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Fox Farm Cynthia B. Johnson

www.foxfarm.org	cynthiabjohnson@comcast.net
The Lavender Sisters
As the long days of spring give way to bright summer skies and warmer temperatures the lavender on Vashon begins to bloom. Rows of soft green plants suddenly appear a little blue, and as June days pass, deepen into wilder shades of indigo, plum and purple.
This summer marks the 5th annual Lavender Harvest Celebration. And on July 7th & 8th The Lavender Sisters will open Crescent Falls Farm, 16335 Crescent Drive SW to the public for a weekend celebrating Lavender and the spirit of community that its harvest evokes.
Merrillee Runyan, Dana Illo and Katy Jo Steward more affectionately known as the “sisters” work together as business partners growing organic lavender, selling fresh cut flowers to markets in Seattle and producing a variety of products that use lavender as their base. These products have created a small cottage industry of hand crafted sachets and eye pillows made from antique kimono fabric, lavender wands, wreaths, culinary lavender and gardener’s salve and lip balm infused with lavender from their fields.
However, it is the impromptu community that forms each year around the lavender harvest that means the most to these remarkable women. Those who volunteer to harvest, renew old acquaintances and make new friends. There is always a great deal of laughter, sometimes a song, a little sweat amidst the drone of bumblebees too drunk on pollen to sting. A pick generally takes 3 or 4 hours and when the work is complete the Sisters serve up a hearty meal of local food complete with and good wine, cold beer or lavender lemonade. Each pick finds a mix of ages working together side by side. Children run the bouquets that have been cut and bundled in the field to elders who sit in shady spots trimming and organizing the bunches for market. The Lavender Harvest Festival is a celebration of this magic: visitors may cut fresh flowers, enjoy culinary demonstrations, listen to music, browse the craft booths or just picnic in the purple looking out over Colvos Passage.  And, it is not unusual that those who visit turn up next year to pick. The Lavender Sister: three women, three farms, an enduring commitment to community sustainability and beauty. Vashon is blessed to have them.