Julia Mortvedt is a third-year Ames FFA member from Iowa. Her parents, Jason and Jessica Mortvedt, founded Iowa Lavender in May 2020, and she has played a role in the business since then.
In early 2024, Mortvedt decided to take a more active role in Iowa Lavender. This could include being involved in events, markets or making and selling lavender lemonade.
Iowa Lavender currently has 300 lavender plants. Mortvedt and her sister, Janae, use these plants to create lemonade that they sell at the Des Moines Farmer’s Market. Iowa Lavender has sold their lavender-based products at six markets throughout the farmer’s market season, which runs from May through October.
The process of creating the lemonade is fairly simple. “We make a tea using the lavender buds and put them through a tea infuser,” Mortvedt says. “After creating the tea, we mix it with our lemonade.”
At the lavender farm, the Mortvedts also care for several dairy goats that Julia and her sister show at the Story County Fair and Iowa State Fair. During the U-Pick events, Iowa Lavender hosts many guests who are interested in the goats. Dairy goat production is another one of Mortvedt’s Supervised Agricultural Experiences, and she was able to teach some young visitors about how to milk them properly during a U-Pick event.
This summer, Mortvedt has won many accolades at the two fairs she showed at. At the Story County Fair in the horticulture competition, she brought a pot of lavender that received a purple award. Her highest achievements in the dairy goat shows were reserve champion overall junior doe and reserve champion senior showman.
At the Iowa State Fair, on the other hand, Mortvedt’s best award in dairy goats was reserve champion alpine junior doe. In the FFA horticulture competition, she also won first and fifth place with her lavender.
