Photo: CannaBloom Farmacy - Facebook
Cannabis leaves and dispenser bottle
Stephanie Lembke of Canna Bloom Farmacy knows many farmers and local artisans in the beginning stages of their hemp business. A desire to help them was the genesis of the 420 Farmers Market, which takes place Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Canna Bloom Farmacy’s Hartford, Wis. location, 2770 E. Sumner Ave.
As a cannabis business owner, Lembke knows how difficult it is to operate in the ever-changing hemp industry. “I’ve been in this field for three years and as an established company, we still face challenges. I wanted to give a boost to those smaller companies to help them in a way that I didn’t have access to when I was starting.”
Lembke was inspired by a wine tasting event and used that as a model for a “hemp tasting,” where hemp business owners could collaborate while offering community outreach and education. Attendees will be able to sample an array of cannabis products containing cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids such as Delta 8 (an isomer of Delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol that was federally legalized through a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill).
Lembke notes all products being sampled and sold will have certificates of analysis. She’s worked with the City of Hartford and local police to ensure everything sold is legal and lawful.
In addition, people sampling products will be asked to participate in a safety program or bring along a designated driver. “We ask everyone who tries samples to moderate themselves and enjoy responsibly by adhering to our rules and regulations as a minimum standard for safety,” she says.
The Wisconsin Hemp Society will donate time to help with clerical duties. At press time, Lembke confirmed 22 vendors. Their participation came about organically; Lembke connected with many businesses through Facebook groups, calls and texts, and the word spread quickly. Vendors must be a Wisconsin based company, have some hemp product offering and adhere to safety and regulatory procedures regarding their products. Vendors include Hazy Dayz, Drinkin’ Buds and Wisconsin Horticultural.
In addition, there will be games, hourly events and three food trucks. Live music will be performed by Sinners and Saints.
Like farmers markets that feature vendors selling locally grown produce and artisan foods, Lembke says the goal of the 420 Farmers Market is to showcase the great hemp products made by talented members of our community. “We want to give the smaller, up-and-coming businesses an opportunity to shine and present their new and innovative products to the community.”
Supporting the Hemp Community and a Local Charity
Each vendor at the 420 Farmers Market is paying a small registration fee. All of those proceeds will go to Family Promise of Washington County, a nonprofit that helps homeless families and individuals. Vendors are also asked to donate an additional amount to Family Promise if they are able. The organization will also have a booth at the event.
“We knew for a long time that we wanted to start doing community outreach. People can see through a manufactured/marketed image, and to be honest, with the stigma that cannabis companies still face, we wanted to combat that by being as genuine to the cause of community outreach as we could be,” Lembke explains. “The charity was chosen after a lot of research. Several charities actually turned down our offer of donations because we were associated with cannabis.”
Canna Bloom Farmacy collaborated with the Coffee Jar, in West Bend, to craft 2,000 milligram, 8-ounce bags of CBD coffee. A portion of proceeds from each bag sold will be donated to Family Promise. Iced CBD Coffee and Iced CBD Lemonade will be available for purchase, with proceeds donated to Family Promise.
“We want anyone who attends our event to come away from it with more knowledge about what CBD, Delta 8 and all the other cannabinoids are and what they are used for,” Lembke concludes.
For more information visit cannabloomfarmacy.com or facebook.com/cannabloomfarmacy. For information about being a vendor, email support@cannabloomfarmacy.com.
