Best of the Industry: Flora Farms

In Missouri’s marijuana industry, Flora Farms has become one of the state’s premier cannabis companies.

In just over two years, Missouri went from its first legal medical marijuana sale to legalizing adult use in a November vote. Three months later, the state opened the door to dispensaries for adults over the age of 21. Bringing in more than $12 million in revenue in the first 72 hours of sales, the state is estimated to bring in roughly $1 billion in revenue in 2023.

In 2021, Flora Farms was the state’s third highest-selling cannabis brand by dollar, according to data from BDSA.  Last year, Flora garnered recognition from industry operators and patients, namedas Greenway’s Best of the Industry for Best Flower Cultivar for their Bubba Fett.

This year, Flora Farms was again selected as Best Flower Cultivar for its GMO, while last year’s best cultivar was named 2022’s Best Pre-roll for Bubba Fett.

Greenway recently spoke to Flora Farms’ Karla Deel about what 2022 meant for the budding company and how it continues to grow.

Tell me about 2022 for your company? 

Last year, Flora Farms leveled up. We strengthened and grew our teams, refined and fine-tuned our processes, opened our manufacturing facility, and expanded our dispensary locations, all the while maintaining our humble roots.

What about your company differentiates you from others in Missouri, and generally speaking?

It’s simple. What makes us different is our people. We lovingly refer to our staff as the “Flora Fam” because that is what we are: Family. We have fathers working with their children, and extended family members working alongside other coworkers, once complete strangers who’ve all become family through the farm. The local community where our employees come from has roots in traditional farming and agriculture spanning over a century. We consider ourselves lucky to be a “teaching” farm, raising new generations to love and cultivate marijuana. Our tight-nit network of passionate employees has created a culture that supports each other in growing the best cannabis and growing themselves into the best people they can be. One step inside our cultivation facility and you can feel it.

What makes Flora Farms flower products stand out among a healthy crop of competitors?

Our Cultivation Director Mark “Budd” Buddemeyer says good flower starts with love. When every step in the process is followed with love and care, you end up with a final product that stands out over the rest. When we started cultivating, we had over 150 strains. We’ve narrowed it down to genetics that are strong, consistent, and diverse in THC, cannabinoid, and terpene content.

Budd has perfected some cultivars exclusively for Flora Farms, including Silver Ghost, SAP, and Cobalt Fire, and looks to bring more to market.

In sum, we love how Leafly describes Flora Farms:

“Flora Farms provides no-fuss weed lovers with consistent and reliable flower. They offer many of the classic strains that beginners love, like Blue Dream, Biscotti, Bubba Fett, and Citral Glue—often at a price of $20-30 per eighth.

Flora Farms flower is even more approachable due to a wide range of THC percentages, too. You can find bud with THC levels anywhere between 13 and 30%, including varying amounts of CBD to help you experience the entourage effect.”

What endears your company to patients and others in the industry?

We are born and raised in Missouri, and we are proud of that. We farm in the heart of the Ozarks in rural Humansville, and love where we are and what we do. Our mission is to bring the best cannabis to Missouri patients and consumers at the most accessible and affordable price. We are the people’s cultivator.

With the launch of adult use, how do you intend to stay competitive as the Missouri market continues to grow?

We’re going to stay competitive by being true to our mission: to offer the highest quality flower at the best possible price with the best customer service in the state. Here at Flora Farms, we know a rising tide lifts all boats. When you purchase from or partner with Flora Farms (and that’s exactly what you’re doing; we don’t have customers, we have partners) you gain access to a team that works tirelessly to help you or your business succeed now and for years to come. We have the best flower at the best prices with unmatched supply, variety, and customer service. What more could you want?

What does the legalization of marijuana for adult use mean for your company?

In a word, it means opportunity. Opportunities for our employees to go deeper, learn more, and gain new skills. Opportunities to give more people easier access to more cannabis. Opportunities to expand our product offerings and adapt to the needs of the market. Our facilities now employ over 250 Missourians across cultivation, manufacturing, and dispensary locations. We are fortunate to have dispensaries located across the state in Humansville, Neosho, Ozark, and Springfield, and are continuing to grow.

Can you tell me about some of the employees or leadership that help push your success?

To tell the story of Flora Farms is to tell the stories of the employees who’ve helped build our company. We have some tenacious employees who’ve grown from the ground level up into leadership positions, including Ashton Paris. Ashton started with Flora Farms as a cultivation associate and is now our processing manager who oversees approximately 30 employees in his department. Ashton’s role is massively important. He is responsible for managing all processes that take place after harvest, including removing flower from the stalk (bucking), and implementing the drying and curing processes. Drying and curing helps the plant retain the flavors and effects of terpenes and cannabinoids and is accomplished by ensuring an optimal curing environment. Ashton was born and raised in nearby Bolivar, and we couldn’t be prouder to continue to hire locally.

Can you tell me about the company’s community involvement? 

We love the Humansville community and surrounding towns and take our involvement and impact here seriously. From sponsoring Humansville School District’s sports programs, to being the official sponsor of Bolivar Speedway, to supporting local charitable initiatives with Ozark Food Harvest or assisting Murphy’s Pub in raising funds for gifts to residents of local care facilities, we are grateful for the opportunities to give back to the community that supports us so much.

What plans are on the horizon for the company? 

We are increasing our production to double our capacity size. We are currently phenohunting to bring new genetics to the Missouri market, including some new Flora Farms exclusive strains. Our manufacturing facility is also bringing new products to the market, including infused pre-rolls and distillate carts. The future looks bright around here!