{"id":1362,"date":"2021-09-26T22:19:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-26T22:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cannabisnow.com\/?p=28887"},"modified":"2021-09-26T22:19:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-26T22:19:00","slug":"how-honeydew-farms-grew-into-the-legalized-cannabis-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=1362","title":{"rendered":"How Honeydew Farms Grew Into the Legalized Cannabis Market"},"content":{"rendered":"

California\u2019s Lost Coast is often described as wild and unruly \u2013 a scene of jagged mountains, fluffy firs and hillsides that give way to the agitated tides of the Pacific. The coastline that spans Humboldt and Mendocino counties is without any major highways thanks to the engineering challenges of building among the craggy landscape.<\/p>\n

In the foothills of the Lost Coast\u2019s King Range lies Honeydew Farms<\/a> \u2013 a cannabis farm that is anything but lost and unruly. Shots of the ranch reveal neat rows of marijuana plants \u2013 weighed down with fat colas ripe for harvest. Unlike many growers who are struggling to figure out California\u2019s new marijuana regulations, Honeydew has its licensing in order. After cultivating cannabis for some 25 years under the state\u2019s caregiver model, Honeydew owners Alex and Miranda Moore were the first to submit an application for a Humboldt County cultivation license. Now, they\u2019re turning their operation into a for-profit medical cannabis company.<\/p>\n

\"Honeydew<\/p>\n

Strain: SFV OG<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Much has been made about the struggles of California cannabis growers<\/a> to ensure compliance in the brave new world of regulated medical and recreational marijuana. The Moores\u2019 journey to becoming one of the first county-licensed farms was an arduous but serendipitous one.<\/p>\n

For the past decade, Honeydew has been in the process of subdividing and re-zoning their property to accommodate a partnership on one of the ranch\u2019s parcels of land. Through that ordeal, Honeydew had to make sure its roads and buildings were up to code, securing permits for its greenhouse and barn structures. \u201cWe had to be reviewed by all these same agencies that are now reviewing cannabis,\u201d said Alex Moore.<\/p>\n

So when California proposed new medical cannabis regulations<\/a>, the Moores found themselves perfectly poised to apply for a license. \u201cIt was a blessing in disguise that we went through that process,\u201d he said. Many other cannabis grows in the area lacked permitted buildings.<\/p>\n

Still, it wasn\u2019t easy. The Moores got involved with Humboldt County\u2019s process in crafting its local cannabis ordinance, hiring a land-use law firm and attending county meetings. Humboldt\u2019s economy had been suffering due to the decline in the logging and fishing industries. \u201cWe helped to convince county officials that [they\u2019re] sitting on a massive industry that\u2019s already here,\u201d said Moore.<\/p>\n

\"Honeydew<\/p>\n

Honeydew Farms has secured a cultivation license in Humboldt County.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Humboldt\u2019s Planning Commission<\/a> eventually approved Honeydew\u2019s application in a 4 to 1 vote. With its paperwork in order, Honeydew could turn its attention to its plants.<\/p>\n

\u201cSustainably farming cannabis is a priority for us,\u201d said Moore. \u201cWe just have a deep connection to our ranch, to the land, to the environment. This property is hopefully going to be in our family for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honeydew eschews harmful chemicals so it can re-use its soils year after year. Their living soils are regularly tested for deficiencies and supplemented with organic amendments that are locally mixed. \u201cWe have [soils] here on the ranch we\u2019ve been using for 20 years,\u201d said Moore. \u201c[It\u2019s] also quite a benefit to us financially because we don\u2019t have to replace our soil every year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

While the farm has its paperwork in order, it\u2019s still dealing with the anxieties that come with being one of the first license holders<\/a> in the historic cannabis-growing region.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe got a lot of hate from locals that we know in the cannabis industry,\u201d said Moore. \u201cThat was kind of shocking to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Honeydew<\/p>\n

Honeydew Farms owners Alex and Miranda Moore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Even more pressing is the concern over volatility in the marijuana market. Farmers pay high costs to become compliant with little knowledge of what prices their crops will command. \u201cThat creates anxiety,\u201d he said. \u201cThen, you\u2019re slapping on all these different taxes and you still have a black market that a lot of people are operating in.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the oversaturation of the cannabis industry. Estimates put California\u2019s cannabis production at anywhere between six and 12 times its demand. Then add newcomers to the mix: \u201cAll these new people with big Wall Street backing are popping up and walking into million-dollar facilities in the Central Valley,\u201d said Moore.<\/p>\n

Still, joining the regulated market affords its benefits. \u201cI think there\u2019s definitely going to be a lot more conscious consumers,\u201d said Moore. Those customers will be looking out for lab tests and seeking organic producers. \u201cMore people are going to be trying cannabis\u2026 and are going to care about what they put into their bodies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Honeydew<\/p>\n

Honeydew also keeps Scottish Highland cattle. These two are named Indica and Sativa.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Going legit also gives growers who have operated under the radar a chance to create a brand. \u201cTrying to figure out marketing and all these different things that aren\u2019t related to farming has created a bit of anxiety for us,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we feel blessed and grateful to opportunity to build a brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for what the future will hold for Honeydew, Moore says they hope to expand to the recreational market. \u201cAs a business person with bills to pay, the recreational market is a lot bigger than the medical market.\u201d<\/p>\n

That ambition dovetails with the farmer\u2019s view of the plant too: \u201cPersonally, I\u2019ve always thought that you shouldn\u2019t have to wait to use cannabis until you\u2019re really sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally published in the print edition<\/a> of Cannabis Now.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

California\u2019s Lost Coast is often described as wild and unruly \u2013 a scene of jagged mountains, fluffy firs and hillsides that give way to the agitated tides of the Pacific. The coastline that spans Humboldt and Mendocino counties is without any major highways thanks to the engineering challenges of building among the craggy landscape. In the foothills of the Lost Coast\u2019s King Range lies Honeydew Farms \u2013 a cannabis farm that is anything but lost and unruly. Shots of the ranch reveal neat rows of marijuana plants \u2013 weighed down with fat colas ripe for harvest. Unlike many growers who… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1362"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1362\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}