TaoFarm

Alternative Landwirtschaft in Ostwestfalen-Lippe

TaoFarm

Mit unserem Demeter-zertifizierten landwirtschaftlichen Betrieb haben wir uns zum Ziel gesetzt, konventionell bewirtschaftete Ackerflächen auf Demeter-Bewirtschaftung umzustellen. Auf rund 20 Hektar Land in unserer Heimat pflanzen wir derzeit Lavendel, Wildblumen und aromatische Pflanzen wie Rosmarin – bio-dynamisch und in Demeter-Qualität.

For us, sustainability begins right on our doorstep

Here, our test fields take on a particularly important role: In small areas, we test what the optimal conditions for the various plants are and investigate the oils gleaned from them in our internal laboratories. Based on these internal observations and tests, we have laid out a large oregano field in Lage which will now make production possible on a grand scale. Lavender cultivation in Lippe was our first large project, begun in 2012 at our former company headquarters in Detmold and now famous far beyond the town. At our Lage site, we now cultivate 5 ha of lavender – currently, our largest field. You can find more information on our lavender fields here. As a pioneer of alternative farming in Lippe, we are now working constantly on making our beautiful region more sustainable, bit by bit.

Much more than love of the region

Ecological farming not only has positive effects on nature, animals and people, but also makes a vital contribution to biodiversity. We farm our fields with great passion in the most environmentally sensitive and sustainable way possible – starting already with our choice of aromatic plants. We only ever obtain high-quality organic or Demeter seed which we grow on into strong, healthy plants. Our plants are also aided by biodynamic preparations, which are based exclusively on natural ingredients such as horn silica or horn manure and are mixed freshly by us by hand. This promotes plant growth and the natural formation of essential oils, while also supporting nature. Our preparations also contribute to soil fertility, creating ideal conditions for plants and animals. Weeds between the rows are mechanically removed, meaning no chemicals are needed. In the summer, our fields turn into a real floral paradise – countless insects, bees, butterflies and bumblebees find their homes here.

Quality begins with cultivation

From field to phial

We don’t just use our regional cultivation in the Lippe region to develop test plants, but also in order to cover our need for top-quality essential oils. Because right by our front door, we can very easily control and monitor every stage – from planting seedlings to sale. We are also largely independent of raw material suppliers and market fluctuations, another important bonus. Every year, we distil our lavender locally, developing it into select natural aroma products. During a guided tour of our Lage premises, you will be able to take a closer look at our fields and our work on site – it’s worth it!

1 Cultivation

The quality of our oils begins with the selection of seeds and young plants. Of course, we prefer to use these in Demeter quality. A planting machine helps us plant the aromatic herbs in the ground. Depending on the variety, we determine the optimal row and plant spacing so that they thrive and we can get the best possible oil from them.

2 Agricultural management

We plant a wide variety of aromatic herbs on several test areas in order to research the optimal cultivation conditions at our location. In addition to clary sage and coriander, hyssop and immortelle also grow here, which we process in our company's own distillery. In this way we can determine the optimal conditions for cultivation, harvesting and processing on site and adapt them to the local conditions

3 Crop

Until 2019 we harvested our domestic lavender by hand. Since then, however, so many plants have been added to our TaoFarm that we no longer harvest with a sickle, but with a harvesting machine (a so-called row cutter). With the dimensions that the project has now reached, we are not only faster, but also more independent in terms of the weather and the time of the harvest.

4 Steam distillation

We distill the harvested plants directly on our company premises in Lage. In 2021 we bought a second distillery especially for this purpose, which we are incredibly proud of, because we were able to significantly increase our own production capacities again. Distilling a cauldron of plant matter can take up to four hours.

5 Quality assurance

In our in-house laboratory, we not only analyse our German lavender oil, but every raw material that we want to use in our products. In this way we can ensure that they meet our quality criteria. From the analysis of the ingredients, we can, for example, draw direct conclusions about the optimal harvest time.

6 Bottling

In our bottling, everything is coordinated in detail with our various product groups. This means that we can fill a variety of different products and guarantee the quality from cultivation to the finished product.

7 Sale

After bottling, our domestic oils are ready for sale. The products from regional cultivation can then be purchased directly from the TAOASIS sales outlets: locally in one of the TAOASIS stores, online or of course in pharmacies or organic stores.

WUSSTEST DU

Lavendel aus Lippe

Nature scent for your home

Lavender from Lippe

Baldini - scent composition angel scent

10 ml (€890.00 / 1000 ml)

€8.90

Baldini Feelruhe room scent set organic/demeter

100 ml (€148.50 / 1000 ml)

€19.80 €14.85

From scent field to scent field

Guided tours along our testing fields

On more than 20 hectares of land in our home on the TaoFarm, we are currently planting lavender and other aromatic plants such as rosemary, chamomile, sage and oregano in biodynamic quality according to the strict Demeter guidelines.

A walk along the test fields gives an insight into the idea and farming methods of the TaoFarm. You have the opportunity to see – smell – taste – the scented plants in field culture and to follow the development of the scents from seed to field – to distillery – to essential oil. The company founder Axel Meyer or pharmacist Susanna Färber do the tours.