A visit to Ferme de Lacontal, Tarn and Garonne in Occitanie ticks all my happy holiday boxes. You can’t help but smile when you arrive in the stunningly beautiful blue-gold countryside. Even if, like us, it is just about to tip down and the sky is thunderous black! It’s a combination of being out in nature, the scent of lavender and knowing that your visit supports a passionate local producer that makes the heart sing. A few minutes with the owner Hélène Lafon, will lead you to feeling engrossed in the world of lavender.
Welcome to Ferme de Lacontal
Hélène Lafon is the third generation of the family running La Ferme de Lacontal near the village of Touffailles. Back at the peak of Lavender production in the area (1950-1970), Quercy lavender crops in this region supplied 10% of French lavender. In the past 10 years, this hardworking family has reintroduced the plants their grandparents and neighbours grew before them.
Today’s farm is mixed-culture, growing helichrysum (note that curry smell!), rosemary, bay, and thyme, but at its heart lies the cultivation of the famous Quercy lavender. They cultivate and distil the plants entirely in-house, and their extracts are available in their shop or via their website.
Ecosustainability is at the core of the ethos by which Hélène and her husband, Xavier, run the farm. All the products produced carry the Ecocert label.
We were interested to see how they welcome visitors, as we have seen stories where farmers have been fed up by disrespectful photographers destroying lavender fields in their haste for a great social media post. The answer is by creating a Visitor Charter!
Ferme de Lacontal’s Visitor Charter
All visitors are requested to follow the farm charter to minimize their impact on the environment. To support this, visitors are requested to park only in the designated farm car park and visit the Help Centre in the farm shop upon arrival. There, you will be introduced to the farm, watch an informative video, and learn about the expectations for all guests.
Visitors are welcome to walk in the lavender fields at no charge once they have bought some lavender products. This is genius because at the heart of Ferme de Lacontal is a passion for the product and the suggested wellness benefits; your purchases support their work. Once you have tried Lacontal lavender, lavender oil, soap, or even their lavender meringues, you will understand its appeal and benefits, and the word spreads.
You can check out their welcome charter and what you will discover.
Your visit to Ferme de Lacontal
Learning about Lavender Production
Distillery
Access to the distillery and lavender discovery area.
The visit includes seeing the distillation unit behind the Help Centre, which produces the essential oils. The process is clearly described on storyboards, or Helene or one of the team will talk you through it if they are around.
Lacontal Lavender Farm Shop
You will see a video (5 min) explaining the harvest and distillation of organic essential oils and can participate in a scent workshop.
Helene and her team are extremely knowledgeable about the oils’ health and wellness properties and can be a huge help in selecting the right products as you stock up in the farm shop.
A very wide variety of products using their essential oils are on display. These are accompanied by short, very helpful explanatory notes on the products and their properties to help you make the right choices.
Try smelling the different Quercy essential oils. If you thought Lavender was only for your Grandma with a camphor scent, you should smell it again! Fine Lavender has a very different aroma to Lavandine.
In addition to the essential oils, you can buy hydrolats (the water extract from the distillation process that contains traces of the oils), soap, creams, and even lavender food products such as lavender meringues.
Since I returned with my Clary Sage hydrolats, which I picked up for their reputation for hormonal balance, I’ve become a massive fan!
Walking in Lavender fields
Access to the fields (route sheet available) after a participatory purchase in the shop.
A highlight for most of us is walking through the fields (if the conditions and your timing are right). The deep purple lavender hues and the bright yellow flowers of the helichrysum provide a stunning carpet as you pick your way through the fields. It’s an Instagram queen’s dream….
When to visit
Ferme de Lacontal is open from 2 pm to 6 pm. Thursday through Saturday and is closed on Sundays.
In June, July and August, Monday through Saturday, 2 pm – 6 pm
The fine lavender is typically in flower in late June/early July, and the Lavandin flowers in July. Harvest and distillation begins in mid-July. Do check ahead, as the timing is dependent on the weather.
The benefits of Lavender
Lavender is the world’s most popular essential oil, known for its soothing and relaxing properties. It is well-regarded for use in Skincare products. Lavender oil has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and analgesic properties.
The details
The Ferme de Lacontal shop is open throughout the year.
Website: WWW.LAVANDE-QUERCY.FR
Address: Lacontal Farm – 1766 church road – 82190 Touffailles
La Ferme de Lacontal is in Touffailles in Tarn-et-Garonne in Quercy in the heart of Occitanie.
Lacontal Farm is 2 hours from Bordeaux, 1 hour and 30 minutes from Toulouse, 50 minutes from Montauban, and 30 minutes from Moissac.
Final thoughts
We loved the serene oasis here and the farm’s spirit and really believe in what Helene and Xavier are striving to do. The Visitor Charter is a clever way to engage visitors in the benefits of lavender production and ensure that visitors understand how to respect their work. We would urge anyone in the Toulouse area to visit La Ferme de Lacontal. Long may their fragrance continue.
Disclosure: Little Wandering Wren was a Destination Occitanie guest exploring this region with Tourisme Tarn & Garonne. All opinions are my own. A grand merci beaucoup from us!
Follow us on Social Media: Find more photos of my travels and stories on Instagram @littlewanderingwren.
4 comments
Oooh, lavender fields. What a great spot.
Absolutely! We loved wandering this area of France and yes the Lavender fields here at Ferme de Lacontal were a great find. Have you ever visited one before?
Have a great birthday week Liz and thanks for stopping by!
Wren x
I love lavender, the views of the fields are beautiful. Have a great weekend.
Thank you Eileen, it was such a lovely visit, the lavender fields were beautiful and we liked the visitor charter.
Have a great weeknd
Wren x