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16 / August 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
Ah Lavender! T rent and Linda McNair, who own Noble Harvest Lavender Farm in Aptos, are enjoying a very productive year with a plant that brings sheer delight to many. Their lavender field is in its fourth season. They shared this report with CapitolaSoquel Times: “The entire field is an English ‘Grosso’ lavender, (Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’) which is a cross between a traditional English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and a Portuguese lavender known as spike or broadleaf lavender (Lavandula latifolia). It’s arguably the most fragrant and with the highest oil content of other lavender varieties. “We grow organically and with little or no watering needed since they are well established. “We also do not feed any nutrient to our lavender, which gives the foliage its slightly yellow tint, but the stress of this mild neglect seems to create an even stronger scent, as well as higher oil content when we extract our lavender oil. We open our gates for 2-3 weekends a year so that the community can enjoy a French countryside experience without the airfare. Thanks to the Facebook group Aptosia, our location has gained immense popularity.” This farm has chickens on the premises. Noble Harvest Lavender Farm is at 1975 Cox Road, Aptos. To get the harvest
ABOVE: Lavender, famously grown in Provence, France, is grown in Day Valley, Aptos. RIGHT: Visitors at Noble Harvest Lavender Farm must arrive during the very short harvest season in July.
The “throne” in Noble Harvest’s field of lavender. and sale date information, follow the farm on Facebook. Sadly, the harvest is over. “We dry all our lavender and sell it in bundles,” Trent McNair told the CapitolaSoquel Times. So he harvests earlier than others might. In the future, he might consider creating lavender oil, but not this year. The location, he said, is very good for farming – “great microclimate, great soils.” He and his wife had an organic farm there before this. Day Valley has a long history of orchards, then eggs, with the Glaum Egg Ranch still in operation. The McNairs are not the only ones growing lavender in the neighborhood. So is Eric Smith, at 779 Day Valley Road, Aptos, who has been offering U-pick or pre-picked bundles on the weekend. “Before you know it, Day Valley will be the Napa Valley of lavender,” the McNairs posted on Facebook. n ••• Photos courtesy of Noble Harvest Lavender Farm
