Out past the fog line and into the folds of Black Mountain Ranch lies a stretch of lavender planted by hand, harvested by hand and—if founder DeAnna Schaefer has anything to say about it—felt deeply. Not just in the nose, but in the nervous system.
“Every place I have lived has shaped me,” says Schaefer, who grew up next to a cornfield in Missouri. “I learned the value of hard work early in watching the farmers. Hard-working people honoring the land to feed many.” From there, her story spans coastlines and communities, including the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where she says she “deepened [her] connection to ocean breezes, serenity in calm moments and sunsets.”
It all clicked in Marin. “Marin feels like where everything came together for me,” she says. She first visited as a college freshman with Kip, now her husband, who grew up in the area. “The land here is wild and peaceful all at the same time. I wanted to build a brand that is natural, mindful and connected to honoring the land and the community.”
That brand became Point Reyes Lavender Co.—a small-batch body and wellness company rooted in organic farming and intentional design. But it also stems from another part of Schaefer’s life: a decades-long career in physical therapy.
“I have treated patients in physical therapy for 25 years and helped them heal by empowering them, guiding them, to see their own strength,” she says. “The lavender business is an extension of the therapeutic process—slow down and honor yourself, your time for self-care.”
It’s not just packaging copy. “We see it every day when people come into the barn joyful, and a sense of calm comes over,” she says. “I truly believe if we all just took a moment to pause, self-reflect and honor our own bodies and minds we would all be a lot healthier.”
The land certainly seems to agree. “Lavender loves Point Reyes!” Schaefer says. “The sea breezes, sunshine, intermittent fog and ability to drain properly all contribute to an ideal spot. Lavender doesn’t like to have its feet wet!” Lavender Co.’s field design follows the natural contour of the land. “It’s a winning combination for happy lavender.”
Ritual is a recurring word in Schaefer’s work—not in a precious, candlelit kind of way, but in the real rhythms of daily life. “To me, ritual is anything you do with care and mindful intention,” she says. “It can be small—like smelling our sachet at your nightstand before bed or rubbing the lavender-scented pain balm on all your sore muscles … or just spraying the lavender linen spray on your kid’s sheets so everyone can slow down and embrace a relaxing moment.”
That “everyone” includes her family. “Family is everything to me,” Schaefer says, recalling her own upbringing waiting tables, babysitting, saving for college with her sister. “We were taught hard work pays off and being kind to others is the only way to have a full joyful life.” These days, that same ethos lives on in her kids, who work alongside her in the barn. “It’s also extra-special to inspire my daughter that girls can be business ladies, too!”
The company’s footprint remains as gentle as its fragrance. “We grow our own lavender plants and use simple natural amendments, no chemicals or sprays,” Schaefer says. “We planted by hand and harvest by hand, too. We do small batches so we know it’s fresh and [has] great quality control.”
And about that lavender scent?
“Lavender is peace and it smells like summer, like home and a sense of calm you can only get from that plant,” she says. “I know I will never get tired of that smell.”
Point Reyes Lavender Co., 13201 Point Reyes – Petaluma Rd., Point Reyes Station. pointreyeslavender.com
