Lavender Farming with Friends!

In this part of the Peninsula, Sequim is often called “The Blue Hole.” The Olympic Mountains pull wet weather down the coast, leaving this little pocket of sunshine in the rain shadow.

About 30–40 years ago, this region was the agricultural heart of the Peninsula — a strong dairy farming area. Over time, dairy slowly faded, and the land began to lie fallow. But the community didn’t want farming to disappear entirely, so residents asked the local university extension office to study what would grow well in this unique climate.

The result? Lavender.Studies showed it thrived here, and that discovery sparked a new era of farming in Sequim.

Today, the town celebrates that legacy with the annual Lavender Festival (July 18–20 this year). In anticipation of the event, I visited a local lavender farm run by my friend Zion Hilliker and his family. They told me the lavender is almost ready to bloom — and soon the fields will be filled with the soft hum of bees. I can’t wait to experience it!