Front Porch

Festivals, U-picks, board meetings, and the Front Porch Speaker Series — gathered from across the U.S. lavender community.

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Presenter: Adam Christensen, CEO, Essential Validation Services

As lavender growers, you know that no two harvests are exactly the same—variety, climate, soil, and growing practices all leave their mark on the essential oil’s chemical profile. This session shows how laboratory testing can turn those natural differences into valuable insights. Adam Christensen, Founder & CEO of Essential Validation Services, shares how to read and understand a lab report, detect potential adulteration, and use chemical profile data to highlight the distinctive characteristics of your oil. Learn how testing contributes to industry-wide standards and creates a data foundation for marketing, differentiation, and future research. Adam Christensen Adam Christensen is the Founder and CEO of  Essential Validation Services (EVS), an analytical testing laboratory specializing in essential oils, fragrances, and CO₂ extracts. With over a decade of experience in essential oil testing, Adam’s journey began at Hampden-Sydney College, where a handcrafted soap-making project in the chemistry lab sparked his interest in the industry. After graduating, he launched his first laboratory in Gainesville, Florida, in collaboration with the University of Florida’s Mass Spectrometry Department. Over the years, Adam has founded three other companies, including a CBD testing lab that was successfully sold in 2020. His published research on hemp analytical testing is featured in an analytical chemistry textbook, and he has contributed to advancing testing standards across the industry. In addition to his work in science and business, Adam made national headlines in 2020 as the youngest Democratic nominee for Congress in the United States. He has also spent the past seven years coaching college and semi-professional soccer, balancing his entrepreneurial ventures with his passion for the sport. Adam and his wife, Kristen, live in Southern Tennessee with their two dogs, Buster and Pummel.