We are a wife and husband team, Alice Collins and Joe Mettille, that runs Simply Bluegrass Farm together. Joe is primarily the farmer and I'm primarily the business person, but we both work on all aspects together. Simply Bluegrass Farm has officially been around for three years but we have been farming for longer than that. We are a primarily woman-owned business.
Tell us a little bit about what makes your farm special. Had you worked with cannabis or as a farmer prior?
Joe has always had a passion for growing and cultivating. I grew up on a farm but primarily horses and cows. Joe wanted to get into hemp because he was a traveling BMX bike rider for 10 years and sustained multiple severe injuries. He saw the medicinal benefits of CBD for chronic pain issues. We have a section of my family farm we lease in Kentucky. It's 22 acres of certified organic land that is completely off-grid. We use regenerative farming practices including leaving/building native habitats, rainwater collection, cover crop rotation, and organic soil building. We don't use plastic mulch (plasticulture), which is allowed in organic farming, because it is a one-time-use petroleum product that is thrown away each season.
What does your farm produce? Do you have any products?
We grow Oregon CBD strains for CBD and CBG oil. We also grow a variety of other things. Garlic is a big crop of ours. And we're slowly expanding our medicinal flowers/herbs and produce. We raise heritage pigs and chickens rotationally for pasture health. I make seasonal sustainably harvested decorations and jewelry. We make a CBD lavender bath soak we sell locally.
After harvest, our crop goes to Ky Growers for processing and distribution. Up until a few months ago we were doing full seed-to-shelf ourselves because we couldn't find a company we trusted. Ky Growers is certified organic and fair trade. They process in small batches and offer single source options. What we grow is sold with our name on the label. That is very important to us.
What is your favorite aspect of family farming? Who participates?
We all participate. Even the 3 year old. We don't have any employees yet so we do all of the work ourselves. Farming is long hours and hard work and unending but it's an amazing way to connect with the land, work together to create something beautiful, and be more self-reliant. It's a special feeling to offer a community, friends, and family items made with time and love.
Any fun stories of struggles you’ve overcome on the farm?
The area we farm had laid dormant for 20+ years and was 15 feet of weeds when we started three years ago. So we lacked infrastructure, utilities, ready-to-farm land, equipment, and financing. It's been quite a journey but we like to repurpose and recycle things and we develop more each year. It's completely transformed the area.
Do you have any advice for anyone entering the industry? Where do you think the industry is headed?
Don't sign contracts without doing some research. A lot of farmers in Kentucky are hurting now from broken contracts. Don't buy seeds/clones/transplants from an unverified/uncertified source. A lot of farmers also ended up with bad stock (males, poor germination, low CBD). I'm worried the industry is headed in the direction of other agricultural commodities where the farmer gets very little of the profits or small family farms can't compete with big corporate farms. I'm also worried the pharmaceutical industry will regulate to the extent that small farmers/processors can't compete/qualify/get licensing. I know we're sort of an anomaly right now, being a small farm without investors and having income from it and having a product with our label on it. It's been hard work but it's definitely been worth it.
And finally, if there are 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?
Cannabusiness Labs in Lexington Ky has been an amazing 3rd party testing place. Local and family-owned.
Ky Growers is the only contract we ever even considered signing. They're a local, small processor. Certified organic and fair trade. They are farmers too, so they appreciate the labor.
Oregon CBD for the trustworthy genetics. Every year we see farmers get burned. We've really appreciated the great germination rate, being truly feminized, and producing high yield plants.
And, of course, all of our family and friends that have given us time and labor and love.
