In Season

Three years ago Tribble Farms in Cumming was invited to be part of the annual Roswell Lavender Festival. Dianna Tribble and her husband Kelley keep bees in four locations on their own mountain properties which allows them to offer a variety of honeys.

But to be part of the festival, the Tribbles wanted to have something lavenderflavored or scented. “We called all over the world to source lavender honey. Kelley has many global contacts in manufacturing and beekeeping. Most lavender nectar honey is produced in Spain, France and Turkey. In the northern hemisphere, lavender honey is harvested in August and quickly sells out due to global demand, so none was available. And that’s when we realized we could create it ourselves,” said Dianna.

To make her lavender honey, she mixes lavender blossoms and honey and lets the mixture infuse for about three weeks. “We put it in the honey drum and as the drum turns, the honey absorbs the oils from the lavender flowers and when it comes out of the drum, the honey tastes like lavender smells and provides all the benefits of lavender,” Dianna Tribble said. “We’ve had a great response to it. We sell it like crazy.”

She packages the lavender honey in Muth jars, a classic square honey jar that dates from the 1800s. “It’s gourmet honey sold in a gourmet jar.” The honey is sold by weight and is available in four-ounce, eight-ounce and one pound sizes.

Although she’s grown lavender, she’s found like many others that lavender is a tough crop for Georgia. “Lavender requires arid conditions with a well-drained and sandy soil. It’s happier in the eastern Cascade