Arrington
Nelson County, VA
We first told you about Inglewood Lavender Farm (ILF) back in our July 2012 issue of Nelson County Life Magazine.
Recently ILF announced the building of a new still which will be used to process lavender oils from their lavender farm. Master coppersmith Porter Caldwell, of Caldwell Mountain Copper in Fincastle, Virginia will be creating the still, a coppersmith known for his fine apple butter kettles. Porter Caldwell said “I’ve never made a still before, and am very excited about the challenge of this new project.” The propane-operated steam distillation system will be all handmade from copper, and includes a custom-made 300 gallon boiler with a 50 gallon condenser copper distillation system capable of processing more than 200 lavender plants per steam distillation cycle. The still will be completed in early October in time for fall harvest.
Our July 2012 coverstory on Inglewood Lavender Farm in Arrington. Click on the magazine cover and scroll over to page 9 to read that story.
Kathy Tillman, Inglewood Lavender co-owner, said “The still allows us to produce essential oil and Hydrosol, so we can use our own lavender oils for our products. The lavender oils are used in making soaps, shampoos, candles, bug repellent, lip balms, room sprays, etc.” She added, “We need to process 6500 lavender plants. The new still will also give us the capability of processing peppermint oil and other oils in the future.” The still will be placed in a horse stall in the barn at Inglewood Lavender Farm, and farm tours will be given in the future demonstrating the distillation process.
Inglewood Lavender Farm is located on the historic Inglewood Cabell Estate, 4638 Variety Mills Rd. in Arrington, and features over 6000 lavender plants. All natural handcrafted lavender products are also available for purchase in their renovated smokehouse shop.
Hours through October: Sat/Sun. 10am-5pm, or by appointment during the week. (434) 263-4558
More information and holiday hours at: www.InglewoodLavender.com
