Sunshine Herb and Lavender Farm
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274154 Hwy 101
Sequim, WA 98382
Access - Turn Right on Guiles Rd.
360.683.6453
Come Experience the Essence of the Valley" at Sunshine Herb and Lavender Farm. Located just east of Sequim on Hwy 101, at the gateway to the Sequim-Dungeness Valley, you can roam acres of lavender and herbs. Feel the stress melt away while enjoying the surrounding sights, scents, tastes, and sounds. Owners Steve and Carmen Ragsdale offer farm tours, demonstrations, and a show of their antique tractors. Reward yourself with a cool Lavender Smoothie or Lemonade at our BBQ.
Farming for a Healthy Lifestyle
Story by Betty Oppenheimer
Anyone driving Highway 101 to the east of Sequim has watched owners Steve and Carmen Ragsdale developing Sunshine Herb and Lavender Farm over the past several years. With its perfectly plowed, rectangular fields of lavender, and the new barn being completed in time for the 2006 festival, Sunshine is the newest farm on tour this year at the festival.
Carmen is a cosmetologist with 30 years of experience. She has been making her own line of naturally infused bath and body products for more than 10 years.
“My products focus on physical care for the beauty of women,” said Carmen. "Farming helps keep us in shape, and hard work only builds character, a good way to retire.”
Starting on their single acre in Port Orchard ten years ago, they grew their own herbs and lavender, and she developed a line of creams, soaps and lotions under the name Sunshine Herb Company.
“It got bigger than we thought it would,” said Steve. “We outgrew our acre, and I got tired of dragging the products everywhere.”
After many years of traveling to craft shows, they decided that they wanted to open a business.
“Our products did well in the craft shows; we saw there was a demand for them,” explained Carmen.
That little business transformed into a 9 acre farm after an “accidental” drive through Sequim. Steve knew the area, but neither was aware of the growing popularity of lavender here. They settled on property 10 miles east of Sequim. For more than 2 years, they commuted to the farm from their home in Port Orchard, and finally in 2003, they moved into a cabin on the property, so that they could concentrate on planting and landscaping. They’ll build their house later.
“We have the bones here,” said Steve of the basic lay-out of the farm. “Now we’re filling out the rest of the plan.”
For now, they’re focusing on propagating in the greenhouse, planting new beds, and creating a nursery bed for testing new varieties of lavender and other herbs.
“There is such a wonderful range of lavenders, some high in essential oils, other for cooking and crafting,” said Carmen of their new focal herb. “We’ve had a booth at the Street Faire for two years,” said Carmen, “and many people have stopped at the farm. With the help of son Richard and grandson Vincent, the farm is shaping up for its debut on the tour.”
It is obvious from the welcoming paths and many planted areas that it was their intent from the start has been to open to the public. This year, they are focusing on completing the barn, which will house a new gift shop and smoothie/mocha bar (larger than the tiny shed they have been using) with a work area where people can see where Carmen makes soap, candles and cosmetic products.
They currently distill about 80% of the lavender they grow, and will be distilling on-site during the festival. They now have 36 varieties of lavender, selected for high essential oil yield. In addition, they press oils from some of their other herbs, and others are infused with heat into the base cosmetics. They will be adding more medicinal herbs to the gardens as time passes, for use in the many blends Carmen produces for problem skin, including eczema, acne and dry skin, eye creams and an arnica-based massage cream to ease muscle pain. They hope to grow all of those herbs on-site over the next few years.
Future plans include viewing gardens composed of “outdoor garden rooms,” each focusing on a different variety of herbs – thymes, mints, medicinal herbs and the like.
In the short time that they have been open, Carmen and Steve can see the power of lavender farming in the area.
“People are already developing an attachment for this place,” said Steve. We have found that our neighbors have been very supportive of our new adventure.”
“I would love to see this farm become a destination for people to come and enjoy the environment and the products,” added Carmen.