Huckleberry Hill Farm – CAMP and the Legacy Community – Redway, CA
Statement of Purpose
May this Cultural Landmark serve to honor the cannabis cultural heritage of Southern Humboldt and its resilient, tight-knit community. May it honor the legacy craft of sustainable and regenerative agriculture and celebrate the multi-generational cannabis craft knowledge that is a signature of this region.
May this Cultural Landmark remind us of the history of CAMP and Operation Green Sweep, and the impacts of the War-on-Drugs era. May it shine a light on the beautiful and rare bond that was created that makes the southern Humboldt region and culture representative of the cannabis culture that is the very foundation of the industry today.
May it be so.
The story of Southern Humboldt and Huckleberry Hill Farms is a story of resilience. It is a story of small rural farming communities coming together to support one another during the height of the War on Drugs era.
As part of The War on Drugs era, the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting – known as ‘CAMP’ – was mobilized in 1983. CAMP was a task force of over one hundred law enforcement agencies that were dedicated to eradicating the cultivation and trafficking of cannabis in California. At that time, CAMP was the largest law enforcement task force effort in the United States, and southern Humboldt and The Emerald Triangle were the primary targets.
In 1985 Operation Emerald Triangle was launched as part of CAMP’s efforts. According to the Humboldt Institute of Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research, the nickname Emerald Triangle was soon widely adopted and used to identify this legacy cannabis region located in northern California. The 1990’s were defined by Operation Green Sweep, another CAMP effort that included a series of historic raids conducted by the U.S. Army soldiers, National Guardsmen, and federal agents. Operation Green Sweep marked the first time in the history of the United States that military force was used against its own citizens in a drug enforcement operation.
Due to CAMP efforts, Johnny Casali of Huckleberry Hill Farms served time. In 1992, when Casali was just 24 years old, he was busted for illegal cannabis cultivation and spent the next 17 years of his life in and out of the federal court, prison, and probation systems. His cannabis story is like that of many others in his community who were severely penalized under the mandatory minimum prison sentencing guidelines utilized during the decades-long War on Drugs.
Since 1971, the War on Drugs has cost the United States an estimated $1 trillion according to the University of Pennsylvania. By 2015 the federal government spent an estimated $9.2 million daily to incarcerate people charged with drug-related offenses, which equates to more than $3.3 billion annually according to the Center for American Progress.
Blowin' Smoke Teaser
Location: Huckleberry Hill Farms
Huckleberry Hill Farms started from John Casali’s single-family home between the two small communities of Briceland and Whitethorn in Southern Humboldt County. John grew up on this very piece of property with his mother and stepdad starting in 1968. He grew up learning to uphold the legacy that began with the Back to the Land Movement of the 60s and 70s, that it was utmost important to take care of the land and the environment in which they lived.
John grew up following his mother around, growing cannabis, veggies, and tending an orchard from the age of 10. It was their way of life. Devastatingly, In 1992, Johnny was 24 years old, enforcement on the “war on drugs” was heavy, John and his best friend were caught by the feds for cultivating cannabis. Johnny served 17 years fighting for this magical healing plant. The time includes 4 years of court, 8 years of federal prison, followed by 5 years of probation.
Present day, Huckleberry Hill Farms was proud to be the fourth existing Farm in Humboldt County to be fully permitted, by the county as well as the state of California. Johnny now shares the farm with his loving girlfriend, Rose Moberly, and their family of farm animals. The two strive to “make a difference” in people’s lives with their farm tours, community outreach, and advocacy to normalize the plant, and its people.
Redway, CA – To visit, Book with Humboldt Cannabis Tours