HARVEST ISSUE
I ts a great crop and harvest we are having, and this issue will talk a lot about what we do and how we do it. More words than usual and bigger pictures, so bear with us. Lots MORE pictures are up on our blog at http://clairmontfarms.blogspot.com/ . And last, but not least at the bottom are this months INTERNET SPECIALS.
As usual tell us what you think - email us at info@clairmontfarms.com .

Meryl and Marcos Harvesting

2010 is a Great Year!

This picture says it all. W e are enjoying a harvest this year like we haven't seen in many years. Last winter saw several periods of soaking rain for a few days and then a few days for it to soak in before the next rain. And then we have not had any real scorching heat this year. So the flowers came a little later than in some years past, and they are lasting a little longer.

But the best part is that the bushes are more robust this year, there is a lot more lavender to cut, and the colors are more rich and saturated than they have been for perhaps five or six years. While lavender's productive life is supposed to be 14-20 years, our plants are now 11, and we were starting to wonder if we should be beginning to cycle some of them out and start with new ones. When it becomes time to do this we will do it at the rate of about 20% per year so the entire field rotates gradually . But for now we don't need to wonder - these plants are really healthy.

Every year we debate in the winter if we should feed the plants. This year we debated and procrastinated. A good friend of ours in the valley did feed. His plants are the same variety and about the same age as ours. We are both having bumper crops. The funny thing is that had we fed, we might be here saying "boy did we do a great thing feeding this year and look at how the plants have benefited from our care" But the fact is that the natural cycle of things and the robustness of these plants get all the credit this year.

Hanging the Bunches

This is the traditional method of harvesting lavender. Bunches are cut, bound and then hung in the barn in the dark to dry. Its taking a week or so because we are being blessed with some really wonderful cool temperatures this year.
The color of the bunches this year is just fantastic, and the fragrance is just overwhelming. Just ask all the honey bees. One thing about the bees - in the barn or the field its literally "all abuzz" - but the bees never bother anyone. The only way we have ever gotten a sting is to accidentally run into the back of a stationary bee. Many ask us about whether we have seen a reduction in the bees. Fortunately, no we have not - we have a wild hive at the end of the driveway in one of the oaks, and they swarmed this year - sending a new queen off with lots of bees. A sure sign of health.

Cutting for Buds

We get asked how we harvest often. Above is the traditional way, and if we had to harvest all the bunches that our 12,000 plants yield, it would take a small army. And a (not so) small fortune to pay the army. In this shot our method of harvesting buds is easy to see. We cut the plants with a gas powered hedge clipper that has been modified with the addition of a plate on the cutting bar. This plate makes it easy to cut and sort of "pile and push" what has been cut over the edge of the plant. so it goes like this.
1. We put a "gurney" made from thick plastic with a piece of pipe down either side in the middle of the row.
2. We cut the plants with the clipper and push the clippings onto the plastic, which we can drag down the
row.
3. We empty the "gurney" onto another large piece of thick plastic that is in the sun and spread the clippings out evenly.
4. We let the clippings dry in the sun for 2-3 days - depends on the air temp and how much fog. They then are dry and separate very easily.
5. Then we thrash the buds and use a leaf rake to get the stems away from the buds.
6. After all this we store the dried buds in cardboard boxes - they are good for years.

SIFTING

This is the last step in harvesting. We sift the buds in front of a fan and through 2 layers of screen to remove the dust, chaff and small sections of stems left over from the cutting process. These cleaned buds go for pounds and sachets

For the still to make oil, a few extra old florets don't matter and the lavender buds go directly into the still and skip the sifting.

Even the dust and the chaff get used. After we have done 50 or 100 lbs, there is quite a pile of clippings and some buds that won't separate. These too get distilled and yield some of the wonderful oil.

Clairmont Farms Reed Diffuser

REED DIFFUSER SPECIAL

$20 - $10 savings!

Aromatherapy gets a lot of press these days.
An d in fact it does a lot to set the mood in a room.
We have been amazed at the number of these reed diffusers that we have sold in the last few month since we stated offering them.

The diffuser comes filled with a whole ounce of lavender oil and 5 ounces of diffuser base. The diffuser base is an inert, non petroleum, non toxic liquid that slows down the evaporation of the lavender oil. As you may know, lavender oil is very light, very volatile, and evaporates QUICKLY. (pure oil will not even leave a visible spot on white linen)

You can "jazz up" the room by taking the sticks out and turning them over. When the oil is gone you can get our diffuser refill or just get some more lavender oil and add to the jar.

CLICK HERE to get one

And to see other aromatherapy items we have CLICK HERE

This mail has been a little longer than most - but there is a LOT going on.
We want to also let you know a couple of things we are working on right now.
GIFT CERTIFICATES have been requested and they are coming!!!
LAVENDER FACE CREAM will be up as a product shortly.
And YES - TWEETY TEE SHIRTS AND TOTE BAGS - AND MAYBE SMOKEY ONES TOO.
Check out the shopping cart for new items as we put them up CLICK HERE for new stuff

SMOKEY IS THE NAME

Dianne emailed us and suggested that since the chick was from the burn pile, that "Smokey" would be a good name. We think so too - at the time we were saying that We hoped that it would be a hen - BUT - well, we think this one might be a rooster - look at the LONG legs ---- but here's hoping that Smokey is a she. If not we will have to find him a home. We will know about the time the next newsletter comes out.

TWEETY

Yes, she's the Auntie Mame of the farm! We get asked how
she is on a regular basis. And she is doing great. For some reason the roosters chase her more than the others, so she spends a lot of time with Glenn - here she is on the chair with a computer in pieces in the background. She still sleeps inside every night in her tote in the produce closet. We are about to have TEE shirts and tote bags with her on them! No kidding!

DISTILLING DAZE

Saturday's we are going to be running the still - and Sundays too for a while.

We get a lot of requests. One thing in particular we want to note - a gentleman was here from Santa Maria this week - he is looking forward to celebrating his

96th

birthday. And he wanted to see Tweety and also to see Glenn run the still. Unfortunately Glenn was not here are it was busy and we missed getting his name - but apparently he likes to read this newsletter.

SO - we'd like to extend a birthday invitation to this gentleman - come here for your birthday, spend a couple of hours with Tweety and the rest of the gang and Glenn will run the still and the grill for your birthday - call us or email us and set it up! Happy Birthday!

Give us a call at 805 688-7505 and leave your number if we are out.

WHOLESALE TO STORES is also something that we are working on - if you know of a store in your area that would like to carry our products - have them email us! We have been having some success in this area lately. We are looking at it as a way to fund a new field in some unused area we have in back - and maybe even put in a few grapes with lavender between the rows.

OJAI FARMERS MARKET SUNDAY 8/1

If you are in the area we will be there subbing for the local regulars. 8AM to 1PM this week.
Stop By!!

Sincerely,

Meryl and Glenn
Clairmont Farms
805-688-7505

Now this has nothing to do with lavender - BUT there is something about genuine Irish Traditional Music that goes with harvest time and other work. Here are links to a couple of the best "squeezebox" players out there. Turn up the volume on your PC if you want to listen to these while you work at something!

Damian McKee - Plays 3 jigs
Tony McMahon - This man plays so fast - listen to the section that starts at about 1min :11 seconds in
(If you don't like this music being here or think its silly in a newsleter- Glenn is to blame - so direct your displeasure at him!)