Harvest Time
It’s lavender harvest time.
July is peak lavender growing season in Oregon so I was delighted with the invitation to visit a lavender farm in Mosier, Oregon. Having grown up on farm myself, I was curious about the process of lavender farming. Was growing lavender anything like growing hay or vegetables as I had experienced as a kid? How is the process is mechanized in today’s high tech world? So off I went with my camera to find out how it all works!
Mosier Valley Lavender owners, Steve and Vicki Seymour, were gracious hosts during my visit which began with a striking view of Mt Adams. They grow several varieties of lavender for their signature products. The focus of my visit was on the Grosso variety which is ideal for lavender sachets because of its’ abundant fragrance.
Steve donned his cowboy hat and kicked the tractor into gear as we loaded up buckets, scythes and some elbow grease. We began by chugging lots of water as temperatures eased into the upper 90s.
Harvesting lavender by hand came as a shocking reality real quick! Steve explained the best way to cut the stems is to start on the outside of the plant and then circle your way around to the center. Once you have a fist full then wrap the stems with an elastic band that is kept on your wrist. It doesn’t look like I followed instructions too well but I was actually thinking…“where are the machines that will complete this task?!”
The next step is to hang the bunches to dry. The bunches must all be organized and labeled to keep the process in order. An added bonus that day was having the owner of a local wine-maker, Analemma, join us and share stories about local farming. This offered insight about the challenges that many farmers have faced during the pandemic. By the way, Analemma is another reason to visit Mosier, OR if you want to try some delicious wines.
The barn was a welcome relief from the heat and which is where we removed buds from the stems. Looking around the barn I discovered only one machine and a vintage truck… nothing that would indicate a mechanized process. Steve mentioned that mechanized equipment can run into the thousands of dollars so it is cost prohibitive for the small farmer.
FINALLY we employed a specialized machine to remove stems and leaves from the mix. I viewed this process more like panning for gold. There’s a lot of excess that has to be removed so it took several cycles through the “colander”. This step differs from other farms that may retain some excess to keep their profits higher.
Having been immersed in the aroma of lavender all day I felt as though I had received the gift of an aromatherapy treatment. But most of all, it was a treasured visit as I garnered more respect for farmers - where so much is done by hand in our high tech world.
Products from their farm may be purchased at The Discovery Center in The Dalles or at Brenna’s Mosier Market in Mosier.
“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
- Masanobu Fukuoka
