HUNTSVILLE | On the banks of New River, a few miles outside of town, there are new plants beginning to peep through the soil in the fields of Howard Farms. For the next several months, the plants will grow to be head-high — and then some — before they’re harvested.
The crop is hemp. And the harvest goes into the products of New River Botanicals, the newest business venture of Huntsville’s Howard family — the husband-and-wife team of Steve and Marla Howard and their twin children, Kaleb and Kelley — that is also behind Twin K Construction, Highland Steel and Trails End Campground.
When the growing season began in June, New River Botanicals marked the start of its fourth year as a hemp producer. The growth has been substantial, and New River has lofty goals for the future.
“We want New River Botanicals to be known all across the country,” said Marla Howard. “If you’re familiar with Charlotte’s Web (a well known CBD producer in California), we want to be the Charlotte’s Web of the CBD world.”
CBD is cannabidiol, an oil that is extracted from hemp. Its pharmaceutical uses are many, and it is widely hailed to be beneficial for people suffering from anxiety, insomnia, cognitive impairment, movement disorders and chronic pain.
Already, New River Botanicals has taken big steps towards its goal of becoming a major player in America’s still-emerging CBD industry. From its fields on the banks of New River and labs in the heart of…
