Rebecca Sonniksen

Business is “blooming” in Lyle. French’s Farm, formerly Milestone Nursery, located on Hwy. 14 and 8th street, opened under new ownership May 5 with it’s traditional sale of native plant and vegetable starts.

Jennifer Wykstra and Matt Kotwasinski, the new owners, are continuing to operate this popular native plant nursery on weekends and by appointment. Jennifer stated the building will house open yoga studio classes and be available as well for seasonal community events.

 “We’re so excited about our new business. Helping “plant people” is really fun. It doesn’t seem like working,” commented Jennifer, as she helped customers select their plants. 

With backgrounds in biology and chemistry, cultivating native plants comes naturally to Jennifer and Matt as does being involved in the High Prairie community where they have lived for almost 4 years.

Operating French’s Farm is only one of Jennifer’s many talents that include teaching weekly yoga classes held in the HP community center and working at Domaine Pouillon winery. 

In addition to helping with the nursery, Matt brings a marketing background from his full time position with pFriem Family Brewers. 

They chose the name of their new business, French’s Farm, based on the historic ownership  of this Lyle property. The original owner Egbert French, married to a native American, farmed this location in 1867 when Washington was a territory.

Over time as the uses and owners changed, so did the presidential seals on the property documents—the oldest dating back to Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses Grant. In 1935 the site became the home of a Texaco station and later a Shell station. Under the most recent owners the building had been a movie store, organic grocery store and finally a nursery.

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” (http://facebook.com/Frenchs-Farm). We wish Jennifer and Matt the very best as they till this rich history with their energy and vision for the future.

^ Top