RENO — The Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute offers a Lavender Production, Sales and Marketing Workshop on Monday, June 18, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Carson City campus that will include a lavender farm tour. Cost is $35 for those registering by June 11, $45 after April 25. Lunch is included. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

The workshop will begin at Campie’s Lavender Patch in Stagecoach where students will learn about harvesting, soils and site selection, the extraction process for essential oils, and best varieties for Nevada. Following the farm tour, a classroom lecture at the WNC Carson Campus will focus on sales and marketing, product development, and online strategies to expand markets. 

Featured speakers include farmers Mike and Diane van Camp of Campie’s Lavender Patch in Stagecoach and Susan Harrington of Labyrinth Hill Lavender in Washington. Harrington has been growing and selling lavender for almost a decade. With a background in business management, she teaches workshops across the Northwest and has developed online courses for lavender production and sales.

The WNC Specialty Crop Institute is an innovative program that teaches alternative farming methods for local growers.  Funding for this project was provided by the Nevada Department of Agriculture and USDA/AMS through the Specialty Crop Block Grant.

For more information or to register for the event contact Ann Louhela at 775-351-2551 or louhelaa@wnc.edu.