APTOS — Noble Harvest Farm in Aptos was abuzz Friday morning with thousands of bustling bees and about 40 visitors, who traveled from the Bay Area and beyond for the farm’s first you-pick lavender session of the summer season. “We never anticipated that our farm would grow into this,” said Noble Harvest Farm co-owner Linda McNair. “When you do something that you’re passionate about and open it up to others, they respond.
” Since 2020, Linda and Trent McNair have welcomed the public to take in the sights and smells of their quarter-acre lavender farm in bloom each July. Now, with a few years of experience under their hats, the two have expanded the offerings at their summer sessions to include food from High End Comida on Saturdays — and on Fridays and Saturdays, Penny Ice Creamery’s honey lavender ice cream — which is made from the lavender and honey produced at Noble Harvest Farm. “The second year we were open, the owner of Penny’s came and took home some dried lavender,” said Linda McNair.
“Later, he called us and said that he’d made a lavender simple syrup and was going to make ice cream from it. It was so cool and this year we have our own honey, so we asked him if he’d make ice cream with our lavender and honey, and he said yes.” Visitors are welcomed to bring their own lunches and snacks too and there are shady areas with tables and chairs to take a lunch break after snapping photos and gathering bundles of the aromatic plants.
At the start of each session, Trent McNair tells visitors about the grosso lavender that they grow at the farm and what conditions the plant needs to thrive (sandy soil and not much water), before demonstrating the most effective way to cut a bundle to bring home. For Trent McNair, welcoming visitors to the farm and seeing the groups of friends and families enjoying themselves in the field is one of the best parts of the job. “It’s hard work, but seeing how happy this makes people keeps me doing this every year,” said Trent McNair.
“I hope I never get too old for it because it’s so rewarding.” Some farm visitors had traveled from the Bay Area and as far as Tokyo, Japan, such as Hiromi Inoue, who was taking photos and exploring the rows of flowers with her family. “I sleep with it at night in a sachet inside of my pillow,” said Inoue.
“We are visiting from Tokyo and this is a great getaway because the summers there are very hot. The kids love it here because there’s not much nature in Tokyo.” Boulder Creek residents Lin Wapner and Alissa Nolan were gathering multiple bundles of lavender Friday to make heart-shaped decorations for Wapner’s 30th wedding anniversary.
“Thirty years ago, I made favors for my wedding out of lavender and we came here so that we could replicate the favors for our upcoming party,” said Wapner. “And it is incredibly beautiful and fragrant here.” “And way more brilliant in color than I had anticipated,” added Nolan.
“And I like how the fresh lavender is a little bit sticky in your hands.” In addition to bundles, visitors can purchase the farm’s handmade products on-site such as roll-on lotion pops, bath salt, handmade soap bars and a “calm kit” composed of a few different lavender goodies. The McNairs are offering three 2-hour sessions on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Aug.
4. Kids 12 and under get in free and each session is limited to 40 people. For information, visit nobleharvest.
farm/events . What: Noble Harvest Farm you pick lavender sessions When: Open through Aug. 4 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays Where: 1975 Cox Road, Aptos Cost: $10 admission Parking: on-site.
