Jeff & Claudinne Miller
Current Farm Stewards
We are the current caretakers and owners of Dixon Family Farm. Jeff’s mother’s maiden name was Dixon, and the house and farm have been in his family since the late 1600’s.
We were living and working in Europe when Jeff’s mother passed away in April 2017—just three years and one day after his father’s sudden death. During that time, we traveled back and forth from Germany to the farmhouse in Southern Maryland, doing our best to care for the property from afar. The house had a hole in the roof, rain collected in pots we placed beneath it, and without anyone there to tend the house, the land, and the outbuildings, everything slowly began to fall into disrepair as nature was encroaching to reclaim it.
At the time, we had planned to continue our life abroad, moving from Germany to Italy and enjoying the work, travel, and adventures Europe offered. But plans changed.
The decision to return came during a memorable night with friends on our rooftop in Germany—drinking gin and serenading our neighbors with Kenny Chesney songs. That night marked a turning point. (More on that story in a blog post here.)
In October 2019, we moved back to the States and dove headfirst into a completely new chapter: farming. Claudinne was literally Googling “how to be a farmer” on the flight back to Maryland. Jeff holds a Ph.D., served 23 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Combat Engineer, and later worked as a civilian with USAID responding to disasters around the world. Claudinne spent many years working for government agencies with three-letter acronyms and now works for the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Global Center for Health Security. Our formal farming qualifications at the time consisted of Google searches, YouTube videos, and binge-watching Clarkson’s Farm—which, as it turns out, mirrors our experience pretty closely, just without Jeremy Clarkson’s access to fat stacks of cash.
We purchased the farm from Jeff’s Aunt Joan (Dixon Baily) in December 2019. While neither of us came from a traditional farming or agricultural background, we embraced the steep learning curve and quickly fell in love with caring for the land. Each season continues to teach us something new, and the work has become both deeply rewarding and joyful.
Our Farm Family
We truly couldn’t do any of this without the hard work, generosity, and unwavering support of our family and friends. Our farm events are very much a team effort, and they simply would not happen without the people who show up, slap on sunscreen, and give their time to help bring each event to life.
What began with our first Lavender Days Festival in 2023 has grown into an annual Pumpkin Festival, our Last Chance Christmas Market, and several seasonal events throughout the year. Behind the scenes, our volunteer team handles everything—from parking and greeting guests, to vendor coordination, setup and breakdown, and running the farm store during busy event days.
Their willingness to help, problem-solve, and keep things running smoothly allows us to focus on the land, the experience, and the community we’re building here. We are deeply grateful for every early morning, long day, and helping hand that makes these events possible.
About our Products
We grow lavender, cut flowers, herbs, vegetables, and wine grapes right here on the farm. Over the past couple of years, we have expanded that work into a line of farm-made products crafted from the lavender and botanicals we grow ourselves. Every product we make includes at least one—often several—ingredients that are grown, harvested, and produced on the farm.
There are plenty of bath and body products out there, but what sets ours apart is what goes into them. We use our own farm-grown and steam-distilled lavender essential oil, eucalyptus oil, honey and beeswax from our hives, and botanicals we cultivate and distill. These ingredients are blended with thoughtfully sourced, high-quality oils and butters to create products we’re truly proud of. Along the way, we’ve been fortunate to build a loyal community of customers who return season after season. We invite you to visit our farm shop or browse our online store to experience the difference.
About the Land
For nearly 300 years, this land was farmed for tobacco, followed by decades of annual crops like corn, soybeans, and sorghum. Between plantings, the fields were routinely sprayed with herbicides and left bare. Over time, this cycle depleted organic matter, disrupted soil life, and left the ground compacted, dusty, and biologically dead—unable to retain water, nutrients, or resilience.
Restoring the soil meant first rebuilding life below the surface. We began with cover crops chosen to add nitrogen, suppress weeds, and reduce harmful nematodes. These living roots helped protect the soil, increase organic matter, and lay the foundation for recovery.
Once the soil had a base to support it, we planted a pasture and brought in livestock. They may be fluffy and cute, but each animal has an important job on our farm. Our livestock play an essential role in regenerative farming by helping restore and strengthen the soil.
Diversity is a cornerstone of regenerative agriculture. Different species graze, browse, and move across pastures in unique ways, encouraging deeper root systems and supporting a wider range of soil life. Together, cattle, sheep, goats, and other livestock mimic natural ecosystems by cycling nutrients efficiently, managing vegetation naturally, and improving pasture balance.
This diversity builds healthier soil, increases resilience to drought and extreme weather, and creates a more stable, regenerative farm system over time. We collect manure from the pastures and compost it with abundant organic matter from our flower fields. Once fully broken down, the compost is integrated into the fields each spring, returning 100% natural nutrients to the soil where we grow our flowers and vegetables.
About our Livestock
Scottish Highland Cattle
Sugar joined the farm as a tiny fluffy calf in December 2023. Rosie joined us a few weeks later. Rosie is half Jersey and Half Highland, and the only heifer. Sterling needed a home, so he arrived next and we just recently brought in pint sized Romeo. Romeo is our only bull (Sugar and Sterling are steers). We plan on adding a High Park heifer next spring!
Our Donkeys
Margy joined our farm as a retiring petting zoo donkey in 2023. She arrived with a secret – she was pregnant! Baby Daisy was born in a shady spot in our pasture in late October 2023. Bubbles and Toots arrived in the summer of 2024 from a Donkey Rescue in Virginia. Bubbles is the mama, and Toots is her sassy toddler. Daisy and Toots enjoy zooming around the pasture annoying their moms.
Rusty the Pony
Rusty joined our farm in June 2023 soon after Margy arrived. Margy was lonely and needed a friend. Rusty belonged to a local elderly couple who loved him dearly, but he needed more room to roam. Rusty’s former keepers visit our farm and watch him run like the wind in our pasture with his friends.
Southdown Babydoll Sheep
Our small flock of 12 sheep comes from Tiny Seed Farm in Northwest Maryland. Lucy, Jolene, and Penny were the first to arrive. We added three more to our flock from Apple Fox Farms in Connecticut! Abigail, Edgar, and Oswald. In Spring of 2025 we added a few more from Tiny Seed Farm; triplet boys Astro, Cosmo & Buzz. As well as two retiring ewes from Apple Fox Farm (Daphne and Nesso) and a very special spotted ewe named Buttons. We shear them once a year and use the wool to make dryer balls we sell in our farm shop paired with our own lavender essential oil! The sheep are the sweetest bunch, I love to spend time in the pasture with them providing chin scratches and nose boops. Follow us on IG for cute sheep pics! @dixon_family_farm
Nigerian Dwarf Goats
Our first baby goats arrived on the farm in June 2023. We started with Red and Blue and added more because more goats are more fun. Pearl (half fainting goat) and Mini followed and then we added Marshmallow and Baby Goat Violet from Pond View Acres Farm.
The Chickens
We started with chickens in 2020, introducing our first mobile chicken coop as a simple but powerful first step toward regenerative farming. By moving the coop regularly across the fields, the chickens naturally fertilize the soil, help control insects, and spread organic matter exactly where it’s needed. This approach improves soil health, supports pasture recovery, and lets the chickens live as chickens were meant to: outdoors scratching up the soil and providing us with breakfast.
Our Worm Farm
Not to be outdone by the chickens, our red wrigglers have become some of the hardest workers on the farm. We raise them in our worm farm to produce nutrient-rich worm tea, which we use to support soil health and plant vitality. This living brew feeds beneficial microbes, improves soil structure, and helps plants access nutrients more efficiently. The worms don’t ask for much—just organic matter (we happily supply garden scraps, kitchen trimmings, and flowers past their prime) and a dark, cozy place to work their magic. In return, they help us build healthier soil from the ground up. It’s incredibly effective, and proof that sometimes the smallest farmhands make the biggest difference… even if they don’t technically have hands.