{"id":9684,"date":"2023-06-06T13:31:14","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T13:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabisindustryjournal.com\/?post_type=feature_article&amp;p=36593"},"modified":"2023-06-06T13:31:14","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T13:31:14","slug":"the-craft-cannabis-cavalry-a-story-of-small-business-economic-empowerment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/the-craft-cannabis-cavalry-a-story-of-small-business-economic-empowerment\/","title":{"rendered":"The Craft Cannabis Cavalry: A Story of Small Business &amp; Economic\u00a0Empowerment"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/the-craft-cannabis-cavalry-a-story-of-small-business-economic-empowerment\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tohiyusdvcavalry.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Tohiyusdv Cavalry<\/a> is a black-owned small business based in rural Virginia. At its core, they grow and process cannabis for CBD products, but it\u2019s really much more than that. Through its Precision Craft Farmer Program, the company works with existing small minority-owned farms to introduce them to the cannabis market.<\/p>\n<p>Via land leasing, profit-sharing, crop-sharing, facility design, community involvement and incubator-style support, Tohiyusdv Cavalry has built a network of farmers and a community around them that work together to gain access to the larger cannabis market.<\/p>\n<p>Tohiyusdv, pronounced \u201ctoe-hee-yoos-da,\u201d means \u201ccalm\u201d and comes from a Native American dialect in the region. James Arrington III, founder of the company, is both African American and Native American, so the name is a nod to his roots. While Arrington insists he is just one part of this larger organization, it\u2019s his passion for community, small business, social equity and cannabis that drives the company.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36599\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36599\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cannabisindustryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/James.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36599\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/the-craft-cannabis-cavalry-a-story-of-small-business-economic-empowerment.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"186\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36599\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">James C. Arrington III, founder of Tohiyusdv Cavalry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We sat down with James to learn more about the Tohiyusdv Cavalry, a bit of his background, how him and his community have found success and what they hope to achieve.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Different Sides of the Tracks<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>He grew up in Norfolk, Virginia alongside his two brothers and sister with a view of two different lifestyles. \u201cWe grew up in the hood of Huntersville, but I was raised in a white church, so it was interesting seeing both sides of the tracks and seeing the side that some of my friends couldn\u2019t see,\u201d says Arrington. The dichotomy of his upbringing gave him a unique perspective that he took to heart, eventually going to Old Dominion University for electrical engineering at the encouragement of a teacher.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout his formative years, he didn\u2019t really get involved with cannabis \u2013 that came much later. In his college years though, he met his Delta Chi fraternity brother Ernest Toney, who would go on to become the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/bipocann.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BIPOCann<\/a>, a nonprofit that helps social equity entrepreneurs, minority business owners and professionals in the cannabis industry.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36600\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36600\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cannabisindustryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/James-hemp.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36600\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/the-craft-cannabis-cavalry-a-story-of-small-business-economic-empowerment-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"112\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36600\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arrington with a recent indoor hemp crop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Working as an electrician to pay for tuition, Arrington graduated and launched what would become a successful career in electrical engineering. He worked as a subcontractor for the government in warzones, designing electrical systems with security and defense in mind, before starting his own company CalArr Consulting. \u201cWhat really tied me to the industry was when I started using cannabis for my mental health and to understand who I am,\u201d says Arrington. A combination of his upbringing and his career led to his PTSD, which then led him to cannabis as a tool for his wellbeing and mental health.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, he spoke with Ernest Toney, who said, \u201cLook man, I\u2019ve seen what you\u2019ve done with your business over the years and you should consider getting into the cannabis industry.\u201d Arrington took that advice and ran with it. \u201cSo, the company I started is a mission-driven company based around healing, cannabis, understanding and helping people,\u201d says Arrington. \u201cTohiyusdv Cavalry is based around working with small farmers and minorities; We introduce them to the cannabis industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Here Comes the Cavalry<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Right now, his company works with hemp and CBD products, but he says they are looking to expand into the THC market once Virginia legalizes and they already have some partners they\u2019re working with in other states to expand the program.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cannabisindustryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Logo_Green.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-36601\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/the-craft-cannabis-cavalry-a-story-of-small-business-economic-empowerment-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"89\" \/><\/a>Tohiyusdv Cavalry has been around for about two years now and Arrington says the heartbeat of it is their craft farmer program. \u201cThese are existing minority farmers in a community, already growing crops like soybean or corn,\u201d says Arrington. \u201cThese are generational farms that have been passed down through family, some of them almost 100 years. They\u2019ve always had to change with the times.\u201d In changing with the times, a lot of these small, rural farms are seeing the hemp market as a possible pivot, but hardly know where to begin. \u201cThey are starting to hear about farmers in their community growing hemp, but having trouble finding folks to buy their crop.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36594\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36594\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cannabisindustryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Tohiyusdv-Cavalry-Product-line.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36594\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/the-craft-cannabis-cavalry-a-story-of-small-business-economic-empowerment.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"152\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36594\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some of the products from Tohiysudv Cavalry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That\u2019s where the Cavalry comes in. \u201cWhat you see in minority backgrounds is a lot of opportunities like this that are very scary to step into,\u201d says Arrington. \u201cWe\u2019re teaching people how to get into the industry, helping them through processing and getting on the market using new technology, and we do it at their pace.\u201d Some folks in their network just want to rent space on their farm out to a hemp grower, others want to dive right in and create CBD products. They operate a white label program for some and help set up turnkey facilities complete with extraction and processing for others. \u201cWe work with them to build a community around their farm,\u201d says Arrington. \u201cWe are just the engine behind these small farmers helping them get access to the larger market.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong>From the Ground Up<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>A good example of the work they put in is Everbreeze Acres. Based in Rustburg, Virginia, Everbreeze is a 434-acre farm and bakery that\u2019s been in the same family for generations. They had an interest in the cannabis market, so they approached Tohiyusdv Cavalry. James and his crew came in and built a 2,000-square-foot facility that is hydroponic, fully turnkey and automated. \u201cWe are teaching them the process and turning it over to them,\u201d says Arrington. \u201cWe are teaching them how to take care of the plants, grow the crop, harvest and process it, all while collecting data.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36603\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36603\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cannabisindustryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Photo-Jul-12-2022-9-29-12-AM-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36603\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/the-craft-cannabis-cavalry-a-story-of-small-business-economic-empowerment-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36603\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Everbreeze Acres<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Before brainstorming how they want to market their products and how they want to be represented, the owners of the farm were still a little skeptical. Being in their 70s, they wanted to make a product that has some medicinal properties and could help people take care of themselves. So, James and his team put together a plan to launch a daily supplement, akin to a multivitamin.<\/p>\n<p>Now Everbreeze Acres is using CBD as a megaphone to communicate their story. They were wary at first, but learned about it, grew to like it and now run a fruitful cannabis business. \u201cWe have their facility up and running and we\u2019re growing several strains that work best for them right now,\u201d says Arrington. \u201cWe\u2019re about a month away from another harvest there.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Building Community<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Everbreeze Acres embodies the concept of the Tohiyusdv Cavalry. Helping small farmers establish themselves in the cannabis industry, building community around them and working to help their following and their mission.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36602\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36602\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cannabisindustryjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/TC_Building_D-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36602\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/the-craft-cannabis-cavalry-a-story-of-small-business-economic-empowerment-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36602\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Tohiyudv Cavalry cultivation facility<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Small business is the keystone of many communities, the cannabis industry included. Economic empowerment is sort of a way of staving off big business too. Given the history of big tobacco in the Virginia area, many stakeholders are worried if they\u2019ll still have a seat at the table when Virginia legalizes adult use cannabis. \u201cLooking at it in that sense, we are hoping that creating this group of diverse minds and backgrounds is building a table where everyone can sit at,\u201d says Arrington. \u201cWe want to provide that place for them and let them know that, yes, this is the room for you, this is the place for you. We\u2019re lending a helping hand and giving them a voice and a megaphone, sharing what they want to see in this industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When asked what advice James would give himself ten years ago, the mood was somber. \u201cTen years ago, my mentor, alumni Dave \u201cBamBam\u201d Hoffman died. I would say that was the thing that gave me that kick in the ass, that I wasn\u2019t doing everything I could do.\u201d He has the same advice for minorities and indigenous people getting into the industry now: \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to do it, the skills that you have you can put into the industry in some way. Your fit is out there. If it\u2019s the right way, it\u2019s never going to be easy. Push through it, keep going,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Growing in Virginia<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Tohiyusdv Cavalry is ready for the day that Virginia legalizes adult use cannabis, but James says he hopes they make room for the small farmers. \u201cSmall farmers are what makes Virginia, Virginia.\u201d They are in talks with some larger medical cannabis companies about creating similar programs for sourcing from craft growers. Through their strategic partners, a big part of their work right now is around partner and sponsor outreach, getting more businesses interested in sponsoring facilities and investing with small farmers. \u201cOur hope is that we\u2019ll be able to keep expanding the program and involve more minority farmers in Virginia and that it will only keep growing,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re optimistic that we\u2019ll have three more farms signing on this year. And hopefully when Virginia legalizes adult use cannabis soon, we\u2019ll be ready to expand in that market and keep on growing.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\">\n<div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\">\n<h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Tohiyusdv Cavalry is a black-owned small business based in rural Virginia. At its core, they grow and process cannabis for CBD products, but it\u2019s really much more than that. Through its Precision Craft Farmer Program, the company works with existing small minority-owned farms to introduce them to the cannabis market. Via land leasing, profit-sharing, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9851,8459,7814,9852,9853,6406,5062,8502,9854,52,9855,330,8509,8461,9856,9099,5179,8503,9376,9377,9378,9857,9257,9858,8564,8181,5185,5186,6970,1964,5334,5995,55,9859,2254,9860,6288,6556,184,2299,8605,6430,77,8469,6431,9,2561,9861,9862,9863,9864,8504,9865,8865,8471,8554,9224,8472,421,5236,8518,6845,9866,9867,9259,1735,8477,1,3,18,9868,475,61,1736],"tags":[9869,8481,7815,9870,9871,6413,5063,8528,9872,2632,9873,2908,8535,8483,9874,9114,5181,8529,9393,9394,9395,9875,9263,9876,8586,8182,5193,5194,6972,4532,5350,6001,2635,9877,4821,9878,6292,2415,2762,4866,8620,6433,2655,8491,6434,35,9879,9880,9881,9882,8530,9883,8898,8493,8576,9229,8494,2999,5238,8544,6846,9884,9885,9265,4303,8499,2622,9886,3049],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9684"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9684\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}