field records include:

• Cultivar and plant source.
• Plant format and planting date.
• USDA half-zone and site microclimate.
• Soil test, bed design and drainage observations.
• In-row and between-row spacing.
• Irrigation events and major rain periods.
• Winter minimums, snow, ice and thaw patterns.
• Symptoms, photos and root or crown condition.
• Survival, bloom date, stem length and harvest result.

Store plants in My Lavender Garden or field records, then share a concise version in the Grower Community. The goal is not to win an argument about one cultivar. The goal is to help the next planting become more informed.

Great Lakes Lavender Farm's grower ecosystem

The new website gives growers several ways to move from curiosity to planning:

• USDA Zone Finder for an initial cold-hardiness screen.
• Frost Date Estimator (coming soon) for local seasonal planning.
• Compare Cultivars for habit, zone, bloom, color and use.
• Lavender Farm Simulator for low-risk exploration of farm decisions.
• Field Planner for row and block layout.
• Care Academy for structured learning.
• My Lavender Garden for saved plants and care context.
• Grower Community for peer discussion.
• Wholesale Hub for plants, trays, bare root, retail products and private-label planning.

Some advanced tools may appear as Coming Soon pages while production integrations are completed. A published placeholder is a promise of direction, not a claim that the feature already diagnoses plants, calculates economics or controls inventory. The live page should always state its current status.

Start with a trial that can teach you

Before ordering a commercial block, use Compare Cultivars to select several roles: a compact English lavender, a vigorous lavandin, a distinct flower color and, if useful, a repeat-bloom selection. Plant labeled rows in the intended field conditions.

Great Lakes wholesale minimums currently begin at two 72-cell trays, three deep 20-cell trays or 75 bare-root plants per variety in multiples of 25. A home grower can start with 3-inch, 4-inch or 1-gallon plants. The Wholesale Hub and active product pages control current inventory, lead time and eligibility.

Measure the trial through at least one winter, preferably more. Expand the cultivars that fit both the field and the market. Beautiful first-year bloom is encouraging; reliable third-year production is evidence.

Community has a commercial value

Collaboration does not eliminate competition. It improves the credibility and resilience of a regional industry. Customers benefit when growers use accurate names, realistic zone guidance, responsible product claims and transparent availability. Farms benefit when they can learn about crop failures, market opportunities and processing practices before paying for every lesson individually.

The best grower communities are generous with detail and cautious with certainty. They say what happened, where, to which cultivar and under what conditions. They are willing to update an old answer. Plants do that for us each season; we might as well join them.

Frequently asked questions

Is Great Lakes Lavender Growers part of Great Lakes Lavender Farm?

No. GLLG is an independent regional organization. Great Lakes Lavender Farm is a separate farm with its own Grower Community and website tools.

Who can join GLLG?

The organization states that it welcomes commercial lavender growers from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Confirm current eligibility on its official website.

Can hobby gardeners use the Great Lakes Grower Community?

The Great Lakes Lavender Farm community is designed to support hobby gardeners, new farms and established growers with profiles, saved plants, learning and discussion.

Where should a new commercial grower begin?

Test soil and drainage, use the Zone Finder and Simulator, compare cultivars, build a labeled pilot block and connect with regional growers before scaling.

Keep exploring

• Grower Community
• Care Academy
• Lavender Farm Simulator
• Field Planner
• Compare Cultivars
• My Lavender Garden
• Wholesale Hub
• Wholesale Plants and Plugs

Sources

• Great Lakes Lavender Growers: About
• Great Lakes Lavender Growers: Farm map and membership
• Michigan State University Extension: Great Lakes Lavender Growers education