Stephen Walden

“As each of our initial cannabis endeavors took new, and not necessarily glamorous turns, we discovered an opportunity for all of us to combine forces,” he says. “It was incredibly organic as we all knew each other from younger years and quickly formed a strong foundation for creating Farming First.”

Q&A

What led to you co-founding Farming First? 

The founding of Farming First only occurred once we assembled the founding team and it was by pure happenstance that a group of classmates from Loyola Marymount University all went different directions after graduation, but all made their way to the cannabis industry ten years later. Each one of us left college to pursue a completely different industry and different career path. Whether this was agriculture, brand building and supply chain, or accounting, the eventual founders of Farming First all stayed in touch through alumni events and overlapping friend groups. As each of our initials cannabis endeavors took new, and not necessarily glamorous turns, we discovered an opportunity for all of us to combine forces – it was incredibly organic as we all knew each other from younger years and quickly formed a strong foundation for creating Farming First.  “A farmer, a businessman, and an accountant walk into a bar” …it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but it’s actually the beginning of Farming First.

How is Farming First different from its competitors? 

Farming First stands out from the competition with its focus on environmental impact. Of course, like all businesses in this industry, quality cannabis is a major focus as is some element of sustainability. For us, it starts with respect for the environment and the natural resources we share with the surrounding land. Farming First’s licensed cannabis property comprises a 134 acre swatch within our 1353 acre canyon. Within the hillsides, we share resources with native creatures, waterways, and trees over a hundred years old.  All of this makes us realize that we are sharing in a much larger eco-system and it is our responsibility as a company to take care of the land surrounding our farm, not just the farm itself. As much as our company focuses on quality of the cannabis, environmental impact is never an afterthought, it actually comes before the plants even go into the ground. From water conservation and recycling to the use of solar energy and protection of native species, cultivation without the use of excessive power consuming brick-and-mortar buildings allows us to focus on respect for the land while simultaneously producing quality cannabis for our customers.

What aspects or lessons from your theological studies have been applied to your work in the cannabis industry? 

Conduct yourself with humility. I am not the most experienced person in the cannabis industry and every single day I am given the opportunity to work with people who have dedicated significant portions of their lives to cannabis.  Being able to learn from others and respect their experience humbles me. The study of theology includes the study traditions, cultures, and ways of life passed down through many generations as lessons and teachings. In a similar manner, the cannabis industry has deep rooted traditions with respect for the risk takers and the trailblazers of the past that get passed down to the new generation of people entering the industry.  Combining my passion for setting my own path in this industry is enjoyably buffered by a respect for those who broke down barriers in this industry so that we can operate Farming First today.

What has been your biggest career milestone thus far?

My personal biggest career milestone, to be honest, was a company pizza party that we had in late 2022. As an entrepreneur, it is easy to get caught up in personal achievements like fundraising, securing patents, or inking a business deal. Building a farm, building a brand, and building a company from the ground up are all less satisfying than building a team. As someone with a passion for baseball, I often find myself using it as an analogy for business. It’s worth nothing to be a gold-glove winning infielder or a homerun hitting machine if you aren’t part of a team that works together for a common goal of winning the championship.  So as much as a pizza party seems silly, being surrounded by teammates and co-founders working together with a united purpose stands out as my biggest career milestone thus far.