✦ Sacred Agriculture
THE SIGNAL
GARDEN
Hemp & Land Activation Assessment
Shope Creek Wilderness · 131 Acres · Blue Ridge Mountains
✦ The Goal
Chris,
The goal is not simply to determine whether hemp can grow at Shope Creek.
The goal is to determine whether hemp can become one of several sustainable participation and stewardship models for the land.
Please Evaluate
Site assessment — what's here and what's possible
Regulatory landscape — NC hemp compliance
Economic models — 2, 5, and 10 acre scenarios
Partnership opportunities — cultivators, processors, buyers
Product strategy — fiber, cannabinoid, and branded paths
Hidden land value — conservation, carbon, timber, minerals
Your recommendation — if this were your land, what would you do?
✦ The Assessment
Seven Areas of Inquiry
Site Assessment
Walk the property and identify:
Best potential hemp locations
Acreage available
Access roads
Water access
Sun exposure
Equipment access
Security considerations
Soil quality
Immediate
Ready Now
Medium-Term
1–3 Years
Long-Term
3–10 Years
Map each category with opportunities.
Regulatory Review
Determine:
Current North Carolina hemp regulations
Licensing requirements
Compliance requirements
Processing requirements
Transportation requirements
Risk factors
Economic Model
Build three scenarios across three scales:
Conservative
Realistic
Aggressive
2 Acres
5 Acres
10 Acres
Startup costs
Annual operating costs
Labor requirements
Processing costs
Distribution costs
Expected yields
Revenue projections
Partnership Opportunities
Identify:
Cultivators
Processors
Buyers
Investors
Strategic partners
Who are the best people in North Carolina to help activate this?
Hemp Strategy — Four Markets to Evaluate
Most people lump hemp together, but there are several very different markets. One of the smartest things Chris could evaluate is whether Shope Creek should separate the land into different hemp strategies rather than treating hemp as one thing.
Option 1: Industrial Fiber Hemp
Pros
+ Fits Stephen's regenerative land vision
+ Less regulatory drama
+ Strong sustainability story
+ Aligns with Hollow Bone values
Cons
– Lower margins than cannabinoid hemp
– Requires processing infrastructure
– More acreage usually helps
Option 2: Grain / Seed Hemp
Pros
+ Stable agricultural market
+ Sustainable crop rotation
Cons
– Commodity pricing
– Processing required
Option 3: CBD / Cannabinoid Hemp
Pros
+ Higher margins
+ Smaller acreage can produce significant value
Cons
– Regulatory uncertainty
– Market swings
– More compliance
Option 4: Premium Craft Hemp Flower
Closest to cannabis.
Pros
+ Highest revenue potential
Cons
– Highest regulatory attention
– More operational complexity
Land Value Exploration
Beyond hemp, identify:
Conservation opportunities
Carbon credit opportunities
Timber opportunities
Mineral rights opportunities
Additional agricultural opportunities
What hidden value exists within the land?
Recommendation
If this were your land:
What would you do first?
What would you not do?
What creates the greatest long-term value while staying aligned with the vision of Shope Creek Wilderness and the Hollow Bone Initiative?
✦ The Hybrid Approach — What We'd Explore
Honestly? A hybrid.
The ideal scenario may be having both paths evaluated and letting the economics and land assessment determine the right mix.
Hollow Bone Fiber Project
1–2 acres · Industrial hemp
Use it for clothing, merchandise, Camp Mary apparel, and Hollow Bone products.
"This shirt was grown at Shope Creek."
That's a powerful story.
Small Cannabinoid Pilot
Separate acreage · Run by experts
Designed to generate revenue for stewardship and programming.
✦ The Five-Year Vision
Hollow Bone Hemp Collection
All tied to:
Now hemp isn't just a crop.
Story + Product + Stewardship + Participation
The cannabinoid/cannabis side may ultimately generate more cash, but the fiber + regenerative agriculture + Hollow Bone product line is much more aligned with the story Stephen is trying to tell.
✦ The Deliverable
A written recommendation with:
Maps
Economics
Opportunities
Risks
Strategic partnerships
First steps
The goal is not maximum extraction.
The goal is understanding the land well enough to discover what wants to emerge.
✦ Working With The Best
The Signal Garden is being developed alongside a growing network of cultivators, medicine makers, and agricultural stewards who have spent decades protecting the integrity of the plant.
Guy Rocourt
Keeper of the Medicine
Guy Rocourt is one of the most respected figures in modern cannabis wellness. A pioneer of whole-plant medicine, solventless extraction, and clean-label cannabis products, Guy helped build one of the most successful wellness brands in the industry while remaining committed to a simple principle:
Keep the plant in plant medicine.
Whole-plant preservation
Formulation philosophy
Solventless processes
Product architecture
Plant stewardship
The relationship between medicine and ritual
Chris Suttle
Sacred Agriculture Advisor
Chris Suttle serves as a bridge between North Carolina's emerging cannabis future and its deep cultivation heritage. A longtime advocate, strategist, and advisor within North Carolina's hemp and cannabis movement, Chris has worked directly with growers, policymakers, cultivators, agricultural leaders, and regulatory stakeholders throughout the state.
Cultivation partnerships
Agricultural stewardship
Compliance strategy
Grower relationships
Long-term development of regenerative agriculture at Shope Creek
✦ A Different Model
Most agricultural systems extract from the land. The Signal Garden is designed to invest back into it.
Revenue Supports
Land restoration
Trail improvements
Creek rehabilitation
Infrastructure projects
Educational programs
Stewardship initiatives
The goal is simple: let the land help sustain the land.
✦ Let's Begin
Come walk the land.
See what you see.
Reach out to Craig Rose directly. The land is ready. The question is what it wants to become.