Many farmers can produce high-grade flower in one growing season, but to consistently do so, season after season, takes skill.  Skill that can’t be bought, gained by binging YouTube videos, or by frequenting online forums.   Flower remains a bright spot for hemp prices.  Competition will continue to increase, and no doubt the ranks of master flower growers along with it.  Current prices will see pressure down the road, but for now, $300, $500, or even $800/lb is achievable in wholesale markets for the very best buds. 

Competition is one way of raising the collective game.  Based on a Cannabis Cub model, Golden Grow Awards, Hemp Cups, or Emerald Cups and the like offer a valuable forum for competent flower judging, an objective assessment for producers to track progress.  Sure, it may be somewhat subjective having a group of judges score an entry, but that…