Feature Story – The Maverick of Marysville

The Maverick of Marysville

Hemp Grower Shares Strategies for Buying Seeds and More

(Marysville, OH) Making the turn into April Currati’s farm in Marysville, a rooster crows on cue and dogs signal that someone’s in the driveway. In the distance, a four-wheeler fires up and makes its way from the fields at the back of the property. Wearing green, mirrored sunglasses, April steers her ATV toward the farmhouse to welcome us.

It’s a clear, summer afternoon and light showers passing through earlier in the day were just enough to make the hemp growing in her field perk up in a vibrant shade of green and the soil gush softly beneath her sandals as she leads us along rows to view her crop. It’s been super dry, she says, and the yards of irrigation hose winding along the plants have been put to use. In Colorado, where she first started growing hemp three years ago, supplemental irrigation was common, she said, and farm supply stores kept a consistent stock of it.

Next, we follow her inside the shed designed to house April’s seedlings. Rows of perfect sprouts line up like soldiers under a grow lamp. “This is my favorite part,” she says.

Adjacent to her main field, a newly constructed hoop greenhouse is full to the brim with healthy hemp plants enjoying their controlled environment. A display of her product line, Ohio Apothecary, is arranged near the entrance and we’re introduced to some of her tinctures, salves, pet treats and loose-leaf teas she produces as a licensed Ohio Hemp Cultivator. Her products are Ohio Department of Agriculture Certified and contain carefully selected ingredients like “specifically organic MCT oil” – a refined coconut oil the body can easily digest and transport to the liver to be converted to energy.

A staunch supporter of local businesses, she sources ingredients nearby when at all possible. “I buy my beeswax from a guy fifteen miles away,” she said.

Sitting down to talk to her about her hemp growing experience, April describes herself as a teacher first and foremost. “Education is my passion,” she said. In Ohio’s infant hemp industry, her engaging presence on social media shows she enjoys sharing what she’s learned and educating fellow farmers. “There’s no reason why we can’t help each other,” she said. As founder of Facebook’s, Ohio Hemp Growers Helping Growers group, April’s upbeat posts are fun and informative; members collaborate with updates and national hemp news.

Helping new hemp growers is something April does in part so others can avoid the problems she’s run into. Buying seeds is one of the toughest tasks for a new grower and she learned the hard way; buying 10,000 seeds that turned out to be not what was promised and losing her entire first growing season as a result. “If you don’t buy it (seeds) direct from the breeder, it’s not worth it,” she said. “I wouldn’t do it.” She recommends asking tons of questions when contacting a seed retailer such as if their seeds are early growers and whether they are drought, mold, and mildew resistant. If you have your eye on a particular variety, April suggests inquiring “what spacing is recommended for the seed and for any and all COA’s they have available.”

“They may be leery to show any above the .3% mark,” she said, “but it’s important to understand when the flower should be harvested to remain compliant. I generally like to ask about the parentage as well. This information they may or may not want to give to you, but you should at least understand what to expect from that variety. It’s also very important to ask for references from a breeder or if they have any flower samples they can send.”

Oregon CBD, High Alpine Genetics, and Front Range Biosciences are seed breeders April recommends. “You’ve got to be willing to talk to people,” she said. “There’s stars who rise to the top, breeders I’ve learned to trust.”

It’s the wild west in seed buying for a new hemp grower. “You have to ask the right questions,” she said.