Jo’s Farms — located in Albuquerque’s North Valley — held a plant sale from April 4-6 as part of its mission to highlight love and enthusiasm for lavender.
Owner Lisa Fontanarosa purchased Jo's Farms in 2017. The farm is named after her mother, Josephine, she said.
When Fontanarosa purchased the property, it was filled with horses, donkeys and alpacas, she said. But she saw the vision of a lavender field.
Fontanarosa and her husband Joe Ornelas practice organic farming, avoiding pesticides and fertilizers. Instead, they use their chickens as their own free pesticides and fertilizers, and use ditch water for watering plants, Fontanarosa said.
Jo's Farms offers a variety of lavender-based products, including sachets, bath salts, dryer bags and plants for sale. All their products are crafted using the lavender cultivated in their own fields.
The farm has two types of lavender: Grosso lavender, known for its high fragrance, and Provence lavender, used for cooking, Fontanarosa said.
“We didn't know if it would live, much less survive,” she said. “To our surprise, it thrived.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fontanarosa and Ornelas opened the farm to the public, allowing visitors to enjoy lavender picking.
“It's a whole family affair. So they're all dressed up. They got their sun hats, they bring their little kids, and the kids are dressed up,” Ornelas said.
Jo's Farms hosts an annual plant sale before each harvest season kicks off, followed by a "you-pick" event each July, where guests can harvest their own bouquets of lavender.
"There's nothing quite like being in a field, cutting your own lavender," Ornelas said.
Elizabeth Bolke is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
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