Meet Barbara Sharpe | Hemp: Georgia Grown Georgia’s Own

We had the good fortune of connecting with Barbara Sharpe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Barbara, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
You may say we are serial entrepreneurs.  Our journey began in 2003 with an investment in real estate. Our first property was purchased on February 14th. From there we’ve tried a host of other business ventures ranging from t-shirt sales to owning and operating a coin laundry in Southeast Atlanta.

Then in 2019 with the passage of the Georgia Hemp Farming Act, we thought it would be a good opportunity to utilize a portion of property we own in Southwest, Georgia to grow hemp. However, we didn’t go into business without first doing our homework. As part of our due diligence, we conducted a great deal of research revealing the many health benefits derived from the hemp plant. Such as heart health, natural pain relief, and even stress relief.

The more we learned about the medicinal properties the hemp plant offered, we realized this had the potential to be a game-changer in providing people an alternative in their health journey. Studies have shown hemp may be used as a treatment for arthritis, improved sleep, lower blood pressure, and reduced inflammation in the body. More recently, a dermatological study found oral consumption improved several skin conditions.

To that point, we’re excited about the benefits our customers are receiving through our products. We believe through continued education people will begin to realize how the use of our products will aid in their overall well-being.


What should our readers know about your business?

Rebel-Gardens products are Georgia grown, and we take great pride in that. The land where our garden is located has been in my husband’s family for over 75 years, thus making him a fourth-generation farmer. His ancestors were farmers, so we’d like to believe they would be pleased that we’ve picked up the mantle to continue the family tradition.

We also saw the hemp industry as a way to diversify our business portfolio. When we began, it was important for us to provide high quality products to our customers. And the only way to ensure this was through vertical integration of the entire process, from seed to sale.

Summer of 2020 was an inaugural “grow” year for us along with the majority of the other farmers. It proved to be a learning curve for each of us. However, we overcame challenges through self-education, and by aligning ourselves with seasoned farmers. Through this consortium we were able to discuss wins and losses, source needed materials at reduced prices, and control all aspects of the process.

Lesson learned – preparation is key. 

• This includes preparing the field for planting
• Ensuring regulatory requirements are met on time
• Securing the appropriate work force prior to growing
• Knowing the importance of having a reliable water source and proper sunlight (if you’re not using a grow house)
• And finally, labor allocation. We spent approximately 20-40 hours per week working in the garden during the grow season.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My go-to spots in the city are all oldies, but goodies. Places like The Varsity, and the High are amongst my favorites. However, places like The Corner Grille in College Park or Arnette’s in Brookhaven come to mind when I think of great food. I’d also consider a trip to the Westside Market or the Shoppes at Buckhead for shopping. And just across the street, you can grab a beautifully crafted cocktail at King + Duke. Atlanta is also full of hidden gems that are best-kept word-of-mouth.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I would like to “Shoutout” my family. Rebel-Gardens is a family-owned and operated business; Michael Sharpe is my partner in business as well as in life. His responsibilities include all aspects of the grow, from seed to harvest. Our two sons – Nathaniel serves as the Chief Operating Manager and Jecoby, our Chief Marketing Officer. This is our super team!  Bringing our unique talents together has helped us increase our market share in the hemp space.

We want people to know Rebel-Gardens is committed to providing quality products to be used by our customers to promote a healthy lifestyle. It is our belief that through hemp plant education people will begin to seek a more holistic approach to their wellness as their first option. 

Website: https://rebel-gardens.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebel.gardens/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRebelGardens