Phase 3
What's New on the Farm?
We have been terribly busy on the farm as we learn from Phase 1 & 2 from 2019-2022 and forge forward in 2023.
June 2023, we took a major leap of faith and decided to "go for it". We expanded BIG TIME with Phase 3, planting 400 Lavender Plugs to fuel future growth of our business. It was a year and a half in the making with a lot of planning, creativity and worry.
The process of prepping for this major planting project started with a vision that someday, this field would be used for something even bigger than we could ever imagine. Time will tell how God will choose to use this for HIS glory.
The major steps began in Spring 2022, as we cleared the land of weeds & tall grass with the tractor rough mower, followed by more mowing from the JD 739x mower to see what we were dealing with. Next, came the 5' tiller attached to the JD tractor, as we made a combination of uniformed rows and added some creativity to take advantage of the contour of the land. What was revealed is a beautiful hill with terrific soil that is perfect for growing with the proper drainage for Lavender.
Many passes with the tiller pulverized the soil, however, it also was a breeding ground for the dreaded Canadian Thistle weed, the granddaddy of all weeds. Next in the Lavender Experiment was to try to solve this problem. A boom sprayer was then used to make several passes to kill these weeds which took care of 90% of them. Always an adventure!
Now to ensure that there is proper drainage, with a hiller/cultivator that formed raised beds, as lavender loves it when it is dry and hot. Wet and stagnant is certain death for these plants. Using an upgraded landscape fabric would be paramount with the threat of Canadian Thistles was next, as we painfully installed 800' of fabric and thousands of landscape staples. Backbreaking work in the heat!
Spacing the plants 30" apart is next, as we measured and burned 7" holes in the fabric the day before we planted. Burning with a torch sears the fabric and prevents from unraveling.
All of this prep work, reimagining and "MacGyvering" made for quick work for the planting, thanks to friends and family and Fiskars for an awesome tool to drop the plugs into the holes.
The month of June and July were spent watering these 400-baby lavender plugs every 3 days to keep them alive in a drought. Now that they are established, we have only lost 3 plants, which is astonishing. Thanks to David for all of your help watering when we couldn't get there! Drinks on us!
In August, we will trim them back to force the plant’s energy into the root system in the hope of survival in the harsh Wisconsin winter. Next, we need to decide if we are going to attempt to cover 400 plants for the winter or let them ride. The experiment continues and the adventure is real. More to come.
Why is it an experiment?
The reason it's called The Lavender Experiment is because everything we do is a learning process and there's no guarantee everything we try will work. We are educating ourselves and learning how to make great products with our Lavender from the farm. There will be more to come in the future!
Soap never gets old!
Cold Process soap making is fascinating and there are endless possibilities to create mini masterpieces with each batch. It's a continuous learning process and I continue to educate myself on different techniques, recipes, scents, and colorants. It's a great creative outlet that I can use to share my art with others.