As I’ve driven several thousand miles in WA over the past year I think that I’ve seen a good number of the 300+ wineries that the state boosts of having. Washington has doubled their number of wineries in the past five years and today is the second largest wine producing state in the USA. But, there are so many wineries today that it just doesn’t fit into a niche agricultural product anymore.
Lavender, however, is another story and a small valley on the northern coast of the Olympic Peninsula has carved out a very nice niche for itself with this unique plant. In 1995 a few farmers noted that the Dungeness Valley had a similar climate to the Provence region of France, where commercial lavender is grown for oil and used in most perfumes. They experimented with the crop and showed that it could be grown successfully.
Today, 10 years later, over 30 farms raise the crop from over 160,000 plants. Each farm has had to determine their particular niche, whether it is for oil, floral bundles, sachets or some other combination. One farm, Lost Mountain Lavender (www.lostmountainlavender.com) has over 100 cultivars of the crop. Another Cedarbrook Herb Farm (www.cedarbrookherbfarm.com) was also the first herb farm in the state and has its own café. Both of these farms have their own small gift shop, as do most of the lavender farms, and virtually all offer U-pick opportunities.
Today Sequim (population 4,334) bills itself as the Lavender Capital of North America. Other websites are www.visitsun.com; www.lavendergrowers.org; and www.lavenderfestival.com.
What unique attribute, crop or other item could you develop for your town?
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2 comments:
This is a great article, but you forgot one important aspect, the name of the town. I am very proud to call Sequim, Washington my home town and the Lavender Capital of North America.
Sequim is a wonderful town and you should be proud to call it home.
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