Northford Farm Plans To Use Hemp Buds In Beer Brewed On-Site

NORTHFORD, CT — Local business DeFrancesco Farm is harvesting industrial hemp for use in its craft beers. Legislators toured the site recently including state Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), Senator Richard Blumenthal, state Representative Vincent Candelora (R-Branford) and Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt.

The Northford farm plans on using the wet and dry buds from their hemp plants in their craft beers. The beers are brewed using hops which are also grown on-site.

A new state law requires the Department of Agriculture to adopt regulations for an industrial hemp pilot program in accordance with federal law, according to the statement.

The pilot program will allow for and study the growth, cultivation and marketing of industrial hemp in Connecticut. Only sites registered with and certified by DoAg are allowed to grow hemp in the State.

“I am pleased to see yet another farm and local Connecticut business taking advantage of this brand new trade,” Cohen said in a statement. “The future is bright for an industrial hemp industry in Connecticut and ambitious and successful local businesses like the DeFrancesco Farm possess the expertise to ensure it thrives in our state.”

DeFrancesco Farm offers gardening products and services. The Northford farm also consists of a bakery, brewery and market stocked with fresh produce grown on-site.

The farm also offers a Farmer Harvest Program which runs from late June through September. It enables customers to purchase the very best, freshest vegetables weekly. The produce boxes vary each week, providing customers with a taste of all the DeFrancesco Farm has to offer.

Alex DeFrancesco, the Farm Manager and one of the owners of DeFrancesco Farms, said the opportunities presented by growing and harvesting industrial hemp plants are incredibly advantageous to his business.

“With the farm brewery it’s nice because we’re one of the first farmers in the state to work with the Department of Agriculture and create the legislation and the only one to utilize the legislation to make our farm brewery,” DeFrancesco said. “Our concept is always to be stewards of the land, hence the name of the brewery, and work hand-in-hand with the land and what we can grow here in Connecticut.”

This is the second hemp farm Cohen and Hurlburt have toured since the passage of legislation this session. They previously toured Running Brooks Farms in Killingworth, which has hemp plants growing both outside and in a greenhouse.

According to the Hemp Industries Association, United States retail sales of hemp products totaled nearly $700 million in 2016. The organization also reports retail sales of hemp have increased by around 10 percent every year since 2011. As hemp-based products and CBD oil rise in popularity, these numbers should continue their positive uptick. Blumenthal said in a statement that industrial hemp will greatly benefit Connecticut’s farmers.

“The 2018 Farm Bill – which I strongly supported – has opened the door for Connecticut farmers to participate in the growing hemp industry,” said Blumenthal. “This exciting opportunity allows farmers to diversify their businesses, tap into new revenue streams, and create jobs. Alex and Joseph DeFrancesco’s family farm is demonstrating the ingenuity and take-charge attitude that typifies the Connecticut farmer. I will continue to fight in Washington for our farming community and look forward to watching farms, like J. DeFrancesco & Son, thrive across our state.”