Franny Tacy has combined her life-long passion for agriculture and her love for hemp to create Franny's Farm in North Carolina. She's developed a blue-print for a sustainable, self-sufficient and profitable small farms with hemp as it's center piece. She speaks to Joy Beckerman about the lessons she's learn with hemp including valuable advice for people new to farming it. Produced by PodCONX https://podconx.com/guests/franny-tacy
Franny Tacy has combined her life-long passion for agriculture and her love for hemp to create Franny's Farm in North Carolina. She's developed a blue-print for a sustainable, self-sufficient and profitable small farms with hemp as it's center piece. She speaks to Joy Beckerman about the lessons she's learn with hemp including valuable advice for people new to farming it.
https://podconx.com/guests/franny-tacy
Dan Humiston: [00:00:08] Welcome to another episode of Hemp Barons, I'm Dan Humiston and Anthony showed Joy travels to North Carolina to speak with a true Hemp in sustainable living pioneer who's creating a model for small farm success. Let's join Joy's conversation with Frannie Tacy from Frannie's farm in Frannie's pharmacy.
Joy Beckerman: [00:00:36] Wellness Franny Tacy, thank you so much for being with us on Hemp Barons today.
Franny Tacy: [00:00:41] What a pleasure to be talking to you again.
Franny Tacy: [00:00:45] What do you are to the Hemp movement, to the Hemp industry is an end to the re-emergence of the crop as a farmer. Fanning you came on the scene and just took it by storm. Sister, your hail from North Carolina. In fact, the first female Hemp farmer legal Hemp farmer posed prohibition. One of my favorite states, you know, Hemp Creed is one of my favorite products of the thousands and thousands and thousands of products to meet humanity's needs. And of course, the first two permeated homes were built in North Carolina. You're in Hemp country. Tell us, how did you discover Hemp? How did Hemp enter your field of awareness, so to speak?
Franny Tacy: [00:01:24] Well, I've been aware of Hemp for a long time. My undergraduate degree is actually in forestry and that was sustainable AG back in the late 80s. It was a very different educational system and I was in Flagstaff, Arizona. And the majority over 50 percent of our forestry class came from the reservation. They were actually doing a government research trial there. So that's where I started learning about it. And then one of my favorite friends from college grew up in Naipaul. So she's showing me her Christmas pictures where they're standing in these amazing Hemp fields and they've grown for fiber. So back in like eighty eight, I was like, are you kidding me? In my whole agro economy and agro history through our coursework, I had some opportunities back in the late 80s and early 90s to really learn about that. And Hemp Crete, you mentioned that earlier. What an insane, amazing building material. And we actually had the privilege of working with Luli a.m. on that temporary kind's. We didn't do anything but show up and be labor. But there's a lot to be said for that. That's what farming community and the resurgence of agriculture. That's what it's all about. And we really get to witness a lot right now as we go into the harvest and just seeing how just so many people together.
Joy Beckerman: [00:02:53] I didn't realize you worked on the now house. I had been very privileged and so pleased and happy to work very closely with Hemp Technologies, which got the Hemp in those walls, both for the mayor of Nashville home and for the now house. And I didn't realize you were part of that girl. You got Hemp creep up in your fingernails and you worked it.
Franny Tacy: [00:03:13] That's a main on some pretty collinet weather days. And actually, when I was blogging for Mother Earth news there, here's some videos that people visit the Frannie's farm attorney with a lot of Brandi's on YouTube channels. If you go back several years, you'll see some videos with architects and plants.
Franny Tacy: [00:03:36] And, you know, a few interesting facts about Hemp Creek as an amazing building material.
Joy Beckerman: [00:03:42] I am going to do that tonight. I'm so excited to do that. Yes. Molders is drought resistant, pest resistant, fire resistant, optimal indoor air quality, optimal energy efficiency. It's come in and it's already made its way in to North Carolina. Way back in 2009, those projects started. My goodness, Frannie's foreign to me is a shining example. It is a shining example of using rotational crops, of regenerative agricultural practices and of building community. Let's first start with the crops that you grow and then let's move on to the regenerative agricultural techniques, because how can we deliver this versatile, valuable, promising crop that serves all of humanity's needs? If we're not also going to deliver the good news of regenerative agricultural techniques which build the soil, heal the planet. And in fact, can increase the farmer's bottom line. Let's talk about the family's farm is growing and dulin and and husband dring, if that's the word. The animals you keep.
Franny Tacy: [00:04:46] Yeah. So we bought our farm about seven years ago and it was raw land. Another beautiful video is a barn raising that we did. Well, we brought our community in to help us get the foundation and the timber frames for our two story barn house at eight years old. I started planning gardens for my mother every Mother's Day. And from that at throughout my life, it's bloomed. And the beautiful thing about farming is you can scale up and scale down. So I've always grown and out on the farm. Our first year we started a lot more math agriculture and we've scaled up to provide food. We grow food, seasonal organic air. Lampa For our guests that stay and large on our farm and or our farm to. Several people that live and work on the farm. So we've gone, scaled up and scaled back on a lot of that.
Franny Tacy: [00:05:43] Three years ago, when we planted our first Hemp crop heavily involved with, say, the women in Hemp nonprofit that I helped found, that's funding to female researchers that are actually at the end of this three year trial will produce some of the first Hemp trials data, which is so valuable. I'm very into the research side of it, so valuable for future farmers to really understand what varieties are going to grow and what latitude and climates the variety trials are.
Joy Beckerman: [00:06:17] In fact, the keys to the kingdom here. And as you well know, it's been going on now for several years. And first, growing season in 2014, with that passage and signing of the 2014 Farm Bill, you're doing the work, figuring out, as as I often say, we've got these beautiful certified pedigreed seeds all over the world because we were a little bit late to the game here in terms of 31 other developed countries regulating the crop and in these global seed certifying agencies, creating systems to certify those seeds. But how are they going to work in America's very many different climates and soils and photo periods? And so that some of the major work that you're doing then on Franni Farm is figuring out what's going to grow in your region. Is that correct?
Franny Tacy: [00:07:04] That is correct. So we do a lot of data collection and our trials that we have other farms that are growing for us now and they are also part of the site research trial. And so we're doing data collections at four different sites. Some of the first stuff that's actually done on farms and on the varieties that you're using.
Joy Beckerman: [00:07:26] Would you say they are mostly extract varieties for cannabinoids or Turpin? Are they from grain, that nutrient dense superfood that is the Hemp seed or for fiber or dulin try crop?
Franny Tacy: [00:07:38] So we are growing for cannabinoids now and we work with two geneticists and breeders triangle Hemp at a rally and front range bio sciences at a Colorado. We are really working with the people that are doing all the science data and mass producing and able to get these clowns to seek out other growers. And so I always say it's super important for people getting into the industry to find the best breeders and feed sources.
Joy Beckerman: [00:08:09] Absolutely. We've been talking about now two large lawsuits that have been filed and we'll probably see more. Again, I do think it's a shared responsibility, as you saying. Make sure you get the best because, boy, well, this revolution is happening. We're seeing so much exploitive marketing and frankly, fraudulent marketing telling a farmer everything that they would possibly want to hear about buying a seed for specifically for cannabinoids, which would generally need to be a feminize seed, not a male plant. So they're being pulled. These are feminize. The germination rate is ninety three percent. They're 17 percent CBD, zero percent THC. You're going to get this much bulk per plant. And they tell a farmer everything that they want to hear. And oftentimes it's not true. So what advice could we give folks looking for seeds, sister, find a mentor?
Franny Tacy: [00:09:01] Because those that I do consulting for, I send them to good seed sources, but always get referrals and testimonials. There's so many factors that, you know, some of these breeders can have the same plants and send them to 20 farms and get test results for cannabinoid profiles that have a 20 percent variance. And so it is very important that people find a mentor and learn about growing this crop before they jump again.
Joy Beckerman: [00:09:34] Excellent, excellent advice. And then selling your crop before you grow at all. So really good advice. We want farmers to be successful, particularly without crop insurance this year. Right? And we do. We wanted them to be able to deliver on that promise. And as we build infrastructure, that that's a difficult thing to deliver on. But if everyone takes responsibility and doesn't go into this blindly, ignorantly or with pie in the sky, greedy eyes and ideas and with realistic ideas, as farmers often are. It's fascinating to me. Farmers are some of the most commonsense, critical thinkers I know. And yet when you bring Hemp Hemp into the equation, all of a sudden, sometimes that critical thinking and common sense goes out the window. And that's exactly what we don't want. Keep those critical thinking hats on.
Franny Tacy: [00:10:24] But I would like to introduce everybody to their new best friend. And you're a grower, which is your extension agent. Person and. Every single state, wherever you are, if you will, look out to your local extension agent as they will become one of the most valuable resources for each individual farmer that is growing because each state has different regulations now. Even though the farm bill is passed, there is a lot of gray. And so everybody has a new best friend. Go make your extension agent.
Joy Beckerman: [00:10:58] I feel now from the great state of New York, I moved back to that upstate New York after 21 years in Washington, which was a great primer. But we have Cornell and SUNY, the State University of New York, and in fact, for everybody out there, the Cornell AG Extension Office. If you were to Google Cornell, AG Extension Hemp, you'd come up with a great page with tremendous resources, including a fantastic section on what a good farming contract looks like for cannabinoids with shared risk as well as shared profit and things to watch out for. Very, very important stuff, I think. And tools for farmers.
Dan Humiston: [00:11:38] I want to take a quick break. Thank you for listening to today's show. As the leading Cannabis podcast network. We're constantly adding new Cannabis podcast to support our industry's growth. And that's why we're so excited to announce our newest podcast, The Cannabis Breakout, which premieres October 18th. The show's about the thousands of Americans who remain in prison for violating Cannabis laws that have long since been overturned. The Cannabis breakout gives Cannabis political prisoners a voice. If you're a former Cannabis prisoner or have a loved one with Cannabis prisoner, we want to share your story. Please go to MJBulls.com and sign up to be a guest.
Joy Beckerman: [00:12:22] It took a little bit about what else goes on at Frannie's farm because it sure isn't just Hemp with other crops. Are you growing deer and animals? Are you keeping?
Franny Tacy: [00:12:32] Yeah. So when we started four years ago, it was raw land and we now have seven rotational pastures where we rotate sheep according to the USDA. I'm actually a shepherdess and goat. We have two Hylan cows, a donkey, and we rotate between seven pastures on our farm. And so we're a real example of regenerative ag agro forestry. I work with my group.
Franny Tacy: [00:13:00] We have Mulberries Planet around all these pastures to provide a high protein forage. Right before you go into the winter when they're all pregnant because we do winter lambing. And one of the things that I really started and get heritage poultry with is very, very different even from organic chicken. Very, very different. It can naturally reproduce chickens with seven plus years or people that are into heritage poultry. They're dual purpose birds. I've spoken all over the country for that. So we do a lot of breeding and I ship to farmers all over. I think I'll probably ship to every state in the US.
Franny Tacy: [00:13:39] Now, even Hawaii and Alaska, when I really came from crop, that brown and forestry background, so the animals was what I really wanted to expand into. But we have eco cabins. They all are one grand little sleeping quarters and they have a community building where they share a kitchen, bathhouses, nice shower houses, all in the spirit of creating community. They have a community fire pit. You're not allowed to do that. Your individual site, we stock all the wood. It's all the stuff about building community. We have Blueberry Hill with 100 blueberries and we have bees and a pollinator garden with fruit trees. I call for any farm, the bhola heaven. We have a barn that says love on it and it's huge. And that's really just what it's all about. You know, we do farm camp in the summer and we have kids that come out. They help with the help. They cook with the Hemp every day. There are videos out there all over our channel and on YouTube that show kids say, and here is the only crowd that can food, shelter and provide medicine.
Franny Tacy: [00:14:53] These are parents that are driving their kids all the way out to the farm to educate them and have them experience this. Now, Masters is in special ed. It's very near and dear to my heart. I grew up volunteering for the Special Olympics forever. So our whole facility is handicapped assessable. We do scholarships for farm camp.
Joy Beckerman: [00:15:15] What? To a bowl. A habit.
Franny Tacy: [00:15:18] Many, many people know us. And a claim to fame is goat yoga. That happens at Franny's farm. We on Feisty Day Southern Living posted stuff about it. It's just been a hit. We started three years ago thinking it might be a fad. And still today we are doing two to three classes, private classes every week in mostly for bridal parties. I get cute or shirts without Thorn. And so it has been a great revenue stream for a farm. A lot of what I set out to do was find out how to make small scale agriculture viable as a profession. And I will be honest. It's been really hard. And I think a saying that follows me everywhere is Franni claims to be a great example of what to do and what not to do. I've always very forthright where I made a bad choice. I just got a lot of bad choices to get out and move on. But where to go? You know that we now have something that we call Toelke with a goat, which is the CBD and Hemp awareness class. These are public events. Yes. Get to come out. We put all our Frannie's pharmacy are branded. We have over 50. Products that we manufacture from the Hemp week wear out and process. We rub everybody down with all these topicals and then just like some Frannie's Grammys. They're one brand cowens and we talk with the goats and then we move on to yoga. And it's an educational fine that they call me the final four. SPRATLEY That's as I like to just live life hard and fun. It's just been a great experience for visitors.
Joy Beckerman: [00:17:05] And tell us a little bit because you're clearly, you know, consumed in or immersed in go yoga. For those of us who do have your hearing about it for the first time, what on earth is goat yoga?
Franny Tacy: [00:17:17] So we'll bring people into our space and bring the goat Zen and put them little piles of hay. It all depends on what age the goats are when they're babies. People do yoga and they pretty much just pass baby goats around because they don't have a whole lot of energy to stay up and play long. But it doesn't last long because within about six weeks they are bouncing everywhere. So if you're a tabletop on the floor, they're jumping all over you. And it's just a really fun experience. And then as they get older and that's like seven months, honestly, that's when they've got to be about 20 pounds. And you don't necessarily want them jumping all over. You are amazing. Yoga teacher will put people in warrior poses and we'll throw a little tennis balls at your legs. And I got to run around in circles between your legs. I got a kid. It's all science and research. But what it does is it is scientifically proven that babies, baby humans, baby animals release endorphins. It's this light magic in a sense that chemically releases endorphins. And so people are just laughing and stretching and breathing and just transforming, evolving and giving it for a farm. The Bhola have having more energy just flow in both ways. I cannot buy it.
Joy Beckerman: [00:18:46] I can not wait to visit Franni Farm. Oh, my goodness. Let's talk now a little bit about your farming practices. Again, this is where it's so many areas. You are such a shining example, just in a million different directions here. A phenomenal woman, a phenomenal human being to have on the planet, to have with us in the Hemp movement and certainly to have with us in the regenerative agricultural movement. Tell us about these practices, Franni, some that you use from cover crops to integrated pest management.
Franny Tacy: [00:19:18] When I started my farm seven years ago, there are six different regenerative ag places across the world that I researched and I said any farm will be the seventh wonder of the world. So when we started, everything we planted is a native. We have planted nut trees, fruit trees, non GMO blueberries that come from a lineage of over a hundred years. We build our own compost and make around compost to an extent that we even know how to amend it to the specific crops we're growing. So for instance, when we do tomato crops, we might be adding bone meal to our compost. Everything we do with and our entire farm is so integrated yet we don't know our body, but we rotate our animals some of our grazers that if the grass, some of them are browser's, they eat the leaves and pest management. This has been a huge thing for Hemp growers the past few years. And one thing that I am not able to offer a lot of advice on through experience because we are so diverse with flowers, ornamentals, vegetables, animals. We have been super fortunate not to have some of these major pest problems. Not that we haven't had caterpillars. They all come in, you know, and then they're gone within a week. But even when we grow our Hemp, we integrate Momsen there we put Buckwheat between the rows, all an effort to always keep the soil as the focus in the top of mind. Everybody knows I live by the lap principle and that means land animals than people never take a fillets. If you are not a priority, it's because the animals are. The lambs came first, but soil is where all begins. It's an entire living ecosystem from which everything blends. So I'm very end to the soil health as well.
Joy Beckerman: [00:21:25] I say at nearly every show I end up saying if it were not for the top six inches of soil and rainfall and farmers, we'd all be dead. Indeed. You love the. Doyle and indeed, that is the most delicious, complex ecosystem that there is underneath there. Just ad lib when it's healthy soil, it's living, it's vibrant. And man, what I like to take a microscope to the soil at Frannie's farm. Franni. Yes, you fly, boy. And so folks can find you if you want to experience Frannie's farm events, goat yoga, Hemp camp, all of these things. It's Frannie's farm dot com and that's with a y rani's farm dot com. And then of these 50 products, these beautifully curated, crafted, grown with great genetics from wonderfully healthy soil, are you want to get those products? You go to Frannie's pharmacy and that pharmacy with an F. So Franni with a Y pharmacy with an S Franny's pharmacy dot com. And our Web site will have all of that information for you. And I thank you enough for being with us today. For everything that you do, everything that you bring to the planet, to the Hemp movement, to the agricultural world and to your community, both locally, state, federally and worldwide. Sister, I can't wait to have you on again. And and just thank you so much for being with us today.
Franny Tacy: [00:22:56] Thank you so much, Joy. I really appreciate the conversation and all that you do. And yeah. There's an asset for every farm and Frannie's farmers they put in the farm that they are even back in pharmacy. That's the way it is today. A man, a man.
Joy Beckerman: [00:23:12] You go forth and have a great rest of the week, Frannie. Thank you. Thank you. May I?
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