Regenerative Business Practices
Our Guiding Principles
At First Crop™, we have been inspired by a set of guiding principles developed by Capital Institute that influence human and environmental health and our business model is regenerative from soil to shelf to soul. Current business practices focus on taking, but we are focused on giving back. Our business model is based on the regenerative principles of financial inclusion, empowered participation, resource sharing and honoring those with whom we work. That is why we share 10% of our profits with our partner farmers and their communities through an innovative profit-sharing program and grants made through the First Crop™ Community Foundation.
Key Regenerative Principles
Holistic Wealth
We live and work in a soul-nurturing environment, that recognizes a larger sense of purpose. We recognize that wealth comes in many forms—yes monetary, but also social, cultural and experiential—and we seek shared prosperity. Our employees, vendors and partner farmers are encouraged to use their gifts and talents to achieve a greater good. We all have an appreciation for nature and feel it is our duty to nurture and care for our planet and each other.
In Right Relationship
We are part of an interconnected web of life and there is no distinction between our health and the health of the planet.
Innovative, Adaptive & Responsive
In an ever-changing world and rapidly growing industry, we will always keep learning and adapt what we’ve learned to remain resilient and healthy.
Empowered Participation
The health of “the whole” is only as good as its individual parts. We encourage strong collaboration among our farmer partners, share best practices and celebrate each individual’s contribution to our success as a company. We elevate and empower each other, motivated by the desire to work toward the same larger purpose.
Honor Communities & Place
We nurture the communities in which we operate and honor our partner farmers, their homes and their heritage. We regeneratively give back with the goal to help revitalize small farms and communities so they continue to thrive for many generations to come.
Robust Circulation of Resources
We recognize the economic health of small farms and their communities depends on the sharing and recirculation of money, information, goods and services. That is why we share our expertise and 10% of our profits with our farmer partners and the communities in which they live through an innovative profit-sharing program and grants made through the First Crop™ Community Foundation. We are stronger together and, together, we will have a larger, more positive impact.
Balance
A vibrant, regenerative system requires balance to achieve both efficiency and resilience. We seek balance as an essential element to keep nature and our souls in harmony.
USDA Certified Organic and Regenerative Farming Practices
All of First Crop’s ™ CBD products are made from USDA-certified organic CBD oil extracted from hemp grown using strict organic and regenerative farming practices. Organic and regenerative farming practices eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides which have contributed to declining soil health and water quality in rural communities and provide consumers with confidence that our CBD products do not contain any heavy metals, solvents, or pesticide residue.
Regenerative agriculture also bolsters the soil’s resiliency and increases water retention. Land with greater biodiversity is characterized by an increase in hardiness and heartiness. Regenerative agricultural practices enhance the ability of crops to withstand shocks and stresses such as harsh weather. Hemp plants have substantial taproots which grow deep into the soil, and appreciably increase the plant’s ability to withstand high winds. Hemp’s resiliency and durability is especially beneficial during this time of extraordinary weather conditions we have been experiencing.