As part of the legacy of Hepworth Farms, a 550 acre certified organic vegetable operation that has been around since 1818, the Hepworths have forged strong bonds in the Hudson Valley. According to Minard, 2019’s crop has already been harvested and dried, and once it’s processed onsite at Hepworth farms, the cooperative will market the CBD as a ‘quality New York State organically grown product.’ CBD does not cause you to feel ‘high.’ CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found primarily in the flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. After graduating from Cornell University in 1982, farmer Amy Hepworth assumed leadership and began the process of dechemicalization, transitioning from standard farming practices to a "whole … HIGHLAND, N.Y. — A co-owner of Hepworth Farms in Milton will speak on "Growing Hemp in the Hudson Valley" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, at Boughton Place, 150 Kisor Road. "We were a seasonal farm operation with 550 acres of vegetable," she said. “Right now, essentially, they’re not well-equipped to handle what’s going on in the CBD industry and our group is really trying to just work with people that are putting these laws in place,” Martinetti said. Amy farms about 500 acres and an additional 200 acres in hemp plants. Hemp can also be grown for its strong fibers, but the Hepworths explained that the approach needed for that is better suited to the Great Plains than the Mid-Hudson Valley, which is an “exceptional growing area” for CBD cultivation specifically. Hemp farms are located in a variety of states across America. “So the more they have it, they know what’s going on, they know the potential for jobs and business development and also for the businesses that support agriculture, the better it’ll be for everybody.”, The New York State Cannabis Growers and Processors Association drafted proposed legislation that would give “… greater clarity on how New York State plans on regulating hemp.”, Hank Gross is an award-winning journalist. Though high-tech in operation, it still depends on human hands to finish the job. Hepworth farms is now a 550-acre certified organic vegetable operation many refer to as the largest organic tomato producer in the Northeast. This machine is called the Python. And we’ve been able to increase the number of employees that we have.". If you want to dry vape, Dr Strains CBD has everything you need for this experience for sales. I’m in training for the excavator, the bulldozer. So we’ve been able to extend their employee time and work full-time all year. The product is grown on several hundred acres of land owned and operated by Hepworth Farms, a family farm that’s been around for over 200 years. Left to right: Gerry Greco, Amy Hepworth and Gail Hepworth of Hempire State Growers. “She came right over, we talked about it and I said, sounds great, let’s do it.” He started this year by planting a little more than an acre of hemp… Hepworth Farms is a seventh generation family owned organic farm whose focus is centered on whole, natural, organic foods. As well as cultivating more than 300 varieties of vegetables, the sisters are now growing hemp. As of now, they have 160 acres devoted to hemp. Now, I can operate the forklift. We know things have been marginalized, so why not use this opportunity to break that barrier and create oneness around this plant? Through our partnership with Wessels Family Farms, one of the premier greenhouses in the NorthEast that supplies millions of seedlings to farmers in the Hudson Valley, we have access to choosing our own genetic varieties.Together with High Grade Hemp Seed and Oregon CBD genetics, we produce best-in-class CBD with proven compliance, feminization, and cannabinoid … To the sounds of Bob Marley, workers labor around the clock, trimming and perfecting the buds. “None of us is going to give up what we do for hemp,’’ said Hepworth. There is a growing consumer market, even a preferential market, for hemp-derived products. Hemp grown here is harvested by hand to ensure the integrity of the product, which means the business depends heavily on skilled workers. Amy Hepworth, who co-owns Hepworth Farms in Milton with her twin-sister Gail, stands in front of a large hemp field during harvest. “Our mission is to keep Hudson Valley farmers growing fruits and vegetables and grain crops. But for it to happen, our model is a bottom-up model. A few miles away, CBD products are sold in the company’s retail store, in a space that once housed the farm’s Cider Mill back in the 1970’s. Among the lawmakers attending the 90-minute session was Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D, Newburgh) who said most of his fellow state lawmakers are onboard. Growing hemp will be more than just another crop for local farmers, Hepworth says; it will literally be essential to the very survival of local farms. One of the organizers was Gail Hepworth, of Hepworth Farms. “Our mission is not for the Hudson Valley to be only growing hemp,” Hepworth said. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2021 / Cannabidiol and Delta 8 supplier Hempire Direct made history after releasing one of the first online marketplace apps for smokeable flower, concentrates, vape cartridges, edibles, and other hemp-derived products.Hempire Direct's new mobile app enables hemp farms and brand manufacturers to … Serving Hudson Valley and the Catskills for 20 Years.