On a quiet farm in Myersville, something special is taking root. At Treasured Roots Farm, Laura is cultivating rare truffles, fragrant lavender, and a vision for the future—one season at a time.
Laura Kefauver and her family are first-generation farmers whose journey into agriculture began not with a business plan, but with a family dream. In 2017, her parents purchased an 80-acre historic property with the simple goal of creating a gathering place where their family could spend time together. They restored the 
land, the home, and an 1880s bank barn, transforming the property into a place filled with memories for the entire family.
Over time, the land began to mean something even deeper. Watching her children grow up on the farm sparked a new idea for Laura: creating something lasting that would preserve the land for generations to come.
“We wanted to find a way to create something that would outlast us and keep the land in our family for generations,” she said.
That vision eventually became Treasured Roots Farm, a unique agricultural venture centered on two uncommon crops: truffles and culinary lavender. For Laura, the appeal of truffles was both practical and imaginative.
“Truffles fascinated us because they require patience, partnership with nature, and a long-term vision,” she explained. “There’s something magical about the idea of hunting for ‘buried treasure’ in a beautiful orchard.” Lavender offered the perfect complement. While many farms grow lavender primarily for aromatherapy products, Treasured Roots focuses on culinary lavender that can be used in food and beverages. Together, the two crops reflect the balance Laura hoped to create: something meaningful for the land, engaging for visitors, and sustainable for the future of the farm.
Laura’s path to farming, however, was far from traditional. With a background in business and marketing, she spent 15 years working for Deloitte before making the leap into agriculture.
“I’ll be honest—this was never a path I envisioned for myself,” she said. “But I was craving a life with more flexibility, more time with my daughters and family, and more meaning.” 
Farming has brought a different rhythm to her life. Days can shift quickly between tending lavender fields and truffle orchards, developing products, packing orders, and even homeschooling her daughters. The variety keeps the work interesting, but also challenging.
As with many new farms, the first year brought unexpected challenges. Shortly after planting their first lavender fields, weeks of heavy rain exposed drainage issues in the soil, causing many of the young plants to struggle. While the work can be demanding and sometimes unexpecting, Laura finds the greatest reward in sharing the experience with her children.
“Farming has a way of slowing you down and grounding you,” she said. “Most of all, I love being able to do it alongside my daughters, who are growing up with confidence, pride, and curiosity.”
Being a woman in agriculture, Laura says, is simply one part of a much larger identity.
“It’s one of many hats—mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, farmer, business owner, and teacher,” she said. “It’s about growing sustainably, personally and professionally, so our farm remains viable while creating space for my family and what matters most right now.” 
Looking ahead, Treasured Roots Farm is entering an exciting new stage. In 2026, the farm is expanding its truffle orchards, with plans to maintain three orchards growing three different truffle species. The farm has also doubled its apiary and is preparing for its first honey harvest later this year.
As the agricultural community celebrates the International Year of Women Farmers, Laura’s story reflects a growing movement of women shaping the future of farming in their own ways—bringing creativity, resilience, and new perspectives to the land. Like many women in agriculture today, she didn’t necessarily set out to become a farmer. Instead, the path unfolded through family, opportunity, and a desire to build something meaningful.
For Laura, the farm represents something lasting—an investment not just in the land, but in the generations growing up alongside it.