You won’t believe how small cannabis businesses are breaking economic barriers!

The Tohiyusdv Cavalry is a small, black-owned business based in rural Virginia. Basically, they grow and process cannabis for CBD products, but it’s 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.

Through 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. who work together to gain access to the largest cannabis market.

Tohiyusdv, pronounced “toe-hee-yoos-da,” means “calm” and comes from a Native American dialect of the region. James Arrington III, founder of the company, is 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 is his passion for the community, small business, social equity and cannabis that drives the company.

We sat down with James to learn more about Tohiyusdv’s cavalry, a bit of his background, how he and his community have found success, and what they hope to achieve.

Different sides of the tracks

He grew up in Norfolk, Virginia with his two brothers and sister with a vision of two different lifestyles. “We grew up in the Huntersville neighborhood, but I grew up in a white church, so it was interesting to see both sides of the tracks and see the side that some of my friends couldn’t see,” says Arrington. The dichotomy of her upbringing gave him a unique perspective that he took to heart, and he eventually attended Old Dominion University to study electrical engineering with the support of a teacher.

Throughout his formative years, he didn’t really get involved with cannabis, that came much later. However, in his college years, he met his Delta Chi fraternity brother, Ernest Toney, who would become the founder of BIPOCanna nonprofit organization that helps social equity entrepreneurs, minority business owners, and professionals in the cannabis industry.

Working as an electrician to pay his tuition, Arrington graduated and launched what would become a successful career in electrical engineering. He worked as a government subcontractor in war zones, designing electrical systems with security and defense in mind, before starting his own company CalArr Consulting. “What really tied me to the industry was when I started using cannabis for my mental health and to understand who I am,” says Arrington. A combination of her upbringing and his career led to his post-traumatic stress disorder, which then led to cannabis as a tool for his mental health and well-being.

Most recently, he spoke to Ernest Toney, who said: “Look man, I’ve seen what you’ve done with your business over the years and you should consider going into the cannabis industry.” Arrington took that advice and followed it. “So the company I started is a mission-driven company based on healing, cannabis, understanding and helping people,” says Arrington. “Tohiyusdv Cavalry is based on working with small farmers and minorities; We present to you the cannabis industry.”

here comes the cavalry

Right now his company works with hemp and CBD products, but says they are looking to expand into the THC market once Virginia becomes legal and already have some partners they are working with in other states to expand the program.

Tohiyusdv Cavalry has been around for about two years and Arrington says the heartbeat is its artisan farmers program. “These are existing minority farmers in a community, already growing crops like soybeans or corn,” says Arrington. “They are generational farms that have been passed from father to son, some of them almost 100 years old. They have always had to change with the times.” Changing with the times, many of these small rural farms see the hemp market as a potential pivot, but hardly know where to start. “They are starting to hear about farmers in their community who are growing hemp, but are having trouble finding people to buy their crop.”

That’s where cavalry comes into play. “What you see in minority backgrounds is a lot of opportunities like this that are very scary to take,” Arrington says. “We are teaching people how to enter the industry, helping them through processing and market entry using new technology, and we do it at their pace.” Some people in his network just want to rent space on their farm to a hemp grower, others want to dive 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. “We work with them to build a community around their farm,” says Arrington. “We are just the engine behind these small farmers, helping them access the larger market.”

From the beginning

A good example of the work they do is Everbreeze Acres. Based in Rustburg, Virginia, Everbreeze is a 434-acre farm and bakery that has been in the same family for generations. They had an interest in the cannabis market, so they approached Tohiyusdv Cavalry. James and his team came in and built a 2,000 square foot facility that is hydroponic, fully turnkey and automated. “We are teaching them the process and handing it over to them,” says Arrington. “We are teaching them how to care for the plants, grow the crop, harvest and process it, all while collecting data.”

Before brainstorming how they want to market their products and how they want to be represented, the farm owners were still a bit skeptical. Being 70 years old, they wanted to make a product that had some medicinal properties and could help people take care of themselves. So James and his team came up with a plan to launch a daily supplement, similar to a multivitamin.

Now Everbreeze Acres is using CBD as a megaphone to get their story across. They were wary at first, but they found out, they liked it, and now they have a successful cannabis business. “We have their facility up and running and we’re growing various strains that work best for them right now,” says Arrington. “We are a month away from another harvest there.”

building community

Everbreeze Acres embodies the concept of the Tohiyusdv Cavalry. Help small farmers get established in the cannabis industry, build a community around them, and work to support their supporters and their mission.

Small businesses are the cornerstone of many communities, including the cannabis industry. Economic empowerment is also a way to avoid big business. Given the history of Big Tobacco in the Virginia area, many stakeholders are concerned if they will still have a seat at the table when Virginia legalizes adult use of cannabis. “Looking at it in that light, we hope that creating this group of diverse minds and backgrounds is building a table that everyone can sit at,” says Arrington. “We want to give you that place and let you know that yes, this is the room for you, this is the place for you. We are helping and giving them a voice and a megaphone, sharing what they want to see in this industry.”

When asked what advice James would give himself ten years ago, the mood was somber. “Ten years ago, my mentor, former student Dave “BamBam” Hoffman, died. I would say that’s what gave me that kick in the butt, that he wasn’t doing everything that he could do.” He has the same advice for minorities and indigenous peoples entering the industry now: “Don’t be afraid to do it, the skills you have you can put into the industry somehow. Your fit is out there. If it’s the right way, it’s never going to be easy. Push it, keep going,” he says.

growing up in virginia

The Tohiyusdv Cavalry is ready for the day Virginia legalizes adult use of cannabis, but James says he hopes they make room for small farmers. “Small farmers are what make Virginia, Virginia.” They are in talks with some of the larger medical cannabis companies about creating similar programs to supply artisan growers. Through their strategic partners, a lot of their work right now is focused on partner and sponsor outreach, getting more companies interested in sponsoring facilities and investing with small farmers. “Our hope is that we can continue to expand the program and involve more minority farmers in Virginia and continue to grow,” he says. “We are optimistic that we will have three more farms signing this year. And hopefully, when Virginia legalizes adult use of cannabis soon, we’ll be ready to expand into that market and continue to grow.”