United States Lavender Conference to be held in Mesa, Arizona
January 26-28 2017
The conference will kick off with a welcome reception on Thursday evening, and offers pre-conference workshops starting Thursday morning and offers education and collaboration opportunities for lavender growers and will be expanding this year to offer a separate track for those who want to expand their knowledge of the use of lavender. This year's artisan track focuses on culinary use of lavender.Mesa is an area steeped in farming culture, with a focus on farm to table cuisine, innovative farming technology, and the agritourist.
Our business is blooms! We understand that each of you considering coming to the 2017 conference holds a different level of knowledge concerning lavender and has a different level of interest. We are planning an experience in Mesa, AZ that will give you the opportunity to gain something from the conference that will help you "bloom!" This time, we have expanded the conference to three tracks related to levels of experience and interest so even though you are not locked in to attend just one track, you can more clearly see how to customize your conference experience.
- I Want to Start a Lavender Farm - For those seeking advice and knowledge about what it takes to grow lavender as a crop and to explore various business models for converting lavender into profit.
- I Have a Lavender Farm - For those who have an established farm and want to gain skill and knowledge about current issues from leading experts in the field.
- I Want to Use Lavender - For the gardener or business owner who wants to understand the use of lavender and discover creative ideas for cooking and crafting with lavender.
USLC & Member Annual Meeting is an opportunity to gather the members of our industry to offer significant learning opportunities and networking to support a professional lavender industry.
For example, the basic standards or ethics of the US Lavender Grower’s Association are offered in workshops like, "What we can claim about lavender," "Value added Products- how to source, make or package" and "Culinary do's & don'ts." Important science will be shared in several presentations at different levels, i.e "Introduction to lavender" and "Disease & crop care." Check back for more breakout session descriptions as they are developed.
In addition to classroom style learning, you can attend extracurricular events and learn from one another through networking in structured and unstructured forums and gatherings. Our pre-conference workshops will offer more in depth opportunities to explore important topics with experts in that area.You may consider enjoying the area before or after the conference as your discount rate will apply 3 days before and after USLC 2017. There is so much to see! Check out more information about Mesa, AZ.
Extensive List of Speakers
Donna Maria Coles Johnson (or “dM,” as she is affectionately known by fans and friends alike) is a powerful and influential voice in the women’s small and independent entrepreneurial movement.
She has become a trusted advocate and a voice of influence and friendship for women business owners around the world. Among other honors, dM has been named by the US Small Business Administration, Washington, DC Office, as the Home-Based Business Advocate of the Year, named by Black Enterprise.com as one of the “Black Blogosphere’s Best”, named by Forbes.com as one of the 25 most influential women Tweeting about entrepreneurship, and quoted and/or featured for entrepreneurial expertise in several publications, including Working Mother Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Women's Day, Washington Business Journal, Ebony Magazine, and Upscale Magazine. She is the author "Making Aromatherapy Creams and Lotion," a book which has become a staple in the world of small scale beauty entrepreneurship.
Dr. Jeffers is a Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Clemson University. He has statewide responsibilities for diseases of ornamental crops in nurseries, greenhouses, and landscapes, and he also works on diseases of trees in both urban and natural ecosystems. In addition, he teaches Principles of Plant Pathology to both undergraduate and graduate students. Currently, his research focuses on diseases caused by species of Phytophthora. He came to Clemson in 1995 after 7 years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison working on fruit crop diseases and 3 years in private industry developing biological control products for postharvest diseases. He earned PhD and MS degrees in Plant Pathology from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.
Proprietor of RavenCroft, Dr. Lemmers is a charter member of the U.S. Lavender Growers Association and current treasurer of the Oregon Lavender Association. After taking degrees in chemistry in Colorado, and biochemistry at Cambridge, England, he earned his MD degree at Stanford, and then trained in surgery, urology, and kidney transplantation at OHSU in Portland. Following a 10-year professorship in surgery, he established a private practice, and subsequently diversified into lavender farming. The focus of his talk stems from special interests in the chemical nature of lavender essential oils, and how those characteristics influence the quality and applicability of lavender-derived products.
Christine Teeple has been running the marketing, event planning, product development and production side of Red Rock Lavender located in Concho, Arizona since 1998. Christine is a Founding Member and former Board Member of the USLGA. She is co-presenting the Pre Conference Workshop entitled “How to Start a Lavender Business”.
Christine’s segment will cover the following:
• Create Your Business Plan
This is one of the most important steps you will take because the plan serves as your road map for the early years of your business and helps to make you successful. You will have the opportunity to work on your own business plan during the session.
• Return on Investments and Measurements (ROI)
We all want to make sure we are making money. Measurements to determine your ROI are an important and continuing process. This session will discuss the various venues and selling options for lavender businesses. You will learn how to calculate ROI and will be shown examples of venues and selling options that can be the most profitable to provide you with some direction as to the type of products or services your will company provide.
Mesha Munyan holds a M.A. degree and teaching certificate. She has been growing and distilling lavender for 20 years in Sequim, WA. After extensive product manufacturing with lavender, she has launched Meshaz Natural Perfumes, winning 56 awards in these last 2 years. Recently, her lavender angustifolia oils were awarded 2 gold and 1 silver in the International Supreme Oil Awards 2015 by New Zealand Lavender Growers Association.
In addition to starting and running her lavender farm 16 years ago, Sarah Richards created a manufacturing and retail facility in a charming 1916 bungalow located in the historic waterfront district of Coupeville in Central Whidbey Island. It has been remodeled to suit several purposes – manufacturing, retail & tea room sales, and nursery display. She has formulated her body, household, and food products which are now manufactured in this facility. She has several successful food products that are sold both at her shop and in various stores in her area, including the Navy Exchange system in the Puget Sound region.
Dr. Cindy Jones is a biochemist and herbalist and founding member of USLGA. She has been formulating and making skin care products for 15 years and has developed a reputation for formulating natural and botanical products. On her farm she grows a variety of herbs including lavender which she uses in skin care. She owns Sagescript Institute and makes her own skin care line called Colorado Aromatics.
Cyndie Rinek is owner and operator of Blooming Hill Lavender. Along with being a member of the USLGA, Cyndie is a longtime member of the Potomac Unit of the Herb Society of America, a Master Gardener and a local garden club member. Cyndie and her husband, Peter, a Landscape Architect settled in Philomont, Virginia located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. Cyndie left the corporate world and spent the last 20 plus years learning about, collecting, propagating, planting, growing and selling many different varieties of lavenders at local fairs and garden shows and steadily building a clientele of loyal lavender enthusiasts.
Martha Wilczynski is owner and operator of Lavender Hill Farm of Niles, Michigan. She and her husband, Bill planted their first half acre of lavender in 2001. Since then they have expanded the lavender field to over 4100 plants of eight different varieties. Martha’s education and experience includes degrees in Chemistry, Plant Pathology and Landscape Architecture. She worked as an environmental consultant for 15 years until leaving in 2008 to continue growing their lavender business. She operates the farm as a U-pick destination with a farm shop where she sells a line of lavender products she developed. In 2014 she added a greenhouse and now propagates and sells plants from cuttings of their field plants. Martha’s talk will deal with important decisions before and during establishment of a lavender farm, as well as recommendations for care and maintenance of the plants.
Jennifer Carman is a therapeutic herbalist, dietitian and nutritionist who has been working in health care since 1984. As past president of the Maryland Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, she works at bridging the gap between the field of medical nutrition therapy and the use of herbal therapeutics for wellness. Her MSc is in Therapeutic Herbs from Maryland University of Integrative Health, BS in Nutrition from Pennsylvania State University. Carman and James A. Duke PhD, Ethnobotanist (author of more than 40 herbal books) collaborated with Maryland Hospitals for Sustainability to present “Science-based practical applications and gardening techniques of common kitchen herbs and spices” in 2012.
Ellen Reynolds and her husband Gregg own Beagle Ridge Herb Farm in Southwest VA. Although the farm is in a remote location and being open only on weekends seasonally for the first several years she has developed a following for her products. Now celebrating their 15 th year in business, they have welcomed visitors from all 50 states and 19 foreign countries. Beagle Ridge, the 160 acre retreat is home to several business enterprises including Lick Mountain Excursions a guided nature ride operation, Serendipity, a event and wedding venue and Flying Flowers, a walk through butterfly house which was just named one of the 14 "Not To Miss" butterfly destinations in the nation by Birds and Blooms Magazine. Presently, with a grant from VA Tourism, she is developing a Lavender Trail in VA. 3 farms are included presently and another 4 will be added in 2017.
Chris Mulder holds a B.S. degree in education and is co-owner of Barn Owl Nursery, a small herb and lavender farm in Wilsonville, OR. She grew up in the nursery business and has been working with herbs for over 35 years. She established her part time, home based herb business on 5 acres in 1982, with her husband, Ed. Chris enjoys sharing her special interest in growing and using many cultivars of lavender and herbs in their landscape.
Dave Grembi received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1975, and a Master’s Degree in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina in 1988. Dave has worked in the Health Care field for 34 years, starting off as a cardiovascular and pulmonary clinician and then evolving to the management and administrative ranks.
Currently, he has several projects in the areas of Biofuels, “Essential Oil” extraction from plants and sustainable engineering activities upon which about 20 undergraduate students are actively participating. For a more comprehensive list of his academic and industrial activities, consult http://cbee.oregonstate.edu/people/faculty/hackleman.html and for more on some of the student projects, http://sei.oregonstate.edu/ For info on his start-up Company: www.oilextech.com
Sandra Shuff began her businesses with a love for Lavender and a goal of diversification. She owns and operates a 50 acre certified Organic farm and forest with a unique opportunity to grow, harvest, distill, and formulate multiple aromatics in one location. She has diversified herself into three distinct yet related companies in Deer Park, WA.
Evening Light Lavender – Lavender & Aromatic Botanical Farm.
Positively Aromatic – Artisan distillation of Essential Oils & Hydrosols, Natural Cosmetic, Formulating and importer of Essential Oils.
Lavender Manor – Event and Wedding Venue.
She is pleased to have the opportunity to share her vision, successes, and challenges. Through this session, along with her co-presenter David Belt, she desires to give you inspiration and ways to development of your business’ diversification through Agritourism.
Her belief that education is a lifetime activity is reflected in both her continuing education and teaching.
Following a 22-year career in the U.S. Air Force, spent primarily in caves and windowless underground vaults, Dave Belt (and wife, Suzy, plus children Kiva and Collin) wanted to spend time working outdoors -- a second career with plenty of sunshine and fresh air.
In this conference presentation, Dave will outline how he and his family developed the agri-tourism aspect of their business and will share some of the successes and “lessons learned” along the way. His hope is that other lavender operators, whether just beginning or already established, will be inspired to explore the benefits of developing an agri-tourism facet of their business.
. . . and six more!
http://www.uslavender.org/speakers
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