Okanagan lavender farm welcomes visitors Canada Day with grand opening
The public is invited to bask in the sweet aroma of Summerland mayor Toni Boot’s new lavender farm.
She's a cofounder of the Oasis Lavenders Co-operative, and the purple property will be opening its gates to the public for the first time this weekend.
“We’ll have a few things to eat, drink and do, but it’s really an opportunity for people to get out in the fresh air and see something in Summerland they’ve never seen before,” Boot said.
One of the farm’s features is the lavender labyrinth – or the lavyrinth, as the founders call it.
The lavyrinth, like any labyrinth, was designed to be walked through with one way in and one way out.
“It’s not like a maze where you come to a dead end,” Boot said. “You can see where you’re going and you can see where you’re going to end up. It’s 89 feet across so it’s quite big.”
Boot said the lavyrinth offers quiet meditation time and gives people a chance to work through their issues.
“The idea is you meditate as you go through it. You can go through without thinking about anything else.”
READ MORE: Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm wins $5,000 grant
The farm currently has 2,500 plants in the ground which cover 1.5 acres, and the founders plan to eventually increase the size to five acres.
Those who work on the farm will be paid at least a living wage, Boot said, which Living Wage Canada pegged at $18.55 in Penticton.
She expects that rate to increase “dramatically” when it gets updated.
“But that’s one of the commitments we’ve made.”
There is no admission to visit the farm. It will be open every Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting July 1. Visitors can shop for products like soap and lotion bars that contain lavender grown on the farm.
And for the grand opening celebration this weekend, there will be lavender vanilla cookies made by True Grain Bakehouse with lavender from Oasis product.
Oasis, along with Localmotive Organic Delivery, leases the farm land from Okanagan Crush Pad, which also operates on the same lot.
“There is finally an opportunity for us to celebrate and have people come to the farm and celebrate with us,” Boot said.
Oasis will also offer activities like wreath-making workshops and full moon rising celebrations in the summertime.
The farm’s other co-founders are Karen Edge and Steve Burritt, and it is located at 26405 Garnett Valley Road in Summerland.
– This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. on July 3 to clarify that Oasis Lavenders Co-operative, along with Localmotive Organic Delivery, operate on farm land leased off of Okanagan Crush Pad.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Dan Walton or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
