Producer Profiles

The 100% certified organic Jahnke Family Farm has been nestled in the hills of Wisconsin’s Driftless region near Lancaster for over 100 years. Managed since 1991 by Kevin (Board President) and Mary Jahnke, and their sons Jacob, Tyler, and Kieran, this 190-acre multi-generational farm milks roughly 65 grass-fed dairy cows in a double-10 swing parlor designed and built by the Jahnkes themselves. The Jahnkes also raise an additional 15 replacement heifers, and utilize spring calving and management intensive grazing practices. The Jahnkes have been members of Organic Valley Cooperative since 2004.

The declining profitability in dairy and increasing unpredictability of environmental changes has spurred the Jahnke Family into looking at ways to diversify their farm. After re-connecting with FL Morris (South Central Hemp’s Board Treasurer and Co-Founder) in 2019 at a hemp conference and learning more about the Co-op, Kevin was “100% in from the beginning.” In 2019, the Jahnke Family converted a portion of their calving greenhouse to produce and house hemp seedlings. Kevin now serves on the South Central Hemp board of directors as the Treasurer, bringing years of cooperative organizational experience from his time being a member and working at Organic Valley.

Located just outside of Blanchardville, WI along the beautiful East Branch of the Pecatonica River, Foggy Bottom Organics, LLC was founded in 2019 by Steve Acheson and Steph Krueger. Former Owners of Peacefully Organic Produce and CSA, Steve and Steph combine their formal education in Engineering and Microbiology (respectively) with years of certified organic vegetable and livestock production experience to grow some of the highest quality hemp for the South Central Hemp brand of CBD products.

Steve (South Central Hemp’s Founding Member), a service-connected disabled Iraq War veteran, is also the founder of Wisconsin Veterans for Compassionate Care (WVCC). His has in-depth knowledge of the family of plants that hemp belongs to, and his work connecting advocates, patients, and business leaders in the industry behind a common cause adds tremendous value to the South Central Hemp cooperative network.  Steve currently serves as Vice President of the Board and Marketing Director for the Co-op.

A committed educator, Steph (South Central Hemp’s Vice President and Founding Member) works full-time as a High School science teacher. Her experience working for the Centers for Disease Control, State Health Department, and background in microbiology research provides South Central Hemp with the foundation and expertise to conduct internal research and development trials. Steph is also Registered Environmental Health Specialist, and previously conducted inspections of commercial kitchen spaces and restaurants. This experience will bode well when it comes time to expand South Central Hemp’s value-added product line.

Matt (Board Secretary) and Peg Sheaffer have been organic farmers since 2000.  Throughout their farming career they have focused on selling only the highest quality vegetables, meat, and eggs directly to the consumer. While mentoring countless beginning farmers and advocating for rural communities, the Sheaffer’s have also raised three hardworking children who have a passion for growing tasty, sustainably raised food. With years of experience growing high-intensity crops, the Sheaffer’s saw an opportunity to expand into hemp in 2019. However, the new challenges and lack of available production information led the Sheaffer’s to joining together with other area farmers to help establish South Central Hemp.

Raised on a dairy farm, Deb Tuttle spent her working career as a UPS Driver. In 1999, Deb purchased ten acres near Evansville in Southern Wisconsin to achieve her vision of raising organic crops, and bales the hay fields on her property twice a year. Now retired,she saw an opportunity to use her glacial loam soil to grow certified organic hemp in 2019. With a background in logistics and a farmer’s work ethic, Deb brings a range of experiences to assist South Central Hemp.

FL Morris (Treasurer of South Central Hemp’s Board of Directors, co-founder) is a first-generation farmer, stepping into her 16th year farming certified organic crops in the Upper Midwest. FL studied fine art in college, deciding a career path that allowed creativity with a more practical “product” result was a better fit for her skills and time.

Beginning the Spring of 2004, FL worked for professional farmers for 5 years before beginning her own operation, increasing responsibilities with each season.  FL and her mother Gail purchased land in 2007, 40 rolling acres located in central Green County, Wisconsin. FL’s enterprise grew from a relatively small but busy market stand in the heart of northside Chicago to a complex full diet 80+ family CSA Farm, aggregating produce, meat, eggs, and other locally produced foods to her customers in the Chicago, Madison, and Milwaukee markets. Over the years, FL realized the ability to earn living wage profitability was compressed against a strong interest in increasing access to good, clean, local foods to the folks in her community.

It wasn’t until the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill that she saw an opportunity for small scale, local food farmers to earn supplemental profit for their often underpaid and high risk hard work, through the production of Certified Organic CBD hemp. FL has past experience as an employee of both a producer-led co-op and a grocery co-op. She has also had over a decade of management experience, working closely and respectfully with farm crews and volunteer groups from 1-20 individuals. In addition to Board Treasurer, FL previously served as Board President and is active on the Sales and Marketing Committee.

FL’s business partner Gail brings a long career of communication, database management, business management and bookkeeping, legal research, inventory management, and common sense to the team.

Founded in 2019 by James Cassidy and Erick Jubeck, Good Earth Enterprises, LLC joined South Central Hemp to produce quality, USDA certified organic CBD hemp.

James Cassidy (Board Vice-President and Production Director) is a 1996 graduate of Brodhead High School in Brodhead, WI. After graduation he served in the US Army for four years as a Heavy Equipment Operator before being honorably discharged in 2000. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Broadfield Social Studies in Post Secondary Education from UW Stevens Point and a Masters in Education Administration from Cardinal Stritch University. James is currently a full-time Middle School Educator in the Monroe School District in Monroe, WI. Since a young boy, James has spent time working on his relatives’ dairy farms, and has been a self-described hobby farmer since 2012 – raising his own pigs, chickens, veggies, and now hemp.

Eric Jubeck (New Product Development Committee Lead) was born and raised in Monroe, WI and is a 2000 graduate of Monroe High School. Eric is currently a full-time high school Special Education teacher at Monroe High School. Eric holds a Bachelor’s Degree in elementary and special education from UW Stevens Point and a Masters in Education Administration from Cardinal Stritch University, and coaches high school cross country and girls’ track. Eric also
served two years in the Peace Corps in the West Indies country of St. Lucia. Eric has gardened for over 20 plus years in three different climate zones, and teamed-up with James in 2019 to form Good Earth Enterprises, LLC.

Ewetopia Hill Farm, LLC was founded by Erica and Scott Roth (Co-op Logistics Director) in 2019. Located on seven acres in South Central Wisconsin, Ewetopia Hill’s main products are lamb, woolen products, and hemp for CBD, although Erica and Scott also raise chickens for meat and eggs, grow vegetables, produce syrup, and raise other small livestock.

Both Scott and Erica work full time off the farm and are active in local government serving on several boards in the community and region. They joined South Central Wisconsin Hemp Cooperative to produce affordable, quality, USDA certified organic CBD hemp.