In a day and age when many farmers have folded their operations after selling their land to developers, others have pivoted to a form of cannabis as the new cash crop to grow their business.
Kenneth VandeVrede is a third generation farmer. His grandfather started raising mums and tomatoes in New Jersey 50 years ago and now, he’s trying to stay ahead of the curve by diversifying his crop.
“We’ve been selling flowers and herbs for 40 years to supermarkets,” VandeVrede said. “This is good business for us, the next evolution where we can grow a product in high demand like hemp.”
Marijuana, says VandeVrede and others, is the future. Governor Phil Murphy approved the farming of hemp in November, but the actual regulations must still be worked out. Already, dozens of farmers across the Garden State have also applied to expand into the lucrative new green industry.
Some say they hope to start growing by next year.