USLC 2023 - Recordings and Resources

Pre-Conference Session

Attendees and Video Registrants of the USLC 2023 Pre-Conference session have full access to the recordings.

Pre-Conference Session "How to Start a Lavender Farm"
(recording pending restore)Speakers: Mike Neustrom and Sarah Richards

Interested? Click here to purchase the pre-conference session (recording pending restore)!

Conference Sessions

USLC 2023 Attendees and Video Registrants have full access to all the conference videos.

Topic descriptions, speaker bios and handouts are available on each video page.

Keynote Session: Lavender Biology: How Understanding Your Plants Can Help Your Lavender Farm Succeed (recording pending restore)
Keynote Speaker: Clive Larkman

Keynote Speaker: Clive Larkman

Clive Larkman has been working in the nursery industry since 1989 after the death of his father, Barry Larkman. At that time, he was living and working in the UK and had little knowledge of horticulture and the nursery industry, but had an understanding of botany, basic business principles and customer service and so he took over the family nursery, which was only five years old.

Clive and his family have taken Larkman Nurseries from a medium sized propagation nursery producing 400 000 plants a year in 1989 to one of the top specialist propagation nurseries in Australia, propagating over 2 million plants annually. He has done this by continual development of the company, its range and its customer base. In 2006 Clive and Di purchased the Victorian agency of Renaissance Herbs and now supply herbs and perennials to the retail garden centres. With sons Simon and Martin running the day-to-day sales of Larkman Nurseries (Simon) and Romantic Nursery (Martin) the family has an integrated business model that is constantly innovating their product range.

In 2012 the family decided to develop an annual food festival focused on herbs. Under Clive’s management and the family’s commitment it has quickly grown to be one of Melbourne’s major food events with 5000 plus attendees each year.

Clive has a degree in Botany and Zoology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Humanities – Philosophy of Science. He is also a Certificated Nurseryman and is a Certified Nursery Professional (Specialist) under the Nursery and Garden Industry of Australia’s professional development program. He is semi fluent in Indonesian and French.

He has a strong belief in the integral role of small business to the Australian economy and community and is strongly committed to the development of the horticultural industry in Australia. He has a belief that Australian nurseries are a major part of the modern business community. As such he has been a long serving member in several key horticultural associations. He has served 19 years on the board of Primary Skills Victoria (previously Victorian Agriculture and Horticulture Training Board), 15 plus years on the state board of the Australian Institute of Horticulture (including ten years as president) and was made a fellow in the late nineties. He has been on the board of the Australian Region of the International Plant Propagators Society since 2000, including 2 terms as president, 2 terms on the International Board, and was elected International President for 2019. He is currently International Director, Editor and Historian and was awarded their award of honour in May 2010. He has been a member of The Australian Lavender Growers Association since its inception. He did a two-year term as treasurer and was responsible for a greater understanding of the genus Lavandula. He was made a Life Member in 2010. He has also done three terms as a director for the Nursery and Garden Industry of Victoria and was the Chairman of their Education committee for many years. He was the main IR negotiator for the industry for the first ten years of this century and was a key part of the award discussions in 2009/10 and received an Award of Merit in 2009 for this work. Clive is representing the Nursery Industry on the Agribusiness Yarra Valley Board, was elected Deputy Chair in November 2005 and has been the Chairman since 2006. He is currently chairman of the Victorian Agribusiness Council and is a strong advocate with all tiers of government on the needs of the Victorian agribusiness sector.

His community work has not been confined to horticulture. From 2003 to the end of 2005 Clive was a Councillor for the Shire of Yarra Ranges. During this time, he sat on many community, council and business bodies where he utilized his business skills and broader experience to further enhance the quality of life in the Yarra Ranges. These involvements included Chairman of the Library Board, Chairman of the Forests Policy Steering Committee, Chairman of the Indigenous Advisory Committee, member of Timber Towns Victoria, member of the Yarra Valley Brand, member of Centre for Agriculture and Business and many others. Clive is also a past Rotarian.

Clive believes that there are overriding principles that govern business development regardless of the industry or era. The key one is customer service and a focus on product development. The second one is that the owners of the business should always be working on their business and should be aiming to make themselves redundant. For a company to truly succeed there should be no member that is irreplaceable, including the owners. Over the years he has worked in a variety of industries, restaurant manager, taxi driver, petrol station manager and home handyman. All of these have added to the development of the family enterprises.

Finally, Clive believes that we are here to experience life. Our businesses should add to that enjoyment and help us look after our families. He writes for several trade journals, is a regular on Melbourne’s 3AW gardening program and was a weekly presenter on The Garden Gurus TV gardening show. His passion is for food and plants and collects old books but really finds value in most aspects of life.

Handouts

• Keynote Session

Lavender Teas: Blending, Packaging, and Labeling Ideas (recording pending restore)
Speaker: Angela McDonald

Handouts

• Blending Lavender Into Your Teas

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Equipment Panel & Demo (recording pending restore)
Speakers: Ricardo Besel (Besel Lavender Processor), Jason Pelak (A.T. Ferrell Company) Bill Jabs (Starr Harvesting)

Speakers: Jason Pelak (A.T. Ferrell Company) Bill Jabs (Starr Harvesting); Ricardo Besel (Besel Lavender Processor) - Ricardo was not recorded due to an electrical issue.

Handouts

• Equipment Panel (Bill Jabs)

• Equipment Panel (Jason Pelak)

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

How to Find the Workers Your Farm Needs (recording pending restore)
Panelists: Alice Marrin, Pleasant Valley Lavender; Julie Haushalter, White Oak Lavender, Kristen Sandoz Wayward Winds Lavender. Moderator: Joanne Voelcker, Mt Airy Lavender

Panelists: Alice Marrin, Pleasant Valley Lavender; Julie Haushalter, White Oak Lavender, Kristen Sandoz Wayward Winds Lavender. Moderator: Joanne Voelcker, Mt Airy Lavender

Topic Description

Everybody’s facing the tight labor market these days. But the panelists in this session have come up with a wide array of practical, creative and highly successful approaches to finding both paid and volunteer workers for their farms. They’ll share on topics including: Arranging internships for students from high school through graduate school; budget-wise ways to use temp agencies, plus the Indeed website and certain free employment apps; and finding and teaming up with local school and community youth summer hire programs. The panelists will also cover nitty-gritty issues such as training and managing inexperienced and volunteer workers, and identifying and motivating those needing extra attention. In some instances, results have been impressive and inspiring. Says Ellen Karcher of Pleasant Valley Lavender in New Jersey,” Since 2012 hundreds of Jobs, Education and Training (JET) students have worked at our farm 3 days a week for 6 weeks each summer. Without their help we never would have been able to expand the way we have. This collaboration has yielded great benefits for the students as well as our farm.

Handouts

• LOL Farm WWOOF Application

• What is WWOOF?

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Culinary Photography & Farm Photography (recording pending restore)
Speakers: Nancy Baggett & Michael Shay

Topic Description

Nancy Baggett, author of The Art of Cooking with Lavender, and Michael Shay, one of Portland’s premiere photographers and owner of Polara Studio, team up to provide a wealth of practical tips, demonstrations and insights into how to take the compelling photos attendees need for their websites, promotional efforts, and social media posts. Nancy will show a short Powerpoint of her lavender recipe “beauty shots,” while explaining the steps involved in propping and styling food photographs. She will also hand out a list of tips on readying food for the camera. Then, Michael will share his knowledge gained over 40 years on all aspects of photography, including lighting, equipment, techniques, aesthetics, dos and don’ts and much more. Attendees will come away with numerous tips and a greatly enhanced ability to take pleasing photographs of their recipes, products, gift shops and farms.

About the Speakers

Nancy Baggett & Michael Shay

Nancy Baggett is an award-winning author of numerous cookbooks, most recently The Art of Cooking with Lavender, which won a “Books for Better Living” award from Independent Publisher. Her book has been a popular seller in numerous lavender growers’ shops around the country. Both her photos and recipes are routinely rated 5 stars for their appeal by growers and their customers. Several decades ago Nancy became interested in food photography while assisting the professional food photographers and stylists working on her cookbooks. After honing her skills and taking styling and photography workshops for a number of years, she propped, styled and shot all the photography for The Art of Cooking with Lavender. Today, she styles, props and photographs her own food beauty shots for her free newsletter, “Nancy’s Lavender Newsletter” and for her websites www.kitchenlane.com and www.nancyslavenderplace.com. She has also teamed with videographers to create a number of lavender and other culinary videos for her YouTube channel. Nancy has devoted about 15 years exploring the remarkable versatility and appeal of lavender in all kinds of sweet and savory dishes. She maintains a small patch of culinary lavender varieties near her Maryland home and uses them in testing and photography sessions. She was the keynote speaker on the topic of culinary lavender for the 1917 U. S. Lavender Growers convention. She has also given talks and demonstrations at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.; the Herb Society of America; and numerous lavender festivals, garden clubs, and culinary and cookbook events around the nation.

The first thing you should know about Polara Studio co-founder Michael is that he’s a published poet. What does this have to do with taking pictures, you ask? Everything. Imagine Walt Whitman with a Nikon in his hands. An image-maker, not an image-taker, it’s estimated Michael has taken over a million photographs and can make a glob of Crunchy Jif on a Saltine look like something Thomas Keller would overcharge for at The French Laundry.

His work can be found on grocery store shelves and in advertising for many national brands including Reser’s Fine Foods, Pacific Foods, and Papa Murphy's. He is active in the local creative community and chair of the National Board for the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). When not shooting, Michael practices traditional Japanese karate, rides motorcycles, writes poetry, and brews his own beer, not necessarily in that order.

https://polarastudio.com/
https://www.instagram.com/polarastudio/ or @polarstudio
https://www.instagram.com/chezshaypdx/ or @chezshaypdx

Nancy Baggett

Michael Shay

Handouts

• Culinary Photography, Nancy & Michael

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Is Fertilizer In Your Lavender Farm's Future? (recording pending restore)
Workshop with Keynote Speaker Clive Larkman

Topic Description

For decades the conventional wisdom has been that lavender doesn't require fertilizing. But is this widely-held view correct? In this fact-filled Powerpoint session, Clive Larkman, consultant to the Australian lavender industry and owner of huge Larkman Nurseries (which propagates 2 million plants annually), will discuss the recent studies and emerging information on what the "correct agronomy" for lavender should be. He will discuss how growers can optimize lavender production using fertilizer products while managing costs and land health. He will cover the basics of plant nutrient absorption, then talk about the key nutrients lavender requires and when to and when not to apply them. He will also talk about the balance of nutrients to be added relative to what crops are being grown. Attendees will take away enough understanding of basic plant biology to decide what, where, when and how to fertilize their lavender crops. The session will include some discussion of the issues involved in organic lavender farming. 

About the Speaker

Clive Larkman has been working in the nursery industry since 1989 after the death of his father, Barry Larkman. At that time, he was living and working in the UK and had little knowledge of horticulture and the nursery industry, but had an understanding of botany, basic business principles and customer service and so he took over the family nursery, which was only five years old.

Clive and his family have taken Larkman Nurseries from a medium sized propagation nursery producing 400 000 plants a year in 1989 to one of the top specialist propagation nurseries in Australia, propagating over 2 million plants annually. He has done this by continual development of the company, its range and its customer base. In 2006 Clive and Di purchased the Victorian agency of Renaissance Herbs and now supply herbs and perennials to the retail garden centres. With sons Simon and Martin running the day-to-day sales of Larkman Nurseries (Simon) and Romantic Nursery (Martin) the family has an integrated business model that is constantly innovating their product range.

In 2012 the family decided to develop an annual food festival focused on herbs. Under Clive’s management and the family’s commitment it has quickly grown to be one of Melbourne’s major food events with 5000 plus attendees each year.

Clive has a degree in Botany and Zoology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Humanities – Philosophy of Science. He is also a Certificated Nurseryman and is a Certified Nursery Professional (Specialist) under the Nursery and Garden Industry of Australia’s professional development program. He is semi fluent in Indonesian and French.

He has a strong belief in the integral role of small business to the Australian economy and community and is strongly committed to the development of the horticultural industry in Australia. He has a belief that Australian nurseries are a major part of the modern business community. As such he has been a long serving member in several key horticultural associations. He has served 19 years on the board of Primary Skills Victoria (previously Victorian Agriculture and Horticulture Training Board), 15 plus years on the state board of the Australian Institute of Horticulture (including ten years as president) and was made a fellow in the late nineties. He has been on the board of the Australian Region of the International Plant Propagators Society since 2000, including 2 terms as president, 2 terms on the International Board, and was elected International President for 2019. He is currently International Director, Editor and Historian and was awarded their award of honour in May 2010. He has been a member of The Australian Lavender Growers Association since its inception. He did a two-year term as treasurer and was responsible for a greater understanding of the genus Lavandula. He was made a Life Member in 2010. He has also done three terms as a director for the Nursery and Garden Industry of Victoria and was the Chairman of their Education committee for many years. He was the main IR negotiator for the industry for the first ten years of this century and was a key part of the award discussions in 2009/10 and received an Award of Merit in 2009 for this work. Clive is representing the Nursery Industry on the Agribusiness Yarra Valley Board, was elected Deputy Chair in November 2005 and has been the Chairman since 2006. He is currently chairman of the Victorian Agribusiness Council and is a strong advocate with all tiers of government on the needs of the Victorian agribusiness sector.

His community work has not been confined to horticulture. From 2003 to the end of 2005 Clive was a Councillor for the Shire of Yarra Ranges. During this time, he sat on many community, council and business bodies where he utilized his business skills and broader experience to further enhance the quality of life in the Yarra Ranges. These involvements included Chairman of the Library Board, Chairman of the Forests Policy Steering Committee, Chairman of the Indigenous Advisory Committee, member of Timber Towns Victoria, member of the Yarra Valley Brand, member of Centre for Agriculture and Business and many others. Clive is also a past Rotarian.

Clive believes that there are overriding principles that govern business development regardless of the industry or era. The key one is customer service and a focus on product development. The second one is that the owners of the business should always be working on their business and should be aiming to make themselves redundant. For a company to truly succeed there should be no member that is irreplaceable, including the owners. Over the years he has worked in a variety of industries, restaurant manager, taxi driver, petrol station manager and home handyman. All of these have added to the development of the family enterprises.

Finally, Clive believes that we are here to experience life. Our businesses should add to that enjoyment and help us look after our families. He writes for several trade journals, is a regular on Melbourne’s 3AW gardening program and was a weekly presenter on The Garden Gurus TV gardening show. His passion is for food and plants and collects old books but really finds value in most aspects of life.

Clive Larkman

Handouts

• Lavender Fertilisers and more

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Lavender: For Health, Wellness, and Aromatherapy (recording pending restore)
Speaker: Professor Amanda Lattin, Dean of Aromatherapy at the American College of Healthcare Sciences

Speaker: Professor Amanda Lattin, Dean of Aromatherapy at the American College of Healthcare Sciences

Handouts

• Aromatherapy, Amanda Lattin Presentation

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

How to Connect and Collaborate to Grow Your Bottom Line (recording pending restore)
Speaker: Marilyn Kosel

Topic Description

Marilyn Kosel of Wayward Winds Lavender will share a variety of inspiring ways attendees can grow their bottom line through networking and collaborating with other farms, businesses, and community groups. She will discuss how to build relationships which benefit all parties involved, as well as how to identify, evaluate, and get involved in existing local and regional networks and groups. Enhanced with a Powerpoint presentation, the session will include many concrete and dramatic examples of collaborations that have had a synergistic effect and boosted the bottom line of all participants. It will also include special tips on connecting for those in isolated areas, as well as handouts including brochures created for various notable collaborations, including the Newberg Lavender Trail, the Willamette Valley Lavender Festival, and the Oregon Farm Loops. 

About the Speaker

Marilyn Kosel has been farming lavender for over twenty years. She is a founding member of USLGA and Lavender Northwest, and started the Willamette Valley Lavender Festival in 2005. Marilyn is a believer in the power of community, team building, and collaboration. She has integrated this philosophy in all parts of her business. Her farm, Wayward Winds Lavender, is an agritourism destination. Wayward Winds Lavender also manufactures an extensive line of lavender foods and personal care products. These products are sold wholesale as private label, ready to label, or bulk products to lavender farms across the US.

Marilyn Kosel

Handouts

• Connect & Collaborate

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Making the most of USDA Grants & Cost Sharing Opportunities (recording pending restore)
Speakers: Claire Tachella & Alice Marrin

Speakers: Claire Tachella & Alice Marrin

Handouts

• 5 Steps to Assistance

• Farm Bill Brochure

• Thinking of Working with NRCS

• EQIP Grant Recipient (Alice)

• NRCS Programs (Clare)

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Scents & Sensibility--Pacific Northwest and Other Recent Lavender Cultivars, Plus Trends in the Lavender Trade (recording pending restore)
General Session Speakers Christine Mulder & Andrew Van Hevelingen

Topic Description

In this session two well-respected, long-time lavender growers, Andy Van Hevelingen, owner of Van Hevelingen Herb Nursery, and Chris Mulder, owner of Barn Owl Nursery, share their more than 50 years of experience and knowledge of lavender cultivars. They step back to make sense of all the recently introduced lavenders in today's marketplace--highlighting Pacific Northwest introductions and other new lavenders in order to evaluate the best cultivars for various uses. Attendees will gain a valuable, unique perspective of a wholesale grower and a retail nursery owner and learn about the trends they are both seeing in the business. The session will include evaluations of lavender cultivars and their attributes for the best application, as well as the possible challenges (such as hardiness, humidity, rainfall, etc.) of growing these cultivars nationwide. As an added special bonus, attendees will get to see carefully collected samples of an impressive array of the cultivars discussed during the presentation.

About the Speakers

General Session Speakers Christine Mulder & Andrew Van Hevelingen

Chris has been growing lavender since she started her part-time retail business, Barn Owl Nursery - Herb & Lavender Farm in 1982. For 40 years she has been growing & selling lavender plants, along with culinary & ornamental herbs from her 5-acre farm. Chris & her husband Ed built a barn-like gift shop with an herb drying room next to their house. They began landscaping their property with four L. angustifolia cultivars they acquired from her father's wholesale nursery. She propagated & planted those first lavender plants, along with other ornamental herbs, to create a demonstration garden. As many different lavender plants became available from local growers in Oregon, they planted a small field with different lavender cultivars. They hosted their first annual Lavender Days event in June 1996 to showcase the lavender in bloom on their farm. After Chris joined the Oregon Lavender Association (OLA) in 2008, they began hosting a 2nd annual lavender event in July, as part of the OLA state-wide festival & farm tour.

Over the past 30 years, Chris have grown over 100 different Lavandula plants on their farm, including L. angustifolia, L. x intermedia, L. chaytorae, & L. stoechas cultivars. Her main interest is in the culinary uses of lavender. She has her own line of lavender teas & other culinary products she sells from her gift shop.

Using her experiences & former training as a teacher, Chris teaches classes on growing & using herbs & lavender & speaks to local garden clubs. The nursery has a loyal customer base that returns to the nursery to shop, learn, & share the experience. Chris is inspired by seeing generations of families return to the nursery & meeting new people that are interested in growing lavender & herbs. She enjoys sharing information & consulting with her customers about choosing & growing different lavenders & seeing more people get excited about growing lavender in their garden & starting a lavender farm in the Pacific NW. She has her nursery & gift shop open by appointment in the spring, summer, & fall.

Chris is a charter member of USLGA. She has served on several OLA committees & on the OLA Board of Directors as Vice President for 3 years and President for 4 years. Chris retired 8 years ago from her other part-time job as coordinator of a cancer program that she started at a local hospital. She is a founding member of Lavender Northwest & she is currently serving as LNW President.

Andrew started growing lavender almost fifty years ago. His wife, Melissa, and he started a small wholesale herb nursery in 1983. They developed and introduced the following cultivars: L. angustifolia cvs. ‘Royal Velvet’, “Melissa’, ‘Opal Rain’, ‘Cedar Pink’, and ‘New Zealand Blue’; L. stoechas cvs Portuguese Giant’, ‘Ivory Crown’, and ‘Cottage Pink’, and L x chaytorae cvs. ‘Silver Frost’, ‘Ana Luisa’ and ‘Jennifer’. Presently, their personal collection exceeds 175 lavender cultivars and species. Over the years, Andy has written several articles for various magazines: Sunset Magazine, Fine Gardening, and the Herb Companion. He has been a speaker at the Herb Society of America (HSA), International Herb Association (IHA), the United States Lavender Growers Association (USLGA) and at the Oregon Lavender and Sequiem Conferences.

Christine Mulder

Andrew Van Hevelingen
 

Handouts

• Pacific Northwest Lavender Introductions

• Lavender Selection Guide

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Best in Class--A Proven Formula for Teaching Lavender Wreath-Making and Other How-To Classes on Your Farm (recording pending restore)
Speaker: Beth Hammerberg

Topic Description

Veteran teacher and expert wreath-maker Beth Hammerberg of Down by the River Lavender Farm, will quickly show attendees, step-by-step, how to make a lavender wreath. She will then provide all the details involved in holding successful wreath-making classes: These include determining costs and class pricing; time and space requirements; and all the materials required. Finally, she will share a formula for planning any successful how-to class, whether it be wreath-making or blending oils for lotion making, or even pouring candles. With this formula, attendees will be able to offer classes that keep people coming back year after year.

About the Speaker

Beth started her small lavender farm in Wenatchee in 2016. Having been an agricultural educator for the last 20 years, she loves the idea of putting much of what she teaches into practice. She has found the work and learning involved in building a small business fascinating and rewarding. She has a heart for helping and teaching others and loves to share all about lavender farming and the agricultural industry in general.

Beth Hammerberg

Handouts

Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Watch Beth demonstrate making a wreath:

Let's Talk Terpenes: Knowing and Utilizing the Powerful Plant Chemicals Behind the Flavor, Aroma and Calming Properties of Lavender (recording pending restore)
Speaker: Dr. Concetta DiRusso

Topic Description

In this lively Powerpoint presentation, chemist Dr. Concetta DiRusso, PH. D, founder and CEO of Kennebec Analytical Services, will explain what terpenes are and delve into how these plant chemicals give lavenders their distinctive aromas, flavors and calming properties.

The session will also include comparisons of angustifolia and X intermedia lavender terpene profiles so attendees can understand how they differ and how to put each type to best use. Additionally, Dr. DiRusso will explain how knowing cultivar profile testing results can be put to great practical use: For example, attendees can select varieties with particular terpene levels to build in desired characteristics such as pleasing citrus and lemony notes in recipes and soothing, calming properties in personal care and aromatherapy products.

Further, Dr. DiRusso will discuss how the hard evidence from chemical analysis can provide not only terpene profiles but verify for both growers and their customers that their lavender is free of pesticides, mycotoxins and heavy metals. This session will also provide attendees with a unique and rare sensory opportunity to smell some of the most notable terpenes in lavender. 

About the Speaker

Concetta DiRusso, Ph.D. is the President and CEO of Kennebec Analytical Services, LLC (KAS). Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, it is a commercial laboratory dedicated to providing a range of testing services for the lavender industries. Dr. DiRusso is also the Emerita George Holmes University Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Jefferson Science Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences. She has published over 100 scientific research articles and holds 5 patents. In 2020 Dr. DiRusso started Kennebec Analytical Services to support the burgeoning essential oil and hemp industries. KAS works directly with farmers and product producers to assess the chemical composition of their plant flowers and products for compounds ranging from the valuable terpenes to contaminants such as pesticides and mycotoxins. Such testing is essential to demonstrate quality, purity and safety of the products, particularly those used for human or pet consumption. KAS is accredited as a US and international testing lab by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and ilac-MRA to the ISO/IEC 17025 standards.

Dr. Concetta DiRusso

Handouts

• Let's Talk Terpenes

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Lavender Distillation - Taking It To The Next Level (recording pending restore)
Speaker: Dr. Michael Lemmers

Topic Description

Geared for attendees with prior lavender distilling experience, this lecture-demonstration session will address selected biological, chemical, and physical factors that affect the lavender distillation process and outcomes for essential oil and hydrolat. Taught by Dr. Michael Lemmers, MD, proprietor of RavenCroft Lavender, the session will give attendees deeper insight into the properties of essential oils and apply that knowledge to the distillation of a lavender biomass. Attendees will also learn to recognize and exploit opportunities for manipulating the distillation process to achieve specific goals, such as selective fractionation or improved yields or quality. They will also participate in exercises demonstrating important aspects of distillation, as well as some olfactory assessments of lavender oils and hydrolats.

About the Speaker

Proprietor of RavenCroft in Northwestern Oregon, Dr. Lemmers is a charter member of the U.S. Lavender Growers Association and current treasurer of Lavender Northwest. After obtaining a chemistry degree in Colorado, and an MPhil in biochemistry at Cambridge, England, he earned his MD at Stanford, and then trained in surgery, urology, and kidney transplantation at OHSU in Portland. Following a 10-year professorship in surgery, he established a private practice, and subsequently diversified into lavender farming. The focus of his special interests in lavender relate to the complex chemical nature of lavender essential oils, and how its components influence the quality and applicability of lavender-derived products.

Dr. Michael Lemmers

Handouts

• Lavender Distillation, Michael Lemmers

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Lavender Diseases: The Experts Are In (recording pending restore)
Speakers: Dr. Steven Jeffers and Melodie Putnam

Speakers: Dr. Steven Jeffers and Melodie Putnam

Handouts

• Where to Go For Help

• Lavender diseases, Melodie L Putnam

• Lavender diseases, Steve Jeffers

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Farming the Transition: Are You Jumping In or Bailing Out? (recording pending restore)
Panelists: Bruce McCloskey, Mike Neustrom, Kristi Hilliker, Tyler Saltonstall and Sarah Richards

Panelists: Bruce McCloskey, Mike Neustrom, Kristi Hilliker, Tyler Saltonstall and Sarah Richards

Topic Description

Out with the old, in with the new!

Whether you’ve been farming for years, or just looking to start, our panel of 5 is here to help you transition in or out of a lavender farm. Unlike a home, there is so much more riding on the succession of a lavender farm. It is a home, a business, a passion, a livelihood, an adventure, a labor of love and so much more.

Come learn from the folks who have done it and ask them all your questions.

Our five panelists (who represent both old and new farmers) will be talking about all the questions that we didn’t have when we started. Including:

• Lessons learned of what worked and what didn’t?

• What are the secrets that you don’t even know to ask?

• Do you know what succession planning is?

• Do you worry about what will happen to your farm?

• You are getting tired of your desk job and think you’d like to retire and buy a farm?

• What are the ways to sell the farm?

• Is there a marketplace to sell farms?

• Does USLGA have help?

• How can you sell off equipment and other assets such as product lines and formulas?

The speakers will be candid and bring differing perspectives. We all will face these issues someday. Join us and get a head start!

Handouts

• Succession Planning Panel, Sarah Richards

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Product Ideas (Panel) (recording pending restore)
Panelists: Janice Cox, Steve Biedenger & Beth Hammerberg Moderator: Joseph Downs

Panelists: Janice Cox, Steve Biedenger & Beth Hammerberg
Moderator: Joseph Downs

Handouts

• Lavender Products for Health & Beauty

• Luxurious Body Butter

• Maple Lavender Glazed Nuts

• Mulled Cider

• Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

To Bee or Not to Bee - Are Honey Bee Hives a Good Fit for Your Farm? (recording pending restore)
Speaker: Carolyn Breece, Honey Bee Lab, OR State U.

Topic Description

Carolyn Breece, Senior Research Assistant at Oregon State’s Honey Bee Lab, will present a Powerpoint while covering all the basics of beekeeping, including relevant honey bee biology. Attendees will learn the steps involved in caring for hives and keeping the bees healthy, as well as the time, money and equipment needed. They will also gain insights into whether renting hives or raising their own bees is a better option, and about utilizing native bees and enhancing their farm habitat.

About the Speaker

Carolyn Breece has been a research assistant for the OSU Honey Bee Lab since 2009. She maintains the OSU apiary of 60-80 colonies, provides research support, teaches online beekeeping classes for OSU students, and provides educational workshops and events for Oregon beekeepers, including for the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program. Carolyn has a side hustle, ""Honey, I Love You"", selling honey, lip balm, and beeswax wraps.

Carolyn Breece

Handouts

Download/view our digital conference booklet and meet our sponsors and vendors!

Closing Session (recording pending restore)

Click to view our sponsors and vendors.

Sponsors and Vendors

Thank you to all of the USLC 2023 Sponsors and Vendors who helped make this a great event!

Sponsors

Wayward Winds Lavender/Marilyn Kosel
Violet Sponsor
www.olfactorywarehouse.com

Prairie Lavender Farm/Mike Neustrom
Green Sponsor
www.prairielavenderfarm.com

Lavender Wind/Sarah Richards
Green Sponsor
www.lavenderwind.com

Vendors

Wayward Winds LavenderPrivate Label and bulk wholesale lavender products. Specialty lavender foods, personal care products, and goods for the home.Marilyn KoselBesel Lavender Processor MachinesBesel lavender threshers, processors, disbuders, distilling equipment, harvestersRicardo F Besel LLCBelle Terre CeramicsHand made lavender inspired functional ceramicsLauren JawerTakao Nursery, Inc.Lavender starter plantsLisa Takao-McCallMierco European LinensLavender-themed woven jacquard European tea towels, totes, sachets, tabletopMary AlthoffLavender NorthwestLavender community support in the Pacific NorthwestMichael LemmersOhio Valley LavenderLavender Harvesting EquipmentJohn StakerDown by the River LavenderWholesale lavender items, farmer directBeth HammerbergTerri Powell Insurance AgencyFarm, Business, Home and Auto InsuranceTerri PowellLavender Boutique“For Everything Lavender” specializing in Bulk Orders of Essential Oil, Fresh & Dried bundles, snap dried Culinary and Craft budsJoseph DownsMt Airy LavenderConsulting and Wholesale Lavender and Handcrafted ProductsJoanne VoelckerVan Hevelingen Herb Nursery and Barn Owl Nursery Herb & Lavender FarmDisplaying different samples of dried lavender bundles and buds, essential oils, and a few other products featuring NW-grown lavenders and popular lavender cultivars that we grow in the Pacific Northwest region.Andy Van Hevelingen and Christine MulderPeace Tree Farm LLCWholesale Starter Plants and Field-Ready Liners, Breeding and Licensing RepresentationLloyd TravenU.S. Department of Agriculture in OregonFinancial and Technical Assistance for ConservationLauren Bennett