11/26/2014
My Chosen Destiny (Good or Bad)
Kerry Herndon
For the past 14 years it has been my great honor and pleasure to share my thoughts and ideas with all of you, but it is time for new voices on these pages. We’ve been together through some very good times and some very difficult times. The world goes forward no matter what anyone’s personal situation. For myself, ornamental horticulture has been my life’s work. I never expected to do anything else. I will continue with ornamental production as always, but there are other things that will require a lot of my time and energy.
I’ve become very interested in the production of organically grown produce for our local markets. Very short cycle crops that require intense vigilance. This is a whole new world, with very different market channels. Local and organic are growing in importance as the farm-to-table trend is increasing everywhere in the country. There’s something deeply satisfying about growing food that people eat. The food culture transcends the politics of the moment. Everyone likes good food. Fresh herbs and produce are becoming the center attraction. For a produce grower, that’s as good as it gets. Having personal relationships with chefs and food providers is quite different from my years of mass market relationships. Not better, not worse, just different.
Another nearly all-consuming passion of mine is medical cannabis. At first, it was about the money. But now that I have a deep understanding of the science (very few people involved in the discussion do) it’s about the healing. Finding and studying a federal government patent on the medical uses and benefits of cannabidiol changed the way I see the world. Here is a public document produced by the most respected medical researchers on the planet earth listing the astonishing powers of this plant, with detailed research proofs. It describes cannabidiol’s neuronal protective properties against a wide range of degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, that have been completely resistant to other treatments. This document should be an embarrassment to the law-enforcement branch that maintains the illegal status of cannabis in any form. It’s important for people in our industry to educate themselves on the science, and stay away from the unproductive politics of this issue.
Based on my research, I can now say with complete confidence that a serious mistake has been committed by people who thought they were doing the right thing. Hundreds of thousands of children with intractable epilepsy have been condemned to horrible suffering and death because of a flawed political and medical premise. How tragic! It is impossible, after meeting the parents of these children, to not want to help them with what for growers is a simple solution. Grow what they need and provide it as cheaply as possible in as high a quality as possible. I never intend to make money on these sick children. The
market is huge, and there are plenty of other options to monetize this business while helping people in ways that the current medical community will not embrace.
The biggest problem with the cannabis industry is that it’s populated by a lot of people who are former criminals and opportunistic wackos seeking easy riches. Professional horticulture is hard to find. Of course, real business people and horticulturists will eventually control the business. Along with politically connected investors—the rules will always make sure the rich and powerful will get more than their share. That is how our society and economy are currently organized.
Well … this has been quite a soap box I’ve been standing on. You can see that I have very strong feeling about these issues. This has laid a path before me that I must now walk. It is my chosen destiny, good or bad. I want for you, dear reader, a good path of your choosing and a fulfilled life. Thank you for reading my scribbles all these years.
GP
Kerry Herndon owns and operates Kerry's Nursery Inc. in Homestead, Florida. He can be reached at kherndon@kerrys.com.