Summer at Penn Cove Ranch

The beginning of Fall marks the end of the lavender year. The lavender plants will take a much needed rest. It has been a wonderfully productive year. As usual, we discovered things that we didn’t know. We also confirmed that we have been blessed with talented and dedicated associates. Nothing would have happened had it not been for Alex, Mario, Javier, their father, Ramon, and Alex’s wife, Lorena. Joannie and Soon worked in the harvest and then constructed the beautiful wreaths and bouquets. Nick and Dale were always there when I needed them. Dan gave us great turn around with the GCMS results.

A real bonus for me and Susan was getting to work with our children. Teresa continued to display not only her creative talents as chief product designer but her scientific skills as well. She organized the final steps of distillation and created a very sophisticated data base to help us collect and analyze distillation results. She was the catalyst for the wreaths. Katie functioned as the business manager. She set up the blog and of course the new web site. She designed the new label and all the marketing collateral material. She is as thorough at follow up as anyone I have observed in almost 40 years of business. Michael held the Ranch together until he had to return to LA. He did some early, helpful research with Hydrosol. Lindsay and Billy helped us modify some very tortured paragraphs.

The new still was a Godsend. We had 100 distillations and collected over 550 lbs of oil. The old distillation setup would have required over 500 distillations. Since each distillation takes about 2 hours; it is not hard to see its contribution and necessity.

Penn Cove Ranch as a family business took shape. We sold fresh flowers through a distributor to markets all over the Puget Sound. We have national and regional buyers for our organic lavender oil. We are selling buds, bouquets, and wreaths via our web site. We are expanding our wreath capabilities. We are also exploring the development of a home spa kit using all of our ingredients. I am going to Expo East in Baltimore this week to start that process.

We had a personally productive year in other ways. Teresa and Adam brought a baby girl, Zooey, into the world. Three weeks later Lindsay and Manuel followed with Lucia. Children and parents are well. Grandparents are overjoyed. Adam defends his Phd thesis this Friday at the University of Oregon. Shortly thereafter he, Teresa, and Zooey will head off to Denver where he will do a post doctorate with the National Renewable Energy lab as a new Physicist! After three long years Michael was called back to American Airlines. He fortunately is now assigned to LA, his home and will fly MD-80s from there.

Agriculture has its own unique appeal. It can be rewarding and devastating. It is science and art as well. I try and read all I can about lavender. The amount of contradictory advice is often amusing and at the same time unsettling. The time between making a decision and seeing if it was the right decision is most likely 12 months. I am certain that most of my experience is still in front of me.

We all look forward to what the Spring will bring with awakened lavender.