Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa (Millie) Strain.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Our family has always lived a little differently.
Maybe it started with my grandparents — one who ran a bustling horse farm, Pine Dell Farm, and the other, a geologist who loved the earth so much he turned his backyard into a thriving garden. I spent countless hours wandering those rows of plants, fascinated by how something small could grow into something beautiful and useful. My grandma gifted me a few baby houseplants when I was little, and before long, that collection turned into over forty.
When I was eight, my parents sold everything and bought a boat. For two years, we traveled up and down the East Coast — to the Bahamas, to Canada — chasing adventure and learning how to live simply. Returning to a “normal” life was never really in the cards for me after that.
By eleven, I was volunteering at Longview Gardens, a local nursery, and when I turned fourteen, I got my first job there. I even landscaped my parents’ entire yard. Plants had their hooks in me.
Still, as life tends to go, I drifted for a while. I spent years searching for the right path — studying Exercise Science, working in food service, doing whatever I needed to stay afloat and support my horses. I always had this pull toward something meaningful, something I could build from the ground up.
That “something” started to take shape when my husband Daniel and I began looking for land — a place for my horses, our chickens, and a garden. Around that same time, my parents came back from a trip to New Zealand, inspired by the lavender fields they’d seen there. “What about growing lavender?” they asked.
At the time, lavender farms were almost unheard of in Missouri. The idea seemed impossible — our muggy summers and unpredictable winters were nothing like the Mediterranean climates lavender loves. But we did our research and found a handful of local farms that had made it work. So we decided to take the leap.
In 2017, with my parents Tim and Shelly, we found a 47-acre farm on the outskirts of Holden, Missouri. Two years later, in the spring of 2019, four generations of our family came together to plant our first acre — 2,000 lavender plants in neat rows of hope and hard work.
By early 2020, I was laid off due to COVID shutdowns. With our first lavender harvest still months away, I started experimenting in our kitchen — blending, melting, and mixing lavender into body butters, lip balms, and bath salts. Around that time, we were accepted into the Lee’s Summit Farmers Market, and as the season approached, I realized I had a choice to make. My job wasn’t willing to give me Saturdays off — so I quit and jumped in with both feet, pregnant with our fourth child and determined to make this work.
Our first season was far from ideal — masks, regulations, uncertainty — but our community showed up. Our lavender found its way into homes and hands, and soon after, we launched our Etsy shop, expanded into culinary lavender, and landed our first wholesale accounts.
Since then, Shelti Farms has grown far beyond what we could have imagined. We now cultivate over an acre of lavender, craft more than 200 products, and stock over 20 local retailers. You can find us most weekends at the Lee’s Summit and Overland Park Farmers Markets, and this year, we’re preparing for our biggest holiday season yet — from the Kansas City Holiday Boutique to the Hallmark Christmas Experience.
It’s been a journey rooted in family, perseverance, and the belief that a simple life — built around creativity, care, and connection — can grow into something extraordinary.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Farming lavender here has been a constant lesson in patience and perseverance. We’ve had to figure everything out through trial and error — from which varieties could handle our climate to how to manage weeds that seem to thrive no matter what we do. There have been years when we’ve lost entire sections of plants to extreme weather — the polar vortex that froze our fields one winter, and the back-to-back droughts that tested us again just a couple of years later. While lavender is drought-tolerant, it still needs water at the right times — and nature doesn’t always cooperate.
Yet, with every setback, we learned. We now have varieties that thrive here, and every surviving plant feels like a small victory.
Of course, the challenges don’t end at the field. Running a small business brings its own set of growing pains — the kind that no one really prepares you for. Like many entrepreneurs, I quickly learned that freedom and flexibility can easily turn into working 24/7. There’s no clocking out when your business lives in your backyard. Finding balance between work, family, and rest has been my hardest and most important lesson.
I’ve always been conscious of not letting the business consume the life we’re building — to be present for my kids, to make sure this dream adds to our life rather than overtaking it. There have been seasons of hustle, absolutely, but I’ve learned that the grind can’t be forever. Life is too short, and burnout too real.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We specialize in both growing lavender and crafting lavender & botanical-infused home, care and culinary products — all inspired by the belief that everyday rituals can be both beautiful and intentional.
What began as a small family experiment has evolved into a multifaceted farm and product line rooted in quality, creativity, and sustainability. Every product we create — from our small-batch soaps and candles to our baking mixes, teas, and self-care blends — is crafted by us. We take pride in the fact that much of what goes into our products starts right here on our farm in Holden, Missouri.
We’re best known for our lavender-based product line, which showcases lavender’s versatility across home, wellness, and culinary uses. What sets us apart is our farm-to-home approach. We’re deeply involved in every stage — from nurturing our lavender plants in the field to formulating, testing, and packaging each item. It’s a slower, more intentional process, but one that ensures authenticity and integrity in everything we do.
We’re most proud of the community that has grown around our farm — the families who visit our market booth every weekend, the local shops that carry our products, and the customers who tell us our products have become part of their daily routines. Watching something that started as a handful of plants and an idea blossom into a business that supports our family — and brings joy to others — is something we’ll never take for granted.
For us, Shelti Farms isn’t just a business — it’s a lifestyle built around creativity, family, and connection to the land.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Follow us on social media! We are on Facebook and Instagram. And of course, shop with us! We are a perfect stop for sourcing unique, thoughtful gifting. You can shop our full-product line on our website and also view which local shops carry our products. Visiting us at the farmers market is the best way to not only support us but also score some deals. We love our farmers markets and do specialized pricing on many of our products at the markets. We will also be at Lee’s Summit and Overland Park Holiday Farmers Markets as well at the Kansas City Christmas Boutique and Hallmark Christmas Experience coming up!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sheltifarms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelti_farms
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheltifarms
