How does a seasoned war correspondent transition from reporting on global conflicts to cultivating fragrant lavender on a remote Welsh hillside? For Toronto-born journalist Nancy Durham, this dramatic career shift unfolded through a series of unexpected events that led her to establish Wales' first commercial-scale lavender farm.
From Conflict Zones to Countryside
Nancy Durham spent decades covering international conflicts across the globe, reporting from volatile regions including the Balkans and Iraq for prominent broadcasters like CBC and BBC. The intensity of war reporting stood in stark contrast to what would become her next chapter.
"It was just such a contrast from all the unhappiness in the world to create the farm," explained Durham, now 73, during a video interview from her cozy Welsh cottage kitchen. "But you know, it was all accidental and it's rolled out beautifully because it gave me yet another career when I was least expecting it."
A Transatlantic Romance
The journey to Wales began in 1981 when Durham met Canadian-born Oxford philosopher of science Bill Newton-Smith at a Toronto party. Their relationship blossomed, and by 1984, Durham had relocated to the United Kingdom to be with him.
The couple divided their time between Durham's London flat, the medieval university town of Oxford where Newton-Smith taught, and a farm cottage he owned in Wales near Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Durham's first impression of the Welsh property was memorable.
"No electricity and candle wax everywhere, melted on everything, because that was how it was lit," she recalled. "It was very romantic and very rustic and rugged and gorgeous. And it still is."
Planting a New Future
In 2003, when the couple expanded their farm's acreage, they initially considered raising sheep but ultimately chose a more fragrant direction. They planted approximately 3,000 Grosso lavender shrubs along their hillside that year, harvesting their first crop the following summer.
This marked the beginning of what would become Farmers' Welsh Lavender. The operation became the first business in Wales to distill lavender oil, using it to create creams and balms. The aromatic and minty Grosso lavender variety proved ideal for their purposes.
"What we do is for men, women and anybody in between," Durham noted about their inclusive product line.
Building a Brand
With guidance from fellow Canadian journalist and magazine publisher Tyler Brûlé, Durham settled on the straightforward name Farmers' for their body care line, featuring a tractor as their logo. The simplicity reflected the authentic nature of their operation.
Durham developed genuine appreciation for her neighbors—the ruddy-cheeked sheep farmers who worked hard on surrounding hillside farms. These local farmers became the first enthusiastic supporters of Farmers' hand cream after Durham gave a talk about growing lavender at a nearby pub.
"Afterwards, the men came up to me and said, 'Now my hands don't smell like silage,' that frightful, smelly stuff on a farm," she remembered with amusement.
An Unplanned Antidote
Durham hadn't initially viewed starting a lavender farm as a deliberate antidote to the turmoil she'd reported on for years, yet that's precisely how it evolved. The "wild, windswept Welsh hilltop" provided not just a physical home for her lavender operation but an emotional sanctuary.
What began as a personal relocation for love transformed into an unexpected second career that continues to thrive. From covering global conflicts to cultivating calming lavender, Nancy Durham's journey demonstrates how life's unpredictable paths can lead to surprisingly fulfilling destinations.
