About a year ago, at Tierra Learning Center in Leavenworth, Wa I was harvesting a whole lot of delicious organic lavender. Abundant good-smelling magic. I have got this strong kid-like desire to know where things come from, to grow them myself, and make the things I need from there. So, I was wondering how hard is it to make my own essential oil and of course, wanting to do it myself. And last Friday, with the help of our teacher, the fabulous Dagmar, my girls, and a $500 steam distiller I made essential oil!
Over a pound of dried lavender in the flask.
Beginning the boil. The steam rises up through the lavender and condenses as a hydrosol (extracted water soluble plant materials with volatile oils) and essential oil. 
The essential oil rose and the hydrosol sank.
It's all done and the lavender is brown.
Lavender Essential Oil! Over a pound of herb made only 1/2 oz of essential oil. The yield is different for each herb each time depending on the situation.
Here is a crazy fact: It takes approximately 30 Rose buds to yield 1 drop of rose essential oil! So most things that are rose scented are not actually true rose because it is freakishly expensive.
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