Learn from the Best

Come hear it from the pros. For more information on the conference and registering please visit sequimlavenderfarmersassociation.com  I know you will find this a very valuable and informative weekend.  I will look forward to seeing you there.

Just a reminder – Planting Season will be here before we know it. To be guaranteed to get the plants you want and the quantities you need, please place your orders now. You will not be charged for your pre-season orders until the plants ship. Shipping dates will vary based on the part of the country you are in.

We’re looking forward to a great season and wish all of you success in 2012.

Oulmès is a small village situated in the Middle Atlas in the Province of Khèmisset, the village is about 150 km northeast of Rabat.

The natural environment of Oulmès consists of plains, mountains and hills, trays and depressions. The soil of Oulmès is divided into brown hydromorphes soils, sandy brown hydromorphes soils, rocky soils, tier soils, and Litho soils. The climate is sub-humid with a cold and wet winter, fresh and dry summer, and 36 rainy days on average a year. The region received some snow between December and March and there are periods of frequent frosts of December till May.

Some of the objectives of Victor’s assignment was to identify and analyze the existing varieties and determine their compositions in order to know the valuation of limits; identify the diseases provoking the decay of plantations and production and training on the manufacturing of cosmetics and therapeutic products with existing plants.

View some of the photos from Victor’s Trip to Africa:

When it comes to propagating lavender, Victor Gonzales is considered the North Olympic Peninsula’s resident expert. Victor is a wholesale lavender grower and supplier. He has successfully propagated more than one million lavender plants and counting. During the last decade, Victor’s green thumb has helped Sequim, Washington become the official lavender capital of North America.

Project Description:

ACDI/VOCA is a leader in the use of expert volunteers in international development work. Over the years, we have placed expert volunteers in over 130 developing countries and emerging democracies. Short-term volunteer consultants advise local farmers on technology transfer, quality control, product diversity, business strategy and human resources management, among other agribusiness issues. With the volunteers’ expertise, ACDI/VOCA works to improve the quality and viability of agricultural support institutions and financial institutions that provide much-needed resources to the agricultural sector.

Through the use of these volunteers, ACDI/VOCA is implementing a new, five-year, USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) program in Egypt and Lebanon. This $7.24 million Middle East and North Africa (MENA) FtF program is being implemented through a consortium with Land O’ Lakes and Winrock International. Through FtF, ACDI/VOCA helps strengthen five components of the producer-to-market agricultural system: farm production, post-harvest handling, intermediate and final processing, retail and wholesale sales, and local and regional markets.
ACDI/VOCA will field 117 expert volunteers through FtF in Lebanon.

FtF Lebanon focuses specifically on strengthening the horticulture and small ruminant livestock industries throughout the country. Through the planned 117 volunteer consultants, ACDI/VOCA will address value chain constraints in these industries in order to increase agricultural productivity and profitability. Over the life of the project, ACDI/VOCA will provide technical assistance to 2,340 direct beneficiaries and 18,720 indirect beneficiaries. With a centrally located office in the capital, ACDI/VOCA is well positioned to reach beneficiaries throughout the country. In particular, FtF Lebanon will work in Akkar, Zgharta, Arsal, Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon.

Historically Lebanon has been the region’s premier supplier of apples, oranges, cherries, peaches and other stone fruit products. Over the last two decades, however, other countries have made inroads into Lebanon’s fresh fruit market. Through FtF, ACDI/VOCA works to increase domestic production levels to meet local demand and provide incentives for import substitution. It also works on increasing the potential for export markets in which Lebanon can assume a strong competitive advantage over neighboring countries.

To this end, FtF Lebanon works with producers to enhance the competitiveness of fresh fruit and vegetable producers by improving farm management, production yield, product quality, and post-harvest handling. Working with farmer groups, small and medium-sized enterprise cooperatives and individual farmers, volunteer consultants improve practices in plowing, fertilization and natural resource management. Leveraging ACDI/VOCA-established pilot plants, FtF Lebanon is introducing value-added processing techniques, thereby increasing farmers’ revenues. In addition, FtF Lebanon addresses business management issues within horticul-ture producer associations, cooperatives and individual farmers. This includes ACDI/VOCA’s Farming as a Business approach, quality control, business development and access to finance.

FtF Lebanon also focuses on enhancing the competitiveness of the small ruminant livestock industry in Lebanon. Currently, Lebanon imports approximately 70 percent of its milk and milk by-product consumption and 85 percent of its consumption of meat products. Working with associations, cooperatives, smallholder goat and sheep farmers and processors, ACDI/VOCA provides targeted volunteer assistance to improve farm management, animal health, milk handling, processing and quality control to increase production levels and quality and to increase small ruminant farmers’ income. Technical assistance is aimed at improving fodder varieties, diversification of feed resources, and improved quality of feed, as well as improving the availability and cost of vet services, annual vaccination, and general information on animal health programs. A second focus in this industry is improving small ruminant producers’ business management practices. FtF volunteer consultants aid producers in identifying new markets, improving access to finance and increasing processor incomes.

Country Description:
INTRODUCTION AND GEOGRAPHY

Area: Lebanon lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel and west of Syria.
Population: 3,971,941 (2008 est.)
Capital City: Beirut
Peoples: Lebanese 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Languages: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes and Armenian.
Currency: Lebanese Lira (L.L)

1 USD = 1500 L.L (March 08, 09)
Time Zone: GMT + 2/ +3 in Summer

“My one-on-one consulting services are really more like a personalized eight-hour workshop,” Victor says. “It is not for people who just have a few questions. When I go into a consulting session, I literally start from the ground up to find ways to make their lavender and business healthier.”

Victor has helped lavender growers in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley save entire fields of the fragrant herb by providing advice on planting, irrigation and fertilizing techniques.

“I love the challenge of helping people,” he says. “I listen to their questions and then go over ways they can become more successful.”

Consulting fees vary depending on need, but generally start at $500 for a full, eight-hour day. When travel is required, additional travel-related costs will be billed. Consulting within a 100 miles of Sequim is $200 for no more than 2 hours consultation.