Farming First: A 134-Acre Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation And Supply Company Launches In California

Fifth-generation agriculturalist William Terry and entrepreneur Stephen Walden unveiled a new operation on Monday, which is focused on bringing best-in-class farming practices to California's sun-grown cannabis. Rooted in verdant Santa Barbara county, Farming First Holdings LLC has established 134 acres of rolling outdoor cultivation, possessing entitlements for what should become the largest contiguous outdoor cultivation operation in California.

Farming First offers a variety of products and services to the cannabis industry: single-source bulk wholesale flower; white-labeling; co-packaging and custom farming contracts for specific needs, including dried and cured flower, fresh frozen and unique phenotypical and cannabinoid-specific strains. All of Farming First’s cannabis plants are sustainably sun-grown under hoop houses, focusing on rich terpene profiles expressed through the Company’s hybrid farming methodology.

“Farming First isn’t just our name—it’s our mission,” stated co-founder and CEO William Terry. “My family has farmed California’s Central Coast region for more than 125 years, giving me immense respect for the land and surrounding community. Along with Walden and the other founders, we’ve assembled an incredible team that brings together unrivaled cultivation know-how and modern innovation, including agricultural experts, legacy cannabis farmers, lifelong entrepreneurs, and visionary designers and engineers.”

Leadership

Farming First’s recently appointed an executive leadership team that includes:

• William Terry, co-founder and CEO, who has served on a variety of boards, including as president of the Ventura County Farm Bureau, the University of California's Hansen Fund, California Pepper Commission, and others. He also serves as vice president of Terry Farms, a 2,000+ acre specialty crop operation.

• Stephen Walden, co-founder and COO who also co-founded Farming First and founded Bosse Tools, revolutionizing hardware tools with ergonomic design that he patented and later licensed. He also launched a lifestyle cannabis brand in 2018.

• Scott Wilson, chief branding officer. Wilson is the former chief experience officer at Cresco Labs, responsible for creating the industry-leading MSO’s House of Brands. He is the founder and principal designer of the product development, brand strategy and business innovation firm MNML, creating billions of dollars of commercial success for brands including Nike, Nespresso, Theragun, Bang & Olufsen, Google, Meta and Xbox. Wilson received the prestigious Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award, an honor bestowed by the White House on the nation’s top designer each year.

• Thomas Salzillo, chief finance officer is a Southern California native with a background in accounting. Salzillo’s demonstrable influence and financial prowess in the cannabis industry were recognized with the designation of 2019 CPA of the Year by the California Cannabis Awards.

• Mario de la Piedra, vice president of operations. Born and raised in Ventura County, de la Piedra has been involved in all aspects of agriculture, including farming, political advocacy and, most recently, the founding of an agribusiness insurance company. He currently serves as an advisor to Seso, an agtech labor marketplace.

The company has raised over $35M in private funding since its inception, with plans to expand the farm’s scale and yield.

Photo: Courtesy of Farming First