SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Those looking for affordable hemp in Central New York have a new destination this October.
From October 9 to October 23, Ananda Farms, located in Fulton, New York, is allowing customers to pick their own hemp. The plant is a form of Cannabis with lower levels of THC. It can be turned into butter, oils, and lotions amongst other products. Hemp has shown benefits as an immune booster, antioxidant and more.
Ananda Farms Owner Sarah Stenuf said subtracting packaging costs can add up to thousands in savings for regular users.
“For us, we tell people right out of the ground, get it, portion it up, put it into freezer bags, make the batch you need, freeze the rest, and you can make bottles of this for pennies on the dollar,” Stenuf said.
Stenuf said one plant picked on your own, costing between $40 and $100, can last customers an entire year. While buying packaged products on a monthly basis would cost nearly $200 per visit. The farm’s staff work to educate visitors on how they can turn the plant into products they can use at home.
The Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture and Markets approved the farm for the u-pick promotion. D.A.M. imposes strict regulations on hemp farms, which must turn in a pre-harvest report 20 days before their anticipated harvest.
Stenuf said mid-October presents prime conditions for growing her product.
“Our girls are honestly prime the second week of October, and by the end of October right by Halloween, mold, mildew, rot, all that sets in. So we have a small window in this region,” Stenuf said.
Stenuf said over 130 customers came for the first day of the harvest. The farm has continued to see an increase in customers in the week following, with customers coming from as far as New Paltz and Buffalo.
The Department of Health signed the Cannabinoid Hemp Program in 2020, tightening restrictions on manufacturing and packaging products. The program takes effect on November 1. This will make the U-pick promotion a more difficult endeavor in the future. However, Stenuf still sees U-Pick returning in the future.
“I see U-Pick as the future of Hemp farming. Every farm in New York should be doing it, allowing customers to enjoy these products on their own,” she said.
Saturday is the final day customers will be able to pick their own hemp at the farm.
