Flora Farms named Best Cultivator by Greenway readers

Flora Farms has solidified its status as a leading entity in the Missouri marijuana market as one of the state’s most successful vertical operations.

But Flora has also earned a reputation as one of Missouri’s most consistent cultivators, producing high quality cannabis cultivars year after year.

In 2022, the company was recognized by Greenway readers as Best of the Industry for Best Flower Cultivar for its Bubba Fett strain. In 2023, Flora Farms clinched the Best Flower Cultivar title once more for its GMO strain, demonstrating its consistent ability to deliver top-quality products. Additionally, Bubba Fett, the previous year’s Best Flower Cultivar, was named 2023’s Best Pre-roll, showcasing the brand’s consistency and quality from year to year.

In 2024, Flora Farms was recognized yet again, this time earning the title of Best Cultivator. This accolade reflects Flora Farms’ pivotal role in elevating Missouri’s cannabis industry standards, further establishing its reputation as a premier cannabis company within the state and beyond.

Greenway recently spoke to Flora Farms’ Vivian Wheeler about what made 2023 a landmark year for the company and industry and how Flora Farms continues to pro what it takes to build a reputation for quality.

“For Flora Farms, 2023 was both an exciting and challenging year,” Wheeler explained. “After the intoxicating success of passing Adult Use in November of 2022, we had 3 months to prepare for a huge increase in our business. We were able to grow a back stock of 10,000 pounds that we were able to sell in the 2 weeks leading up to (Adult Use sales). We also began selling every gram of marijuana we had at the farm in 4 minutes every Friday. But this staggering success also came with difficulties. We were able to double the size of our staff to meet demand but we still didn’t have enough product for everyone in the state and we were unable to take care of everyone. This was one of the hardest times we’ve had. For two years, our job was helping every one of our partners succeed, but overnight, we weren’t able to keep up. Luckily, our investors decided to spend $18 million building out our third license so we never had to tell anyone no ever again. And we’ve been trying our best to take care of everyone ever since.”

What about Flora Farms differentiates the company from other cultivators?

We love our partner cultivators around the state. And everyone does things a little differently, but it’s so nice to work in an industry where we truly respect our friends and competitors. It’s always been Flora’s mission to supply Missouri with the largest variety of high-quality strains at a reasonable price and we’ve been able to maintain that through all the ups and downs of this industry. At the end of the day, there are people everywhere who need great weed at an affordable price. We love growing the best weed we can, but we love supplying it to people without breaking the bank even better.

What makes Flora Farms flower unique?

We really let the plants tell us what to do. It’s all well and good to grow the highest THC percentage or the biggest impressive top colas, but we let the plants lead the way and price our flower accordingly. We have THC bombs for those looking to explore the stratosphere, we have gorgeous nuggs that deserve to be shown off on Instagram, but what we really love is great weed at a great price.

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

The monetary increase has been huge for us. It’s so nice to be growing at the level we always dreamed but it’s also allowed us to double the size of our staff creating a huge increase in jobs at our farm, MIP, and dispensaries around the state. We’ve been able to open one new dispensary with more on the way. We’re so excited for the opportunity to move into new markets and bring the same level of success we’ve had to other cities throughout Missouri.

With the launch of adult use, what changes did your company see or make in 2023? 

We had to focus on operational efficiency at every level. The increase in business was a real stress test on our teams and facilities. Fortunately, we’ve been able to weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side. And we’re committed to continue growing and learning as we move forward.

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

Mark Hendren and Mary Kate Black have been at the center of Flora Farms’ success throughout adult use. Mark has been a calm steady presence at the helm helping us deal with all the fluctuations in the market and making sure we stay true to our values through the celebrations and challenges. And Mary Kate has helped usher in a new era of retail success than we’ve seen before. Seeing her invest in the teams that run these shops has been such a huge benefit for their communities. But we couldn’t have done this without every member of the Flora team.

What plans are on the horizon for the company? 

We’re going to continue doing our best. That means growing the farm, the lab, and our retail footprint while maintaining the efficiency that’s made us successful. Then we’re going to pass that savings on to the community through ever-increasing quality and affordable prices. We’ve recently acquired Bison Infused, so that has become a huge focus. We’re also in the process of building our sixth dispensary, located in Hollister, Missouri.