16
vernonia’s
voice
july/aug
home & garden
2007
Building with Insulated
Concrete Forms
Mosquito Lodge Lavender Farm
By Evangeline Doyle
Just minutes from down-
town Vernonia on Timber Road
sits one of our newest farms –
Mosquito Lodge Lavender.
This past May, 300 Hidcote
Blue
Lavender plants found their
way in the ground with a bit
of help from owners Kathy
and Barb Larsen.
Over the course of a
year, this mother and
daughter team experiment-
ed with several varieties of
lavender before deciding on
Hidcote Blue, a varietal ex-
cellent for culinary use and
sachets.
Kathy said, “Lavender
grows well in our local cli-
mate; they require little wa-
ter and prefer dry/hot soil
– perfect for our summer
months. And, surprisingly,
the deer are not fond of
lavender!” She went on to
explain that the bigger chal-
lenge in our area, especially
for 300 plantings, is having
well-drained soil. The Larsens will set more plants
once they improve drainage in other areas on their
property.
Mosquito Lodge Lavender will open for business
July 2008. This will give the already hardy plants
additional time to mature. Kathy explained they will operate
using a u-cut business model, and each plant should yield be-
tween $5 and $15 in lavender sales. No pesticides are used in
their farming technique; what remains after the u-cut season
will be sold to a vendor for processing lavender oil.
Kathy and Barb also envision lavender events on their farm
– such as a lavender festival with music, food and art vendors.
While their events will be more in-
timate, Barb said there are several
large-scale lavender events such
as the one earlier this month in
Yamhill, Oregon and the one that
Sequim, Washington hosts – this
year July 20-22. Sequim has eight
local farms on tour as part of this
year’s event.
The Larsens, originally from
Michigan, moved to Vernonia
four years ago, presumably, I
thought, to leave the mosquitoes
behind. So I asked Barb about
the name “Mosquito Lodge.”
Barb explained that she had fond
memories of her family’s home
on a small lake near Lake Michi-
gan where they rented out fishing
boats. Each home in their area had
a name – and theirs was affection-
ately, “Mosquito Lodge.” She is
thrilled to have brought a little bit
of home with her – in name only,
of course!
On Friday, August 3, a relatively new building
technique will be taught at the Krahn Farm at
18731 Mellinger Road in Vernonia.
George Volker of LOGIX will provide training
for up to fifty students on how to build struc-
tures using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF).
Using a wall system of interlocking blocks,
ICF is quick to build, has superior sound insula-
tion, is energy-efficient (R-24), and has a three-
hour fire resistance rating. According to LOGIX,
buildings constructed using LOGIX ICF are 8.5
times stronger
than convention-
ally framed build-
ings.
Marie Krahn
learned about
LOGIX through
her interest in
building a highly-
insulated struc-
ture: a root cellar
for their farm.
She attended
one of Volker’s
seminars while
at a retreat in
Washington State. Since then she has been
evangelizing this new building technique to her
friends and has received over twenty requests
from locals to attend a class.
The class will run from 8 a.m. to approxi-
mately 3 p.m. and is open to both men and
women who are at least eighteen years old.
This is a great opportunity for local hands-on
training for up to fifty students. The cost for the
training is just $20 and lunch will be provided.
Contact Marie Krahn at 503-429-5180 to
register or to get more information about this
class. Class Scheduled for August 3.
For more information, e-mail
mosquitolodgelavenderNW@hotmail.com
Formerly Etcetera
Cornerstone
Naturals
Natural choices for a healthier life
loose teas & spices
vitamins ( Natures Naturals )
By Evangeline Doyle
The Clever Cricket
New, used & handmade items
for children and their families
T
essential oils & body care
503-429-5049
www.theclevercricket.net
theclevercricket@verizon.net
candles & decor
handcrafted jewelry
728 Madison Avenue
Vernonia, Oregon,97064
open Wed. to Sat., Noon to 6pm
503-429-0335
902 bridge street – vernonia
cornerstonenaturals.com
sewsimple
phone:
503-429-5039
Custom sewing & alterations
Handmade clothing & items
Children’s gifs & supplies
Fabric & notions
Dry cleaning service
mon. thru sat.
10am to 6pm
new address:
786 Bridge Street
Swedish massage
Trigger Point
Aromatherapy
Deep Tissue
Reflexology
Myofacial
Reiki
for appointment call
429-5180