Our Hungarian volunteer, Niki, spends 6 months in the region in order to help local herbalists and farmers. Now, in this article she shares her experiences about the lavander harvesting.

“June and July were all about lavender. From 25 June to 17 July, there were open days in the lavender field in Csekefalva, organised by the local herb grower Noémi Moldován-Szeredai.

The open days were preceded by weeks of hard work, like weeding to ensure that the lavender would be in the best condition for the open days. I was also involved in making soaps, syrups and other lavender products and cosmetics.

During the open days, which lasted for more than three weeks, guests had the opportunity to walk around the lavender field, admire the lavender in its most beautiful bloom, take photos with family and friends, and even buy a fresh bouquet or other products. Over the weeks, thousands of people visited the lavender field.

Work has not stopped after three weeks. Then came the hardest part: harvesting the lavender. I participated with other volunteers, but the hands of many other people were also involved, and it took less than two weeks to harvest the entire lavender field. The work was done with sickles and pruning shears, and the July heat made us sweat.”