By Mike Finney

MILLSBORO — This is a time of year that Laura Brittingham relishes, a chance to open her fourth-generation family farm to the public and welcome them to relax and experience a day on the farm.

Mrs. Brittingham and her husband, Jon Brittingham, are prepared to host the second annual Lavender & Lambs Festival at Brittingham Farms on June 15 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

“It’s very kid-friendly. It’s couples friendly,” Mrs. Brittingham said. “We’ll have picnics set up all around the field where people can grab their lunch and sit down and enjoy a picnic during peak purple season.

“We are the largest lavender farm open to the public in the state of Delaware. There’s lots of room to wander and we have lots of parking.”

Brittingham Farms, which is comprised of three farms and around 350 acres, is at 22518 Phillips Hill Road in rural Millsboro.

Its specialties include lavender and lambs, native to England and dating to the 18th century.

The farm is home to a large lavender field, a lavender essential oil distillery for touring, field picnics and boutique farm store, as well as its heritage Leicester Longwool sheep, brought to early America by George Washington.

The Brittinghams hosted 700 guests at their farm during their inaugural festival last year and are prepared to bring 1,000 visitors to this year’s event.

Tickets are $15 if ordered online at www.brittinghamfarms.com/events. Admission is $20 on the day of the event and will only be sold as parking allows. Guests are welcome to bring their own folding chairs.

Mrs. Brittingham said they learned some lessons from last year’s event and are coming back even bigger this summer.

“We’ve added music, another food truck and a lot more vendors,” she said. “So, it will be a much more elevated experience this year. We’ve got a lot more demonstrations going on.

“The demo that I’m most excited about is the sheep shearing. We have had so many requests for people to be able to observe shearing day and I asked our sheep shearer from Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, Hoyt Emmons, to participate. He shears my flock every single year and comes down and spends the day and he’ll do the whole flock in the barn.”

The Brittinghams have planned to move the whole shearing day to the lavender field pasture to create an event around the oasis of purple flowers. Sheep shearing is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Adding to the agriambience, the Homestead Bluegrass Band will perform in the Lavender Field Pavilion from 1 until 4 p.m. while the shearing is taking place.

They will be preceded by the Heartland Band from 10 until noon. Bench seating will be available around the pavilion.

Visitors to the Lavender & Lamb Festival will also get to take advantage of 50 local vendors, You-Pick Lavender in the lavender field, pony rides from The Little Farm and three food trucks.

They will also get the opportunity to taste many flavors of ice cream — including three lavender — from The Frozen Farmer, glasses of Brittingham Farms Lavender Riesling from Frankford’s Salted Vines Vineyard & Winery and lavender beer from Georgetown’s Revelation Craft Brewing Company, all made with the Brittinghams’ culinary lavender.

There will also be some history on display as members of the John Dickinson Plantation Spinners Guild will spin wool in colonial garb on the front porch of the store and the Lewes Historical Society will dye fleeces over fire.

The Delaware Farm Bureau mobile Ag Lab, where children can learn how to milk a cow, will give lessons on Delaware agriculture as well.

“The farm distillery will also be open and working and guests will see lavender essential oil and lavender hydrosol (floral water) being produced,” Mrs. Brittingham said.

Having the public visit their farm and enjoy a taste of agriculture has been a pleasure for the Brittinghams.

“Being open to the public is a beautiful, wonderful thing,” Mrs. Brittingham said. “To have our community support us and really have an appreciation for Delaware agriculture is absolutely a dream come true for a farmer.”

Staff writer Mike Finney can be reached at 302-741-8230 or mfinney@iniusa.org.
Follow @MikeFinneyDSN on X.