Once hailed as a boomtown for hemp, the Uncompahgre Valley saw hundreds of acres go green in 2019. Farmers tore up onions and corn, converted entire fields, and bet big on the new cash crop, giving birth to what would be called the “Green Rush.”

But when the market became saturated and prices collapsed, most of those growers walked away.

Typhoon Farma didn’t. And now, as demand for high-quality hemp rebounds—especially overseas—Montrose is positioning itself as a global leader in floral hemp, with Typhoon at the center.

“I really think this is the Napa Valley of what we do,” said Ryan Eakes, chief operating officer at Typhoon. “What Napa Valley is to wine grapes, that’s what the Montrose Valley is to floral hemp.”

From its greenhouses to its fields, Typhoon Farma, located up Spring Creek on 6100 Road, has grown into the largest cannabinoid hemp producer in Colorado, with ambitions to become one of the largest in the country. This year alone, the company is cultivating more than 300 acres, nearly doubling its footprint from 2024.

That expansion is fueled by long-term contracts with pharmaceutical-grade processors who convert their hemp into bulk ingredients for export to countries like Australia, Portugal, Brazil and India.

Contracts involve food and beverage products, like alcohol alternative CBD drinks and hemp-infused beverages in the U.K. market.

“We’re definitely going to be top 10 in the country this year,” Eakes said. “And this is all with the focus on producing pharmaceutical-grade biomass, with the certifications and practices to match.”

From bust to boom

Back in 2019, hemp covered the Montrose Valley. But as new farmers flooded the market and processing infrastructure failed to keep pace, prices plummeted.

“It was the Green Rush,” said Matt Brickey, Typhoon’s general manager, who only joined the company in the past two years but has a long history in the cannabanoid industry and large-scale farming. “Everybody thought they were going to make a fortune. But a lot of people didn’t understand how hard it was to grow hemp well.”

Typhoon, founded the same year, survived by staying lean and growing smart.

“Instead of ballooning to 2,000 acres, we started around 100 and just focused on doing it right,” Eakes said. “We leased equipment when we needed it. We didn’t take on massive capital costs. We invested in people and process.”

Today, their operation includes greenhouses with foggers aimed at regulating temperature, and environmental controls tracking humidity and heat. Inside, thousands of seedlings grow in plastic trays, nourished under precise conditions.

Each tray holds 72 starts, or very small plants, and every bay of trays represents about 40 acres of field planting. By season’s end, Typhoon expects to plant nearly three-quarters of a million seeds, with a projected field survival rate of 98 percent.

“Everything’s about efficiencies,” Brickey said. “We’re focused on minimizing stunting, optimizing germination, and making sure our transplanting and bedding systems are as dialed-in as possible.”

Automation and growth

One of Typhoon’s major initiatives this season is expanding automation, from irrigation to transplanting and field management.

“We’re trying to save our people time and energy,” Brickey said. “We’re not looking to work anyone to death. The goal is to be smart, to be sustainable, and to grow with purpose.”

The new systems will eventually control watering, climate, and environmental adjustments via centralized controllers. The goal is not to eliminate workers, Brickey said, but to make better use of their time and ensure consistent quality.

As the industry evolves, automation is also helping to meet rigorous quality standards. With GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) and organic certifications, Typhoon can trace plants from seed to harvest.

“I can tell you exactly what tray a plant was seeded in, what pot it was grown in, when it was watered, and what row it ended up in the field,” Brickey said.

Global demand, local roots

While U.S. regulations for hemp-derived products remain in flux, international demand is booming. Pharmaceutical and wellness companies abroad are seeking high-CBD, low-THC hemp for supplements, topicals, and infused products.

“We’re talking about CBD that’s going into drinks, pharmaceuticals, and alcohol alternatives,” Eakes said. “And we have contracts now that are paying us to grow, not just hoping someone buys it later.”

Those contracts have changed the game. Typhoon no longer grows on speculation. Instead, they pre-sell most of their biomass to buyers who trust the farm’s quality and consistency.

“It used to be: grow, harvest, hope,” Eakes said. “Now, it’s: grow to order, deliver what’s needed.”

Eakes said all of the surplus CBD that was planted in 2019 from “Green Rush” participants all over the country has finally run out. Now, processors are looking for more product; Typhoon Farma was there waiting to fill those orders.

Eakes and Brickey now understand what processors are looking for. That includes premium genetics. Typhoon works only with tested seed varieties, selecting for germination rate, cannabinoid profiles, and field resilience.

“We’ve run a lot of these genetics for years,” Brickey said. “We know what the plants should look like at every stage. We start testing as soon as they flower to make sure THC levels stay within the legal threshold.”

A Model for Others

Despite their growth, Typhoon wants to see more local farms return to hemp. And they’re working to make that happen.

“If a company like Pepsi wants to get into hemp products, they’re going to need, say, a thousand acres of high-quality supply,” Eakes said. “We might not be able to do that alone, but we can help other farms grow like we do.”

That means sharing knowledge, offering support, and advocating for long-term supply contracts that provide economic security.

“Farmers need to know they’ll get paid,” Eakes said. “That’s what drives this industry forward.”

Typhoon has already purchased and upgraded nearby land, installing drip systems and infrastructure to support their growing model. In future years, they plan to scale more—but only if the market demand supports it.

“We’re not going to grow ourselves into a corner,” Brickey said. “We want to be smart, stay nimble, and keep the quality where it needs to be.”

The future of floral hemp

With the global wellness market expanding and cannabinoid research gaining traction, Brickey and Eakes believe hemp is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

“People are tired of feeling crummy,” Eakes said. “They want sleep, focus, recovery—and hemp can help with that.”

That shift in mindset is reshaping not just the market, but local perception as well.

“Back in 2018, there was still a stigma,” Eakes said. “Now, we host open houses and get hundreds of people who want to learn more. Once they see what we’re actually doing, they get it.”

What they’re doing is striving to be at the forefront of the floral hemp industry.

“We’re committed to this plant,” Brickey said. “This is what we do. And we want to do it better than anyone else.”

Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.