Our farms

Upstate Elevator Supply Co. is pioneering CBD hemp breeding and farming in Vermont.

The organically grown, pesticide-free, non-GMO hemp used in Upstate’s product line is sourced from Vermont and Colorado, with the goal of using 100% Vermont grown hemp by the end of 2019. Our internal breeding research is focused on the development of high CBD:THC type III CBD-rich cultivars with robust terpene profiles that are optimized for the short Vermont growing season.

In 2016, Upstate’s team initiated a breeding program to develop unique and acclimatized Vermont CBD hemp cultivars. In 2017, we partnered with Evergreen Capital Management to grow 1000 plants on a two acre plot in Charlotte, Vermont. Production was expanded in 2018 with new farmers plus vertically integrated processing and extraction.

There is a strong standard of agricultural excellence here in Vermont, and Upstate is committed to these standards in its production methods.

Our 2018 Vermont acreage was comprised entirely of internally developed proprietary seed stock. Flower to leaf ratio and total CBD content were improved over our year two grow. We continue to strive to improve terpene expression and minor cannabinoid diversity within our seed lines. In new hybrid lines we prioritize heterozygosity and target >10% CBD content by dry weight as the bar for further genetic exploration. For our biomass production we have determined growing from clone to be too cumbersome at scale and instead favor a feminized seed strategy. Our best performing lines include Cherry x ACDC bx, #5 x Cherry, BaOx x #5, Cherry x BaOx and Avi Dekel x Cherry.