So here we are, nearly three months into 2010, and I have to give myself some props for making decent progress toward moving the Rainy Day Ranch into the physical realm. I've attended a farm conference, enrolled in a class on how to start a farm or ranch, and thoroughly researched various farm/ranch financing programs. The time has come to get serious about the actual business enterprise. Is it a Christmas tree farm or a pumpkin patch? Am I keeping alpacas or starting a creamery? Should I be a real cowgirl and raise grass-fed beef? I guess I'm not that excited about trying to master multiple crops, so general organic farming is out. I'm gruff and not particularly social, so I cringe at the thought of a bunch of hooligans traipsing onto my beautiful and serene ranch to cut down their Christmas trees or pick out pumpkins during my two favorite seasons. And as cool as it would be to keep goats and run a creamery, I suspect that the regular milkings and food safety issues might be a headache.
Hmm, what to do, what to do. What's beautiful, fragrant, sustainable, holistically medicinal, and all-around lovely? Why, that would be lavender. According to my research, small-scale lavender crops can be very successful. Lavender shrubs attract few pests or diseases and thus don't require chemical pesticides. Nor do they require fertilizers or extensive irrigation. Lavender is a good "entertainment crop," meaning it does well on the festival and agri-tour circuit. Lavender grows very well in California, Oregon, and Washington state. Of course, all the great lavender farmers regularly travel to the heart of the lavender industry in...the Provence region of France. Alors, quelle horreur! Seriously, can you imagine the annual trade shows and conferences?
As thirty-something women with no kids tend to do, I signed up for yet another class. This one is a six-week course called Lavender: From Soil to Sachet. I can tell I'm onto something.
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