Los Angeles County Approves First Hemp Farm

By ME Staff
Source: marketexclusive.com




The Los Angeles County Agriculture Commissioner has approved the first hemp farm in the county. SoCal Farms is created by a coalition of agricultural industry experts for the research and cultivation of high-quality hemp.

 

The global hemp market is expected to reach $5.7 billion across all markets by 2020, representing a three-year compound annual growth rate of 17.5%, according to the Global State of Hemp.

Rebooting Antelope Valley Farming

SoCal Farms sees the Antelope Valley as a premier location for growing hemp as the elevation, isolation and humidity levels create the ideal climate for hemp cultivation.

“We are proud to partner with SoCal Farms in this monumental effort to revamp and reboot the Antelope Valley farming industry with growth opportunities. Our support is multi-faceted and includes donating the hemp seeds for this 100-acre crop,” stated Will Kleidon, the CEO of California-based cannabis research and technology firm Ojai Energetics.

Ojai Energetics initiated and co-sponsored the legislation signed by California Governor Jerry Brown that pushed hemp legislation SB 1409 into law, a move that significantly expands hemp farming in California. The process and adaptation have been a slow process, forcing Ojai Energetics to work with a farm in Oregon to source hemp for the company’s health elixirs, oils, and gels.

“Our mission is to build relationships with the farmers who grow the ingredients we use in the state we live in, ensuring fair trade wages, and only supporting regenerative farming practices,” Kleidon stated. “This is one small step for us and one giant step for the California hemp industry.”

Planting First Hemp Crop

SoCal Farms has planted 100 acres of hemp in Antelope Valley as part of its plans to become the major business-to-business cannabidiol (CBD) full-spectrum oil supplier in California.

The company has planted its first hemp crop of approximately 650,000 plants on 100 certified organic acres. The company utilizes adjudicated water and has access to enough land to plant on up to 15,000 acres within the immediate area, as well as Southern California and other Western States.
“We have put a considerable amount of time and attention into understanding the science and business behind the crop and will utilize our discoveries and collective experience working in Antelope Valley to provide the quality and consistency leading manufacturers need in their supply chain,” SoCal Farms Vice President of Sales and Marketing Zac Cullen stated.

“We will be scaling our operations rapidly in the coming months to meet the demand for large quality orders,” Cullen noted.

The 100-acre area of the farm is dedicated to the research and development of the hemp plant and the company is working closely with Antelope Valley College to further refine optimal growing practices for hemp in the area’s microclimate.

SoCal Farms’ extraction systems are in Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) facilities. The company’s tracking system is powered by blockchain to ensure the consumer knows exactly where the seed originated from, through the finished product.