At the gateway of the Hamptons lies a blossoming lavender farm rich with history

By Amy Nicole

In 1922 Hoshyla Farms founder Dimitry Hoshyla planted his first crops in East Meadow as an immigrant from Ukraine with the American dream. Today, over 100 years later, the Hoshyla family roots are still growing strong with lavender and legacy on the east end of Long Island.

Anticipating the upcoming 2026 season, the family farmers have events planned starting in April. Hoshyla Farms, located in Manorville, is currently growing at least five different types of lavender such as Provence, Munstead, and Hidcote.

Their biggest event of the season: the “Scent of Summer” 3^rd annual Lavender Festival will make its return to be held June 27-28. During the festival, visitors can cut their own Provence lavender for the special occasion. 

Last year, the festival entailed over sixty artisan vendors, food tucks, axe throwing, shell painting, and live music both days with Sunday geared towards an acoustic mellow day.

“We have artisan vendors, so we are really trying to have real artists and crafts people,” said Nicole Asendorf, great-great granddaughter of Dimitry.

In just one year from their first festival in 2024 to 2025 the Lavender Festival doubled in size and numbers with approximately 500 to 600 cars per day and over 2,000 in attendance. 

ABOUT THE FARM

The early Hoshyla family dreamed of open land and in 1954 they moved their farm from East Meadow to eastern Long Island where they spent decades harvesting potatoes on their 29-acre property.

83-year-old Paul Hoshyla, grandson of Dimitry Hoshyla and current landowner alongside his daughter Susan Asendorf, said when his grandfather first came to America, he bought only 6 acres of land.  He still possesses the mortgage papers which showed, to today’s standards, a mere $2-$3 monthly payment. 

Paul worked on the farm for many years of his young life and as an adult part-time for his father during his career as a Suffolk County Police Officer until he retired.

Recalling the days as a child, Paul said he remembers East Meadow being all woods, but when WWII came and finished the Levitt family started buying all the property which is today known as Levittown, and little by little the farmland went.

“But we are still here,” said Paul.

Paul’s father, John Hoshyla, spent his entire 85-year-life working and building Hoshyla Farms.  A true homegrown family-run small business, Paul recalls his father making his weekly crop deliveries to grocery stores, delis and individual households.

“The ladies of the households would call and tell them whatever vegetables they needed and on Saturday’s my father would fill bushel baskets and deliver to their houses,” he said.

It all changed though when the farm moved to Manorville and they learned they had to sell their potatoes to wholesalers in Calverton. 

At the time in the 1950’s, Paul said potatoes were cheap at 50-75 cents for one hundred pounds of #1 potatoes and 25 cents for the “B’s,” the small ones to make potato salad.

With those prices it wasn’t enough to make any money, he said, and he remembers his father worrying about losing everything.

So, they started grating their own potatoes.  Paul said they would dig them, grate them and fill fifty-pound bags for $2-$3 per bag and just as much for smaller potatoes; a significant increase that paved the way for a long-standing business.

CARRYING ON THE LEGACY

After Paul’s father passed, the farm had come to a halt and the land sat still for some time. At that time, he contemplated selling the land.  That is when his daughter Susan and granddaughter Nicole stepped in with some new ideas to carry on the family legacy.

While exploring their options of crops to grow, Nicole said they had explored becoming licensed cannabis growers, but the cost and sustainability was not in their favor, so they thought of lavender.

“It’s not like vegetables where you have to water it every day and the summertime is harvest,” she said.

Being a schoolteacher living in upstate N.Y. and with family all over, Nicole who’s unspoken role is seemingly making sure everything is running up to speed with the business and the family said, lavender was the best-fitting crop for the family.

Her mom Susie, who travels back and forth between Tennessee and New York has also worked diligently alongside Nicole to create a budding new lavender business gearing up for their 5^th season this summer.

With Susie’s gifts for talking to people, her artistic talents as a painter, and the artisan behind their lavender products sold at markets and fairs, her creativity has been a foundation in the farm’s success.

WHATS NEW ON THE FARM

The farm is currently in the process of building two new greenhouses this winter season.  One for storage and one for propagating, Nicole said.

The tremendous benefits and goal of the new greenhouses is to grow their own plants, so they don’t have to buy them from other farms. With buying lavender being very costly and the climate living in New York, Nicole said there is no way to grow lavender without greenhouses.

“We are trying to cut our plants that we have and re-root them.  It’s hard to grow lavender from a seed,” she said.

With the new greenhouse space, the farm is also set to host workshops this upcoming season such as wreath making, paint and sip, and a plein air class.  The hope is to collaborate with local businesses such as vineyards, breweries and coffee companies to enhance visitor experiences.

For businesses looking for sponsorship opportunities geared towards local support and community involvement, Hoshyla Farms is offering sponsorships for the 2026 season. The hope is to advertise, promote and participate in exclusive sponsor events such as a movie night on the lavender farm and VIP Cooling Mist tent access.

With sponsorships and hard work coming from the upcoming season, Nicole said the goals for the continued expansion and future of the farm is to create a lasting place for generations to come.

“Eventually we want to get a building for a farm stand where we can sell and have a permanent space,” she said.

While retired from service and farming, Paul is still active in preserving his land, his family legacy, and any given day walking around the farm looking after it all.  Aside from his passion for his family, he continues to live out his love for motorcycles and sidecars.  He has also been featured in national magazines for his collectibles and traveling adventures.

Over the years, he has traveled with his wife seven times cross-country on a motorcycle and once on a sidecar.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The next generation of the Hoshyla family is still too young to think about carrying on the legacy, but the Hoshyla Farms potato farming legacy still lives on in popularity among Long Islanders who knew them from their namesake “Top O’The Harvest” logo merchandise they sell.

Nicole said she sees a lot of sales of t-shirts and sweatshirts sold among friends and family of Long Islanders who move away and think of Hoshyla Farms potatoes.

“We have so many people ship these all over the country to people from LI because it’s nostalgic,” she said.

To learn more about Hoshyla Farms, their upcoming events and sponsorship opportunities visit hoshylafarms.com or @hoshylafarms.