A Look Inside: Grasse River Hemp
This September, a few weeks after our farm tour at Head & Heal, our Produce Manager and I were invited to tour the hemp fields that produce Grasse River Hemp products, located at Northern Limits Farm in Canton, NY. Of course we took them up on their offer and a week later, we began the work day driving to their farm on Country Road 27 for an informative visit with our friend Dean, Madison (Dean’s daughter) and Joe Eisele. We love having opportunities to get to know more about the places where our products come from, and continuing to build relationships with our vendors, long after the first sale, is something we value as much as the products themselves.
About Grasse River Hemp:
Grasse River hemp started growing hemp in 2019, when founders and co-owners Dean Laubscher & Joe Eisele, along with their families, saw an opportunity for locally grown hemp in the North Country. Together, they shared a vision to produce all natural products from this amazing plant, which has long been misunderstood. “Grown with Good Intent”, while not currently certified, they use organic farming practices to cultivate their CBD hemp flower. All of their plants are started by seed, then transplanted, pruned, harvested, trimmed, hung to dry and cure by hand with the help of their family & friends. They just completed their 2021 harvest of three strains: CBG White, Lifter, and Sour Suver Haze. All of their seeds are purchased from Oregon CBD.
Grasse River Hemp at the Co-op:
The Co-op began carrying Grasse River Hemp in July of 2020. We had been carrying CBD products from various vendors for a couple of years at that point but I was thrilled to have this option – not just a NYS product, but one that was grown within 30 miles of the Co-op. The Co-op cares deeply about supporting our local farmers and making their products available to our members, so Grasse River Hemp was the perfect addition to our line-up of CBD products. We currently carry their CBD oils, which are available in both natural and maple flavor, and two different strengths: 600 mg and 1200 mg. We also carry their topical salve, which is great for targeting pain. Dean’s daughter, Maddie, told us it also makes a great lip balm and helps heal cold sores! Last but not least, if you have a furry friend, Grasse River Hemp offers CBD Mobility Chews (for cats & dogs) to help with a number of ailments, including pain caused by arthritis and anxiety.
Meet Dean & Joe:
Following his retirement from the Air Force and having traveled the world and living in Alaska for 20 years, Dean and his family (Kathryn, Madison & Erik) moved to Potsdam, NY where Dean attended SUNY Potsdam and obtained a Bachelor’s in Anthropology. Industrial Hemp caught his and his daughter Madison’s attention (Madison is huge part of the farm/Farmers Markets) for many thousands of reasons he’d be glad to share with you. Dean shared his idea of feeding hemp seed meal to beef cattle as a supplement with his long-time friend and now business partner Joe Eisele in 2017. Joe (NYS Beef Produce of the Year, 2017) is owner & operator of Northern Limits Farm in Canton, NY. When they first discussed this idea, Hemp was not approved livestock feed, nor is it currently, but hopefully that will change soon. Nevertheless, they decided to obtain a NYS hemp research permit and grow hemp just for the heck of It and see how it went. Their first year (2019) was a great success. Now having just harvested their third crop of three amazing strains from Oregon CBD, they can say for certain that they love what they do as micro/artisan CBD hemp farmers.
We enjoy hearing from so many of our local community and beyond how our CBD products help them, their family, and beloved pets. This encouragement reinforces that we are doing this for all the right reasons. We at Grass River Hemp believe Industrial Hemp and Cannabis in its countless forms can, and will transform our world into a much better one!”
– Dean Laubscher, Grasse River Hemp Co-Founder/Co-Owner
Joe Eisele moved to St. Lawrence County from the Northern Catskills in 2004. He and his wife Amy bought a farm just outside of Canton two years later and have been grazing beef stocker cattle and growing vegetables ever since. In 2019, he and friend Dean Laubscher began Grasse River Hemp after obtaining a pilot hemp growing permit from NYS. His goal was to do his part to revitalize this amazing and beneficial plant back into society. Joe especially enjoys the production process, from “seed to harvest to oil”, as well as the great feedback and testimonials from customers whom their products have so positively helped. In addition to his wife Amy, he has two children that help on the farm alongside the Laubschers. Grasse River Hemp is truly a family operation with the additional help of great friends.
Visit Grasse River Hemp’s website to learn more about their products: www.grasseriverhemp.com
You can also find them on FB!
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Love this blog, Thank you so much for sharing this article, very informative.
Liquid Carbon for Agriculture