Scholls, Oregon
Lavender · Berries · Locavore
In Oregon, summer officially begins with berries and lavender in July. And truly, few things are better in life than a couple of crates of juicy marionberries, a car full of freshly cut lavender and a beautiful drive through Washington County farmland. So today I’m taking you 30 minutes southwest of Portland to Scholls, Oregon. There you will discover a fragrant lavender farm, bountiful berry barn and a delicious historic cafe all within a mile of each other. This, my friends, is the perfect way to spend a summer day. Let’s go!
Mountainside Lavender Farm
We start our day at Mountainside Lavender Farm - a summer tradition for our family! You’ll enjoy sweeping views of beautiful farmland then watch for signs as you approach the farm. Parking is just off to the right of the driveway where you are immediately met by a scene straight out of Provence. Head up to the store to check in and pick up supplies to cut your own divine bunches of lavender. With 25 varieties and several fields to choose from, it’s going to be hard to limit yourself! Luckily it only costs about $6 per bouquet so you can cut lavender until your heart’s content.
With your spirits sufficiently lifted after communing with nature, acres of lavender and a thousand honeybees who are too busy to notice you, head back to the little store where you will likely meet the farm’s owners, Bill and Lori Carlson. For some twenty years the Carlson’s have run this family lavender farm and every inch of the place is clearly a work of love. Check out the farm made essential lavender oils, artisan crafts and - my favorite - the lavender treats. My most favorite of all their lavender treats is the Marionberry Lavender Seedless Preserves (made for the Oregon Lavender Association by Columbia Empire Farms in Sherwood, Oregon). It does not get any more Oregon than marionberries and lavender. And I’m telling you, PB&J has never been so tasty! I would totally drive an hour and back just to get a jar of this stuff.
Now, if you’re just not ready to leave the farm - and who on earth could blame you - consider renting the Tiny Country House at Mountainside Lavender Farm. Tucked away in fields of lavender, this tiny house is pretty much guaranteed to make you forget your worries. Plus there are alpacas. I mean, come on - could it get any better?
But we’ve got two more places to see today. And the next place is known for their delicious home style food. . .
South Store Cafe
Less than a five minute drive from Mountainside Lavender Farm is the historic South Store Cafe. This place got its start as a general store in 1903 and has been serving the Scholls community for well over a century. Known for its espresso, homemade pastries, soups, salads and yummy sandwiches, you are going to love this place! Now, if you look closely, you might notice that this historic building has a “rakish tilt”. This is apparently the result of high winds sustained in the 1962 Columbus Day Storm, the most powerful windstorm to hit Oregon in the 20th century.
The cafe has plenty of indoor seating but we especially like the outdoor seating near the garden at the back of the building. As I mentioned, the home style food is really good. But if you are a kid who has me as a mom, absolutely nothing can beat the sight of a Dum Dum planted firmly in the middle of a PB&J sandwich. I mean seriously, it’s not even Halloween! Best day ever!!
But wait - we still have one more place to visit. And it’s right across the street from where we are now. Do you see that big red barn?
Smith Berry Barn
It’s time to work off that delicious lunch with a little berry picking! Sure you can buy fresh, juicy berries at local farm stands all across Oregon in the summer. But there is something about picking your own berries that makes them taste even sweeter. And you are hard pressed to find a place better than Smith Berry Barn at delivering a fun, family friendly berry picking experience.
This farm grows strawberries, marionberries, raspberries, loganberries, tayberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, red and black currants, apples, pears, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, herbs and about twenty other things I accidentally left off the list. And don’t worry if you’ve never heard of a gooseberry! The staff here are great about letting you know what is in season and where to pick the best produce for the day. Just check in with them at the berry picking station to get your pails and snap a picture of the map.
Then comes the fun part - berry picking! Trust me. It is addictive. Just when you think you are done and are absolutely not going to pick one more thing, you see the perfect berry that simply can’t be ignored. This will happen about twenty more times on your way to the weigh station. Don’t worry. You have some amazing scones, pies, jams and smoothies coming your way. Or if you prefer, skip the whole cooking nonsense and eat the berries straight. Really, you can’t go wrong here.
Now if you have kids, are a secret want-to-be farmer or simply love hanging out with animals, you will want to make sure to feed the goats and chickens. If you are a gardener, for sure check out the beautiful and healthy looking plants in the nursery. If you are a gourmet cook, secretly want-to-be Joanna Gaines or like to eat, you should definitely check out the farm store. It is loaded with local gourmet goodies, farmhouse décor and some pretty tasty berry milkshakes. Since you are going to pay for your berries here anyway, you might as well have a happy look around.
Your car is going to smell like a field of lavender when you get back to it with your berries and farm treats. With all of that aromatherapy, your drive home will be totally relaxing. So when you get home with six bunches of lavender and ten pounds of berries and your husband gives you a bewildered, “what on earth are you going to do with all of that” kind of look, you can happily smile and shrug your shoulders. Who knows? But it was all worth it.
More Farms We Love in Scholls
Hoffman Farms Store
Hoffman Farms Store is another great family friendly farm in Scholls where we have happily spent all day. The blueberries here are maybe the best I’ve picked anywhere in Oregon. There are raspberries, blackberries and strawberries for picking in the summer and pumpkins, apples and a corn maze in the fall. And there’s a bakery - need I say more? This place is definitely worth the trip!
Oregon Heritage Farms
Oregon Heritage Farms is where it all started for us in Scholls, and fall hardly seems complete without a visit. You have not truly lived until you’ve eaten a fresh, juicy honeycrisp apple from Oregon Heritage Farms. These are not the apples that you buy at the store that have been stored for up to a year. And believe me when I say you are going to be delighted by the difference! The farm offers a picnic area, pumpkin patch, animal viewing and farm store with delicious apple treats and cider.
What to do with all of that Lavender and berries?
Top 5 things things to do with freshly cut lavender:
Stick a bunch of lavender in a dry Mason jar. Ta-da! Easy, right? Not only will the lavender continue to look beautiful as it dries, it will smell pretty great too.
Tie a small bunch of lavender with some ribbon and hang it upside down in a closet. It will look nice, smell nice and remind you of your day at the farm.
Make a lavender wreath. Cut fresh lavender stems in equal lengths then use floral wire to secure a small bunch of lavender to a wire wreath frame. Keep going until your wreath is complete.
Lavender lemonade. Fresh or dried lavender can be used to make homemade lavender lemonade. Generally speaking, dried herbs like lavender are stronger than fresh so adjust your recipe accordingly. For a shortcut, try adding the lavender syrup to store bought lemonade.
Bake and cook with lavender. Yep, lavender is a delicious herb that can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. First you’ll need to dry the lavender by tying it in small bunches and hanging it upside down in a dry place for about 2 weeks. After the lavender has dried, run your fingers along the stems to remove the buds then store the lavender buds in an airtight container. Try making your own herbs de Provence (which made for a very tasty Thanksgiving turkey), a simple lavender syrup for adding to lattes and Italian sodas, and - my favorite - lavender shortbread (I promise to share my yummy lavender shortbread recipe soon!).
Top 5 things to do with freshly picked berries:
Eat them. Not only do fresh berries go down easy, they are a super healthy snack that you, yourself picked! Nice work, my friend.
Freeze them. Gently wash and dry the berries then freeze them in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Once the berries are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container where you can store them in the freezer for up to six months.
Smoothies. Blend a banana, some fresh or frozen berries, ice if using fresh berries, a little agave syrup and oat milk for a delicious, healthy treat.
Jam. Canning makes me nervous. But freezer jam is a simple way to enjoy the taste of fresh berries even in the gray of winter. If you have fewer berries than the recipe calls for, don’t sweat it. Just add some sugar to your berries, cook them down, strain out the seeds if you like, then if it looks a little thin, call it syrup. I accidentally made a super yummy marionberry syrup while trying to make jam this past summer. So we mixed it with some club soda and ice for a refreshing drink that was meant to be!
Scones, cobbler, crisps and other mouthwatering baked goods. Blackberry and blueberry lemon scones are on regular rotation in our house during the summer. What better way is there to make believe that the delicious pastry you are about to devour is totally healthy? Best of all, since you can use fresh or frozen berries in baked goods, you can enjoy the taste of summer all year long!
And there you have it, a locavore’s dream in Scholls, Oregon. As always, be sure to check local resources for weather, road conditions and COVID-19 related closures when planning your trip. And don’t forget to post your photos to #lifelivedoregonstyle on Instagram. We’ll see you out there!