Farm operation since 1995

Under their very large hats, our beautiful washerwomen are so proud on our hillsides, so light in their tasks that their resounding songs amidst the lavender make bands of charming choirs and the echo of songs.

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A family story

The history between lavender and the Demol family goes back a century.

Five generations of cultivators, from lavender to olive trees through various essences, whose know-how has been passed down from father to son up to Thibaut Demol and his partner Aurélie, contemporary custodians of the "Domaine Demol" brand.

Valensole, in the 1930s, is more Jean de Florette than the "thirty glorious years". Men and women have always cultivated the land. Warm and arid lands on a dry calcareous clay soil where wild lavender thrives. In the beginning of time, Valensole was associated with almonds and wheat.

Start of the Adventure

The adventure begins with Marius Demol, who harvests wild lavender from the mountain known as "common lavender" to later cultivate lavandin on 12 to 15 hectares of land. Lavandin is a hybrid of two varieties of lavender: officinalis and Aspic, initially obtained by pollinating insects and humans. Botanists recognize 48 different species of lavender. Martial, the second in the lineage will develop the culture. The winter of 1956 was the harshest in history. The frost, recording a record low of -25°, devastated the crops. The Demol family then undertook a first diversification by introducing, among other things, olive trees into the production. Maurice, his son, will continue the farming work and experience a kind of industrial revolution in the 1970s since the activity became mechanized. The fields began to see the appearance of hoeing machines, planters, cutters... Lavender, until then planted in squares, is now grown in large parallel lines. The family then exploited 60 hectares and launched a commercial nursery activity, previously intended only for self-consumption.

A tradition that continues

It's Philippe, the 4th in the family, who expanded the domain during his career dedicated to lavandin by developing the Grosso and Sumian species from 1980 to 2018 and establishing the operation at the Domaine du Grand Saint Jean.

Recently retired, he continues to roam the fields and paths. Thibaut, Philippe's son, has been a new player in this saga since 2002, always working with family and as a team. In 2008, he expanded the nursery activity, which until then was intended for self-consumption. The sale of young shoots thus developed.

In 2013, in collaboration with his father Philippe, he created the distillery.

His passion for lavandin led him to integrate all the services of the production chain from cuttings, from the mother plant in the nursery, to distillation and the finished product, distilled, bottled.

The Demol company also offers service provisions to colleagues or non-operating owners.

The activity has diversified widely over the 400 hectares farmed: wheat, clary sage, officinal sage, thyme, rosemary, hyssop, oregano, immortelle...

Until the sale of our products

In parallel, the sales channels for products are evolving. Until now, aimed at cooperatives, the products are also sold directly, to wholesalers, and the finished products are now offered on the Domaine Demol website.

In 2017, in the center of Valensole, Thibaut Demol opens a gourmet shop "La Maison de Marius" managed by his sister Mélanie. The future continues to be drawn.

Since 2017, nearly 3000 olive trees have been planted. A window to the future opens onto the vineyard with 25 hectares recently introduced.

The distilled products find new outlets: cosmetics, wellness, household products... Lavender attracts more and more tourists. Cottages will soon be built. There is also thought of increasing event activities. What bride hasn't dreamed of being photographed in white in a lavender field?

The taste of good, delicious, and organic!

Organic farming, accompanied by an HVE certification, has taken a predominant place in the life of the company, always reinforcing the requirement of a job well done of quality.

Domaine Demol is a true artisanal activity on a large scale with the concern of a job well done for five generations.

"And it's not about to stop with the latest generation, my three boys, of whom the eldest, Marius... just like his great-grandfather!" rejoices Thibaut Demol.

Family tradition and the love of working the land are perpetuated with each descent.

Discover the fruit of our labor

Anchored in the Provencal lands since 1970, make your choice among all our local products coming from our agricultural lands, in the heart of Provence in Valensole.

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