Chasing the Sweet Scent of Lavender

Photography courtesy of Lavender Waves Farm

The sun is just peeking out at 5 a.m. as Kay Kanakry heads out of her home in Connecticut. Every Sunday for the past seven summers, she has awakened before dawn. While most are still sleeping, Kanakry happily makes the hour long drive to Wakefield. The destination? Lavender Waves Farm, a lavender farm where she teaches yoga.

“It’s never hard for me to get up that early because I know that I’m going to one of the most beautiful places,” says Kanakry. “It’s always worth it.”

The farm opened in 2020, after Henry Cabrera bought the property and began renovating its grounds. Cabrera, an anesthesiologist, moved to Rhode Island from Chicago to work at South County Hospital in 2010. He had originally planned to join the boating community, but there was one small problem: He gets seasick.

Bunches of lavender harvested from the farm. Photography courtesy of Lavender Waves Farm

“So here I am, just moved to a place and am excited to learn a new hobby, and I find out I can’t even do it,” says Cabrera. “I wanted a hobby in my backyard, so I started a farm. Then I figured if I start a farm, I should just make it a business to help with taxes. That’s where it all began.”

Cabrera settled on gardening as his new hobby, and started renovating the fourteen-acre property into a lavender field. Lavender was chosen because it’s beginner-friendly and versatile.

“Everyone knows lavender smells beautiful, so that played into it as well,” says Cabrera. “I call it luxuriously rustic. It’s not a rundown farm, it’s well-manicured.”

Lavender Waves Farm welcomes visitors to harvest their own lavender using shears, as lavender shouldn’t be picked. Cabrera, a lifelong animal lover, felt that the farm wouldn’t be complete without some new additions. Some furry new additions. After doing research, he settled on camels, alpacas, llamas, two farm dogs, a barn cat, geese, guinea hens, peacocks and chickens.

The Airbnb sits just a few feet from the growing fields. Photography courtesy of Lavender Waves Farm

“There are four privately held camels in all of Rhode Island and I own three of them,” says Cabrera, who sometimes rents out the camels to different events around Rhode Island.

While the lavender and animals are big draws, Cabrera realized the gorgeous space could be used in more creative ways. He eventually decided to host events. One of the first events to take place on the farm was lavender yoga. That’s where Kanakry comes in.

The twenty-seven-year-old had been helping with social media for Wicked Tulips Farm when she met Cabrera. At the time, the lavender farm was still in its early stages. Kanakry, who has been a certified yoga instructor for more than six years, was looking to teach yoga at the same time Cabrera was dipping his toes into the event side of the business. They decided to test out a few classes. Sunset classes proved unsuccessful due to bugs, and summer afternoons were uncomfortable because of the heat.

“It would turn into hot yoga because of how much the temperature rises after a certain point,” says Kanakry. “We were getting a great turnout, but we tinkered with the time and ended up doing early morning classes.”

8 a.m. classes every Sunday from June to August became the routine. Word traveled fast, and before long, yoga became a permanent part of the lavender farm. Kanakry, with her background in social media, began filming creative videos. I saw one and decided that I’d make the journey to the lavender-scented wonderland to try a class.

Kanakry’s yoga classes feel like slipping into a state of Zen. I attend on a rainy Sunday — the class is rain or shine — making the forty-five-minute drive from East Providence to Wakefield for the experience. The class is full, and includes both returning yogis and first-time novices like me.

“There are students who have been coming every year since we’ve started,” says Kanakry. “It’s really sweet to see the same faces every time, but also so exciting every time I see a new one. We’ve had people from all over, like Texas and North Carolina.”

The early morning rain is no problem as we set up under a giant tarp that stays assembled on the property in case rain is expected. As we hit our chaturanga pose, the pitter patter of the rain creates a serene sound. Every inhale is filled with the enchanting scent of lavender. The purple blooms grow only a few yards away from our mats.

“The misty mornings are so very beautiful,” says Kanakry. “The flowers tend to give off more of a scent. So even in the rain, you get a more enhanced sensory experience hearing the rain and smelling the lavender.”

A gazebo in the middle of the lavender field is used as an event space. Photography courtesy of Lavender Waves Farm

Kanakry references the various animals on the farm as we complete each pose. During our warrior poses, we are instructed to “face the camels,” whose unimpressed faces stare back at us humans as we hold the pose. During chair pose, Kanakry calls for us to focus our attention on the alpacas trotting by freely. It’s a lovely and lively distraction. As someone who can’t even touch my own toes, the class pushes me without overdoing it.

“A lot of people who find the class are very knowledgeable and have their own practice, while for others, it’s their first yoga class ever,” says Kanakry. “My goal is to make the class inclusive for all levels and make sure everyone is comfortable.”

Arguably, the best part of any yoga class comes at the end: shavasana, corpse pose. As we all lay under the tarp, listening to the drizzle of rain and inhaling the intoxicating smell of lavender, Kanakry brings out her bowls and begins a sound bath. I let my body rest, as the vibrational hum from the bowls washes over me. My body, enveloped in stillness, doesn’t want to stir once Kanakry instructs us to slowly add movement, as shavasana comes to an end. I twitch my fingers first before rocking my body back into an upright position. Once I feel like my soul has returned, I stand up to wander the property.

“After each class, we love to have attendees stay and experience the farm,” says Kanakry as she packs her equipment into her car.

I say hello to the camels and the chickens, which are Gold Lace Brahma, and meet up with Cabrera to talk more about the farm. We make our way over to the small shop on property, which sells lavender-infused fresh-squeezed lemonade amongst other lavender and locally made items. Eleven different varieties of lavender grow on site, including a rare pink variety.

“We have a new product lineup coming out this summer which will include new lavender essential oils,” says Cabrera. “We’ll also have a lavender-scented mulch. Not only will it smell great, it will keep the bugs away.”

Lavender lovers cut the scented plant in the field. Photography courtesy of Lavender Waves Farm

The property also includes a year-round Airbnb, which has earned a five-star rating with over 300 reviews. The Airbnb provides a private chef to cook a lavender-inspired dinner, upon request.

All the yogis from class take photos and soak in the atmosphere. Cabrera tells me the farm has received more than 200 event inquiries so far for this summer, spanning from weddings to work retreats.

Though running a farm is hard work, Cabrera says it has been a beautiful journey so far, with ideas for the future still flowing.

“I’m making things bigger and better every year,” says Cabrera. “It’s not easy, but continuously brainstorming ways to bring more people in is what’s going to make the difference. There’s no place like it, and I want as many people as possible to know that.”

I leave the farm with my perfectly tart lemonade, a bundle of lavender and a relaxed body. At Cabrera’s suggestion, I decide to check out downtown Wakefield while I am in town. I stop at a cafe to grab some breakfast and explore some of the shops. What brought me here was the lavender farm and yoga. What kept me in the area all day was the charm of the town.

Get Picky

Interested in pick-your-own farms? Check out these locations below:

Butterfly Farm

During sunflower season in August, Butterfly Farm hosts Sunflower Fest, which welcomes visitors to pick the beautiful blooms and other flowers still in season. A build-your-own bouquet station is set up to create masterpieces out of your gathered flowers. The farm also offers flowers, vegetables and meat and dairy products for sale. 679 Great Rd., Lincoln, butterflyfarmri.com 

Photograph via Getty Images/E+/Linda Raymon

Wicked Tulips Farm

From April to May, visitors can pick their own tulips on a tulip farm in North Kingstown. Despite the short picking window, the farm sells tulip bulbs on the website for fall delivery and offers yoga on the grounds. Some would say it’s wicked awesome! 140 Exeter Rd., North Kingstown, wickedtulips.com

Roots Heaven Farm

Another lavender farm where you can pick your own and breathe in the scent of lavender! With monthly events including Pilates, bocce and animal yoga, there’s always something happening. The grounds are also open to artists looking for a tranquil location to get inspired and create their art. 540 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, rootsheavenfarm.com