Lavender from Petite Provence

Five years later: Axel Meyer and his son Govinda stand on the two-hectare fields of organic farmer Martin Meiwes in Fromhausen in the south of Detmold. A sea of ​​lilac-colored lavender flowers lines the southern slope, on which the harvest workers work by hand to separate the plants far below the stem to process all parts of the aromatic plant. The vision of the Petite Provence in Detmold has become reality.

How well the lavender cultivation on Lipper soil works – the organic pioneer and company founder would not have dreamed this in 2013, when he and some of the employees set the first 1,400 lavender plants in the company’s own fragrance garden. But already the test seed is a complete success: The lavender thrives and after a few months is in full bloom, so that in the following years, more and more plants are set.

In 2015, 50,000 lavender plants are sown in the fields by organic farmer Martin Meiwes. Already in the following year shows a first test distillation: The oil from the Detmolder lavender is of outstanding quality. Some results even exceed those of French lavender. At least now it is clear: lavender cultivation on German soil not only works – it also produces healthy and powerful lavender plants from which high-quality and finely scented lavender oil can be extracted.

In 2017, TAOASIS Natur Duft Manufaktur is all about lavender. In June and July, the flourishing lavender sea attracts camera crews, amateur photographers and even a tour group from China to the countryside in Detmold. In the new steam distillery with a capacity of 800 liters, the first bottles of organic lavender oil from our own regional production are bottled in the courtyard. The first products from it come shortly afterwards in the sale: In addition to the essential oil also a lavender facial tonic.

In 2018 the journey continues. The blooming lavender fields attract countless people to Fromhausen and the sunny weeks in May and July bring out fragrant lavender oil. On the distillery, even more lavender oil can be obtained with each distillation. According to Axel and Govinda Meyer, lavender is just the beginning of a series of regionally grown fragrance and medicinal plants from Detmold. Because: “With our own cultivation, we have more influence on the quality and sustainability of our raw materials,” says Axel Meyer. “In addition, we are strengthening our region: So far, 95 percent of Lippe’s agriculture is conventional and only 5 percent is organic. We want to change that. ”

As an investment in a fragrant future, 20,000 more lavender plants will be planted at the beginning of July 2018 – during the harvest season on the existing fields. And also the cultivation of further aromatic plants is planned – in the hope to hold already in 2019 new, fragrant medicinal plants from own regional cultivation in the hand