ICBWA | Highsman, Ball Family Farms Partner on ‘Ricky Baker’ Cultivar

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Chris Ball (left), owner and CEO of Ball Family Farms, pictured with Ricky Williams, founder and president of Highsman.

Highsman and Ball Family Farms have partnered for an exclusive cultivar release, Ricky Baker.

The cultivar name, like all of Ball Family Farms’ cultivars, stems from a movie character – this reference being 1991 film “Boyz N The Hood.” Ricky Baker was pheno-hunted by Highsman founder and president Ricky Williams and features limonene and linalool as part of its terpene profile.

The collaborative cultivar will be available in retail stores across California beginning Saturday, Oct. 8.

“We are thrilled to be one of the few brands that Ball Family Farms has joined forces with,” Williams said. “Chris [Ball] is a pioneer in the cannabis space, overcoming obstacles and transitioning to a truly grassroots legal operation. We are proud to collaborate on a product that gives back to those persecuted for cannabis-related offenses and leads the next generation of Black cannabis entrepreneurs.”

One goal of this collaboration between Highsman and Ball Family Farms is to further educate cannabis consumers on what to consider when making a cannabis purchase – including the importance of sustainable cultivation – according to a release.

Ricky Baker is grown in living soil as part of Ball Family Farms’ organic, closed-loop cultivation program. This growing method maximizes water use – a critical factor in California’s market – through water filtration and reuse, according to the company.

“I’m excited about this collaboration with Highsman and Ricky Williams,” said Chris Ball, owner and CEO of Ball Family Farms. “Our goal is not to only bring light and understanding to who Ricky Williams really is and what cannabis means to him but, more importantly, to erase buying stigma that is plaguing our industry. We want to teach consumers how they should be shopping for cannabis.”

This collaboration also comes on the heels of both companies recently expanding operations. Highsman debuted in both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania in September, and Ball Family Farms entered into a distribution partnership with California-based HERBL.

“Our collaboration with Ball Family Farms, the pinnacle of California cannabis culture, comes at a time when Highsman is proudly expanding our national footprint,” said Highsman CEO Eric Hammond. “The collaboration is representative of Highsman’s dedication to creating culturally relevant products and experiences in each of the markets we operate. We will continue to pursue this strategy in all of our markets with hopes of engaging our community in new and exciting ways.”

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