Alex Reid of Agape Farm South spoke to the Floyd Dale Senior In-Crowd on Wednesday about her lavender farm in the Carolina Section of Dillon County. Agape Farm South is a family operated business that began as their retirement project. She said they knew it would take cultivating to be profitable. This is their sixth year in business at the 15-acre farm. She said they pay for everything when they have the cash in hand because they don’t want to take on any debt. Reid said they wanted to keep the farm rustic and quaint. She said they are just getting water and electricity at the farm. She said they focus on herbs, lavender, and flavor. They have developed a number of products. Magnesium lotion is their best selling product. She said they were the only agritourism farm in South Carolina. She said they have a number of workshops coming up, and their next big event is a Bluegrass Festival on March 21st. Reid said lavender is slow to grow. The plants she is getting ready to put in the ground were started last year. Reid said she has better success growing from seed instead of propagation.
Reid said they had a 50 percent loss on their plants last year due to five weeks of rain. She said lavender don’t require much water and only has to be trimmed twice a year. She said lavender is a huge business overseas. Reid said 100 lbs. of plant material only makes 1 oz. of lavender oil.
Reid said people are looking for new things to do, and it is fulfilling to her to bring something new to the area.
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Photos by Johnnie Daniels/The Dillon County News, LLC
