A once clandestine industry is now a billion-dollar cash crop in Missouri — and this is harvest season. Fox 4 visited one of the state's largest marijuana farms, and saw how they bring the crop to market. Derek Mayfield loves his job.
"This is a dream job. I've wanted to do it since I was a teenager," said Mayfield. He's the fertigation lead for Honey Green — a state-licensed marijuana cultivator — at their Joplin facility.
"I deliver the appropriate amount of food to the plants themselves, and initially crop steer each individual strain to the best of its ability," said Mayfield. And this is when his work pays off.
"It's very rewarding, especially when we have a beautiful run, a beautiful harvest," said Mayfield.
This seven-acre field contains over 3,000 organically grown plants, and it'll take hours of labor to harvest them over the next few weeks.
"It's just a perpetual harvest from late August until, honestly, until about Thanksgiving it's steady," said Mac Briggs, Honey Green cultivation partner.
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