Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Logan Brown.
Hi Leslie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I was born into a plant family. My family has owned a run a garden center in Raleigh (Logan’s Garden Shop) for 56 years, and I have the privilege of being a third-generation owner and operator there. About 15 years ago I became curious about using plants for wellness. I believe that everything we need to feed and heal our bodies can be found in the earth. And that pursuit really became a passion for me. It started with researching and using essential oils, and eventually bloomed into the desire to have our own farm where we could grow food and medicine. We started small, growing for our own family. But the vision has now expanded into creating a space where others can connect to nature, and all of the goodness plants have to offer. Haven Farm is a project we are developing to bring this vision to life. Our phased build will start with a Farm Shop offering plant-based wellness products, produce, plants, candles, and more fun things from the farm. We will have a petting zoo for kids as well as classes and events for everyone. In phase two we will expand with a venue space for weddings and gatherings. All centered around helping people reconnect to earth and community.
How did hemp and CBD become a part of this journey?
In 2018 when I was going through a tough season, my doctor recommended I try CBD to address the anxiety I was experiencing. Nothing had worked up to that point and I was really struggling. Within 4 days of adding CBD to my routine – everything changed. My racing thoughts slowed and peace began to be my new normal. My son, who was 16 at the time and growing on our farm, was blown away by the change he saw and the impact the plant had on my life. He wanted to bring that same healing to others. SO- we started growing hemp and creating our own CBD products from the farm. Each bottle has been crafted with love, intention, and faith for healing. We will continue to expand our plant-based wellness line as we grow new herbs, with the goal of being able to educate people and provide them with the tools to integrate plants into every part of their life.
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?
Wow… what a great question.
This vision is something that I felt called into. It came from a deep place in my soul that I couldn’t question. But the JOURNEY has been full of bumps and bruises along the way.
With the hemp part of our business, as we entered the world of CBD, there were so many unknowns. We were first met with promises of huge returns, only to shortly thereafter find that the industry was being flooded with pop-up CBD shops, sourcing products from all over the world. We became a small fish in a big pond and felt pretty overwhelmed. At first, we followed advice from consultants that led us into hefty investments with small returns. But it was our WHY that kept us moving forward. We got into this to see people healed. Not for the money. So, we scaled back, recalibrated, and learned from each challenge. We are now focused on smaller grows and curating our best products. The joys outweigh frustrations as we hear from customers how our products are helping them, and see them come back again and again.
As far as the farm goes, we’ve had a few bumps there as well. Farming is hard work. You put so much energy into each day and each grow, only to find so many things are out of your control. But again – the lessons along the way are teaching us so much. We’re learning to live intentionally, and hold things loosely. We’re about to break ground on the farm shop any day now, so progress toward the bigger vision is happening. And we can’t wait to have a space to invite others into.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
It’s all about people and plants and for me. In the day to day at Logan’s (our family garden center) I handle all of the stuff behind the scenes like finance, administration, HR, and community outreach. But at the farm, I get to be the visionary and dreamer in a creative space– sowing and watering ideas that come from our family and team.
Right now, we are focused on curating products for our Farm Shop and designing our venue space. We hope to be known as a special place where people can come to find answers, locally grown plant products, classes and events, and family fun. Haven Farm will be a place where you can see the plants growing, learn about them, and take something home with you. Whether it’s fresh produce for your table, a plant tincture for your medicine cabinet, a fun gift for yourself, or plants for your yard. We will provide the whole experience.
With our CBD products, which are the first product from the farm, we’re super proud to be able to say “This was grown and made here – right on this farm” While there are plenty of places doing great things with CBD and hemp, we’re excited to tell people that our plants are grown locally right here in Wake County. The more we keep things local, the more support can go right back into our community.
Beyond this vision, our family has a goal to raise funding and resources to help BIPOC farmers. Most people don’t know that only 2% of the land in this country is owned by people of color. Black and brown families in America have been marginalized and stolen from for hundreds of years. It’s time to take real action and raise awareness around this issue, and put our money where our mouth is. Haven Farm will eventually open a non-profit division where we can help to resource local farmers of color. And a portion of our sales from various categories will be dedicated to this mission. Beyond that, we want to create a safe place where young people of color interested in learning how to grow and farm can come and be equipped with tools and connections to help them achieve their dreams. True generational wealth is tied to land ownership. And we want to see the ratios begin to shift, so that long term equity and legacy can be built by EVERYONE.
What makes you happy?
The thing I love MOST in life is helping others discover the thing that makes them come alive inside. It’s the first question I ask someone in a job interview, “Tell me – what makes you come alive inside?” Finding a way to help people discover that is what I love most. And I believe that discovery begins by finding space, away from the noise, and reconnecting to the earth. When we get quiet enough, we can hear the deep whispers of our hearts. My dream for Haven Farm, beyond the day-to-day, is that we cultivate a place where people can return and reconnect to the simple things that matter most. To remember who they are. And be awakened to what’s calling them on the inside. This is where real growth begins. And life – after all – is about growing.
Contact Info:
- Email: havenfarm17@gmail.com
- Website: www.haven-farm.com
- Instagram: haven_farm
- Facebook: havenfarm2017
Image Credits
Elizabeth Harter
