PROMOTIONS
Dr. Talaat Abdel-Fattah Ahmed was promoted to Research Professor of Plant Molecular Genetics at Qatar University (Doha – Qatar). Congratulations to Professor Talaat Abdel-Fattah Ahmed!
Carol Stiff, Lavender Farmer?
Dr. Carol M. Stiff, Kitchen Culture Kits Inc. (www.kitchenculturekit.com ), University of Idaho, and Washington State University, was an active member of SIVB since the 70’s primarily working with the Education Committee and the Philip White Memorial Fund. Her company also presented several workshops aimed at bringing plant tissue culture into the classroom.
Today, in addition to continuing work with her company, Carol created a division of KCK Inc. called Bald Butte Lavender Farm (www.baldbuttelavenderfarm.com ) and she and husband Chuck are lavender farmers!
Fresh bouquet of Hidcote
They bought a 3 acre hobby farm near Pullman, WA in 2018 and wanted to do something useful with it. They had experience with heather on the west side of Washington but heather does not grow well on the east side. After much research and many YouTube videos, they chose lavender. It started with about 60 plants in 2019 and led to about 400+ last year. Another 200+ plants will be planted in 2023. These include the English lavenders (Folgate, Hidcote, Melissa, Miss Katherine, Munstead, Purple Bouquet, Rosea, Royal Velvet) and the hybrids (Caty Blanc, Edelweiss, Grosso and Phenomenal). “ We started knowing basically nothing to preaching to others how to grow it, harvest and the major differences between the varieties, and why, when you use the wrong variety, you get a soapy tasting chocolate bar”. The farm sells fresh and dried bouquets as well as sachets, microwave neck wraps, stress bags, and culinary buds for tea, lemonade, cookies and other goodies.
Our “purple” greenhouse
Carol at the 1912 Winter Market in Moscow Idaho
Carol says that plant tissue culture is easier and you can do it year round. Growing lavender is not easy nor cheap and probably not recommended if you are not willing to get dirty. As you get to work with the plants more, you start to love them and really miss them when winter comes and tend to forget all the backaches you endured during the season.
We started with the local farmers markets and holiday crafts venues, and hope to set up a gift shop at the farm if we get a grant to renovate our barn. We are also looking into the costs, and pros and cons, of offering You Pick. Our website, www.baldbuttelavenderfarm.com is mainly educational but will include online ordering in the future.
Trimming plants
Lavender farmers are really nice people and very willing to share their knowledge. Setting up our fields, choosing plants and developing our website are based on field experience and conversations with other lavender growers. The Lavender Northwest association (LNW) has been extremely helpful in helping us connect with other growers and being an invaluable resource of information, and last month Carol became an official board member and hopes to contribute in the area of education.
