Introduction to Commercial Lavender Production

Introduction to CommercialLavender ProductionProcessing and DistillationBy Dr. Curtis Beus, WSU Extension, Clallam County

Visitors to AngelFarm at 2008Sequim LavenderFestival makingcraft products fromfresh lavender

Making alavender wreath

A completedlavender wreath atVictor’s Lavender

Visitors to New Mexico LavenderFestival making lavender wands

Nicely dried Grosso bundlesYou can sell these, or process them further

Without a machinelike this strippingthe lavender budsfrom dried bundlesis a very laborinstensive activity!De-budding Dried Lavender

What is This Machine?It is a seed cleaner thathas been converted intoa lavender bud cleaner

But, you can do an adequate jobof cleaning lavender buds with“lower tech” methods as well

How about itscolor?Is this lavender bud very clean?

How about itscolor?Is this lavender bud very clean?

Is this culinarylavender veryclean?How aboutits color?

• Cleanliness• Color• Scent• Freshness

Flower Yields -- Grosso• Around 125stems perbundle• 4-7 bundlesper matureplant• 12-15 bundlesyield 1 pounddried buds• 1/4 to 1/2 lb.Dried buds perplant• 8,000 to 16,000bundles peracre• 1,000 to 1,500lb. dried budsper acre• Retail --$6-$10 perdried bundle• Wholesale --$3-$4 perdried bundle• Retail --$18-$30/lb.Dried buds• Wholesale --$10-$15/lb.Dried buds

Essential Oil Production• Angustifolias yield 3-15 qt./acre (5-25 lb./acre)• Lavandins yield 20-100 qt./acre (35-170 lb./acre)• World prices for lavandin oil rangefrom $6-12 lb., and for angustifoliaoil $20-$30 lb.• $300-$2,000 gross per acrelavandins• $200-$700 gross per acre forangustifolias• Angustifolia oil “sweeter” thanlavandin oil (less camphor)• Unlikely that small U.S. producerscan compete in oil markets• Oil production for small growersneeds to be high quality, nichemarkets, value-added products• Oil is sold retail for $6.00 - $15.00for 10 ml, $9.00 - $18.00 oz., $25 -$40 for 4 oz., $80 - $150 for 16 oz.(angustifolia oil prices being toward thehigher end of these ranges)

Yields for Lavender at Robin Hill FarmPlants in Landscape Fabric3.532.521.510.502.23.21.8 1.7 23.12.31.61.1 1.3lb. material/plant10864209.16.44.73.93.4 3.1 3.4 4.12.3 2ml/lb. plant material3530252015105030.910.95.5 6.7 5.1 45.3 8.6 7.8 6.5ml/plantFolgateWyckoffRoyal PurpleSuperProvenceMartha RoderickRoyal VelvetMailletteGrossoOld EnglishFolgateWyckoffRoyal PurpleSuperProvenceMartha RoderickRoyal VelvetMailletteGrossoOld EnglishFolgateWyckoffRoyal PurpleSuperProvenceMartha RoderickRoyal VelvetMailletteGrossoOld English

Oil Yields for New Zealandand Sequim LavenderNew Zealand – 2670 plants/acre (Munstead 5340), 5 th SeasonCultivar Oil – Liter/acreMunstead (Clyde) 3.8Munstead (Omarana) 13.0Munstead (5/14) 2.2Tarras 13.5Twickel Purple 7.1Grosso 97.5Super 65.4Bogong 98.5Old English 25.9Impress Purple 76.2Sequim, RHF, 2900 plants/acre, 5 th seasonCultivar Oil – Liter/acreNo fabric In fabricFolgate 21.2 31.6Martha Roderick 13.6 16.0Wyckoff 16.2 19.4Royal Velvet 13.6 14.8Royal Purple 9.0 11.6Maillette 15.7 15.4Super 27.3 24.9Grosso 76.6 89.6Provence 21.2 22.6Old English 21.2 18.9

Distilling Essential Oils

Copper table top still I usedfor doing my lavender oiltrials – obtained from theEssential Oil Company,Portland, OR

Annie Harmon at 2006Lavender Conference withher small Alembic Still

Mike Greenhaugh of Martha’s LaneLavender in Sequim with his Alembic Still

A Reimerspowered still inNew Mexico

A small portable still made byNewhouse Manufacturing atOlympic Lavender in Sequim

Randy Nichols of Jardin du SolielLavender in Sequim explaining his still

Mike Shirkey of Port Williams Lavenderin Sequim explaining his still at 2008Lavender Festival

A representative of NewhouseManufacturing explaining one of hislarger stills at Lavender Festival