Lavender Fields

Last evening I attended a business networking event at Lockwood Farm in Skaneateles, New York. The weather was cool and overcast, but fortunately, no rain.

Lockwood Farms is a 120 acre flower and fiber farm that overlooks scenic Skaneateles Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Karen Lockwood, our hostess, says she has lost count of the number of sheep in her herd, raised for their fleece. Here's Karen with a two-week old lamb, which was as cute as can be!

Karen's passion is the lavender. She grows sixteen varieties of lavender plants for fragrance and culinary uses. The plants need to be hearty varieties to survive the harsh central New York winters in the Finger Lakes.

The intensity of the dark purple lavender hue is nearly overwelming in the flower patches that are approaching full bloom just in time for the Lavender Festival, scheduled for July 10th and 11th at the farm. The farm is open to the public on weekends in the summer and even features a small shop with all sorts of lavender products.

We were also treated to a fabulous spread of traditional fresh Lebanese cuisine made especially for the event by Julie Sageer (on the left in the photo below). Each dish incorporated lavender flavors and Lebanese culinary tradition.

A feast for the eyes and for the tummy!

Consider a summer drive to the farm.
Joan