Aaron and Ashley Possin will be celebrating their 2oth wedding anniversary next month, but they have known each other since they were children.
“We have been friends and partners throughout our lives,” Ashley said.
The couple are partnering to bring a new era to Cedarbrook Lavender.
Begun in 1967, Cedarbrook is the oldest lavender farm in Washington state and the Possins are the third owners at Cedarbrook; they officially took over ownership on Jan. 5 succeeding Gary and Marcella Stachurski, owners since 2005, when the Stachurskis retired.
For Lavender Festival 2022, the Cedarbrook Lavender store will be open extra hours, Friday through Sunday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at 120 W Washington St.
Lavender wand making and lavender canvas painting classes will be held for $10 outside and U-fill lavender sachets will be available. They have many treats to choose from: lavender and lavender blend spritzers and Italian sodas, three lavender ice creams, lavender lemonade and lavender lace cookies. See facebook.com/CedarbrookLavender or instagram.com/cedarbrooklavender for more information.
With their two children, the Possins moved here more than two years ago from Spokane.
Aaron was working on his master’s degree in business administration when they moved here and Ashley got a job at Cedarbrook with the Stachurskis. She said it was “like an apprenticeship.”
Ashley met the Stachurskis when investigating the lavender places in town. The Possins had been visiting Sequim for years on happy occasions like their anniversary because they love this area and love lavender.
“I fell in love with Gary and Marcella and Cedarbrook,” Possin said.
All the people involved experienced a time of serendipity as the Stachurskis wanted to retire just as the Possins felt ready to take on the business. They worked closely together before, during, and after the transition.
“It was God-ordained,” said Possin. “[It was] the right time and the right season.”
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / Rivers of plastic weed blocker host tiny lavender plants at the newest Cedarbrook Lavender property, where the Possin family is growing Grosso, Royal Velvet, Hidecote Blue, Folgate and Hidecote Giant varieties of lavender. Tiny now, they are expected to grow into the large plants Sequim is known for.
The Possins own the rights to Cedarbrook’s lavender and the Stachurskis own and maintain their own property. They bought an additional property on which they are actively planting 3,600 new lavender plants and bringing in bee hives, in hopes of producing their own honey.
The Possins are hoping to open the farm to the public in a year and a half.
Their entire family is invested in the business. Ashley’s parents moved to Sequim, and they, her sisters and the Possins’ children all are involved in the aspects of the business.
At Cedarbrook, Ashley said, “everything is made by hand and all products are healthy.” She said that her husband Aaron’s medical and farming background is helpful with that. Aaron, director of the emergency room at Olympic Medical Center, comes from a long line of farmers.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / A small section of the 3,600 lavender plants the Possin family has been planting at their property in Sequim. The Possins began their ownership of Cedarbrook Lavender at the beginning of January, when the previous owners, the Stachurskis retired. The business has been in operation since 1967.
The Possins are hoping that as they grow and expand the business they will open up opportunities in the community. The Possins believe in collaboration and cooperation with others in agritourism and agribusiness and hope to foster camaraderie with other lavender businesses.
“We are always stronger together,” Ashley said. “[People in Sequim] have been so great and so nice.”
“We hope that we are a blessing to the community.”
“Promoting health, beauty and peace” is the couple’s motto, both in the products and how they treat the people who work for them and their customers.
Cedarbrook Lavender
Hand-crafted lavender goods
Location: 120 W. Washington St.
On the web: cedarbrooklavender.com
More information: 360-683-7733, cedarbrooklavender@gmail.com
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen The Possin family has recently installed hives at their property and is hoping that eventually they will have their own lavender honey. Seen here is an unnamed bee busy at her work.
