Farmer owned and operated Sunset Lake CBD is a craft cannabis producer located uniquely lakeside in Northern Vermont. Between planting and harvesting their greenhouses and fields, concocting a stacked lineup of CBD products, and running an organic dairy farm, there is never a dull moment for this hardworking family operation. Catch some great industry insight and tips to succeed from Sunset Lake's Co-Founder and all around good guy, Sam Bellavance.
How did Sunset Lake get into the hemp industry? What helps you guys stand out?
Traditionally, our farm has been a dairy and the milk from our cows goes to producing Ben & Jerry's Ice cream. As a certified Caring Dairy farm, we focus on reducing our carbon footprint, treating workers fairly, and constantly improving animal welfare. In 2019, we decided to diversify our farm and planted 12 acres of hemp, and I partnered with our Co-founder Alex Frei, who has a decade of experience growing cannabis in California. The special thing about Sunset Lake CBD is that we're 100% farmer owned. Farming hemp isn't a get-rich-quick scheme for us, it's about building a business that can enrich the land through sustainable agriculture and create meaningful employment in our community.
What does your farm produce? Do you have any products?
We specialize in producing pesticide-free, hand-trimmed and slow-cured hemp flower. In just over a year we have developed a diverse retail product line with over 40 unique CBD products all made exclusively with CBD grown on our farm. This includes tinctures, salves, CBD infused coffee, and CBD kief blunts (a staff favorite). You can order all of our products at sunsetlakecbd.com
What is your favorite aspect of family farming? Who participates?
My favorite aspect of family farming is how the harvest rush makes everyone come together to accomplish a common goal. Here in Vermont we have a 2-3 week window to harvest the best smokable flower from our 14,000 hemp plants. We've recruited practically every friend and family member to help work on the hemp harvest, especially in our first year before we had much of a staff. I worked with my brother to convert an old corn dryer into a very effective biomass drying machine. I think this kind of bootstrapping approach has helped us succeed and keep our costs low.
Any fun stories of struggles you’ve overcome on the farm?
When we first built our greenhouse we forgot to secure the hoops to our ground posts, so on a windy day I showed up at the farm and saw one side of the greenhouse lifted 10 feet in the air during a gust. We had 10,000 Oregon CBD seedlings inside the greenhouse so I grabbed onto the side of the greenhouse and my feet started getting lifted up off the ground with each gust. I called Alex and he helped me wrestle the frame back into place, and we saved the precious seedlings.
Do you have any advice for anyone entering the industry? Where do you think the industry is headed?
Keep your costs low, and don't feel pressured to over-invest in expensive overhead. This industry is still very young and evolves rapidly, so you need to stay flexible. The most valuable assets you have are your reputation and your team; put those two things first and you'll find success.
Any people that you’d like to recognize from your farm or the industry in general that have helped get the company to where it is now?
Special thanks to our harvest staff, my amazing partners who keep me sane throughout all the ups and downs, and lastly to industry leaders like Oregon CBD whose innovation and hard work has made this whole project a reality.
