Daily Commercial July 24, 2020
Author: Cindy Peterson - Correspondent.
Eustis hemp farm plants first seedlings
It was a big celebration for owners Glen, Sharon and Jammie Treadwell and their team of local farmers and advisers who dreamed of this day when all their hard work would finally take root.
EUSTIS — After a year of establishing the company, building the greenhouse and cultivating the plants, Treadwell Farms in Eustis planted their first round of 10,000 hemp seedlings over 3.5 acres on Friday.
It was a big celebration for owners Glen, Sharon and Jammie Treadwell and their team of local farmers and advisers who dreamed of this day when all their hard work would finally take root.
“It’s like our baby,” Jammie said. “Our team has been overseeing these plants from seeds and from the cuttings. A lot of work goes into prepping the hemp because we look at the genetics and breed it to be the highest natural quality possible with the lowest THC possible for our products.”
The Treadwell family has been farming in Florida for more than 100 years. A few years ago, they started their own line of CDB oil after doing extensive research on the product, visiting farms on the west coast and in Israel to ensure they produce the highest quality product.
Last year, after hemp was federally legalized, Gov. Ron DeSantis approved the State Hemp Program. Treadwell Farms received their cultivation license in May.
“Treadwell Farms created and curated natural, healthful and helpful small-batch, artisanal hemp products that are trusted and tested with the community in mind,” Jammie said.
The farm grows hemp plants from both state-certified seeds and cuttings from stock plants that are temperature controlled in their state-of-the-art greenhouse. From there, the ready-to-plant seedlings are transported to the farm and planted with a special machine that digs a hole, drops a plant in and gives it a drink of water in seconds.
Local farmers who partner with Treadwell Farms were also invited to take part in the planting.
According to Jammie, one of the goals of the farm is to educate people on what hemp is and how high-quality and locally sourced products can be beneficial.
“A lot of people think it’s marijuana but the main difference is hemp must have .3 (percent) THC or less and medical cannabis contains .3 and higher,” she said. “Every plant here will end up in a product so we want it to be the best, which means testing the genetics and making those results available to the public so they know where their hemp comes from and what’s in it.”
Florida has specific consumer safety laws that Jammie said is really beneficial in ensuring that Florida-made hemp products are safe and meet all the qualifications.
“Many other states don’t have these strict of rules so if you don’t know your source, you don’t know what you’re getting,” Jammie said.
Jammie is hoping that over time, the hemp business will expand to more historical uses for hemp like bottles and even masks like the one Jammie wears.
The harvest will be ready in September or October.
