In 2018, brothers Mike and Paul Harney embarked on a mission to develop a unique fusion of fine tea with premium cannabidiol (CBD). They had heard about people farming hemp in upstate New York, so they looked into the process and realized they could use their existing bottling plant to make beverages with CBD.
Fueled by their 30+ years of combined tea experience, Mike and Paul decided to start the business from the roots up. The brothers worked with hemp farmers to plant 7,000 hemp plants on the Harney & Sons headquarters in Millerton, NY. They then formed a new sister company, The Hemp Division, to focus on every element of the hemp production process.
The Harney brothers needed to learn all the intricacies of the process, including planting the crops, tending and drying the hemp, extracting, packing, and bottling CBD with tea infusions. Not being farmers, there were lots of surprises and even some real problems along the way. However, those issues paled in comparison to the joy they felt watching the first plants grow over the summer. Later when these plants were as tall as the brothers, they blossomed, just like their business.
“With The Hemp Division, we took the same exacting standards we have used for over 30 years of blending teas to ensure great hemp blends that taste delicious and are backed by 3rd-party lab tests,” said Paul Harney.
To make the field more fertile, the brothers grow clover on it. They also try to plant the seedlings in a few weeks of time, which is hard, but honest work.
The brothers monitor the plants for males and diseases that afflict the crops. Later on, Mike and Paul assemble a team to do the hard work of cutting the hemp plants and drying them in sheds.
“You know seeing them start as seedlings and then seeing them become huge is very rewarding,” said Mike Harney. “Our forefathers were farmers, so we do imagine what they felt. Also, the best experience is when you close the door and turn out the lights of the drying shed while they dry for several days.”
Interested in watching the Hemp Division’s From the Roots Up activity? Virtually join Mike and Paul on their farm and view them tending to their plants, brewing up tea, and preparing sweet CBD golden milk.
Image Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_7yLq7puAq/
