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Freeform art at The New Rainbow Farms LLC features colorful images while thousands of people celebrate the Spectrum Cup festival Aug. 6. In Vandalia, Mich.
Vandalia man continues legacy of hemp advocates killed in 2001 FBI siege
EDUCATING PEOPLE ON POSSIBILITIES, BENEFITS OF HEMP One southern Michigander is continuing the legacy of a Vandalia farm originally owned by two men who, in the early 2000s, were killed by the FBI by honoring their beliefs that marijuana should be legal and hemp utilized in nearly all industries. “This place here is why we have medical marijuana in Michigan today,” current owner, Gary Healy said. He purchased the property, called The New Rainbow Farms LLC (formerly Rainbow Farm), in 2012 and has since been cleaning up and acquainting himself with the property and the possibilities of the plant. “The magic of this place,” he said. “When you pull in, off the road, the sense of freedom, acceptance, it’s unbelievable.” Now, after nearly a decade of preparation and experimentation with hemp, he is ready to spread the word to people outside of his corner of the state. “I always wanted to do what I’m doing now
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but I didn’t want to end up like the last guys,” he said. “I slowly took my time and built it up quietly.” In partnership with over 100 patents all over the world, Healy wants to “make the best farmers on the planet” by educating them on how to replace harmful products with hemp. He is creating a worldwide program for people to learn of its benefits and prospects.
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“It’s a whole program that I’m working from seed, to manufacturing, to textile,” he said.
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But the 34-acre property that is now operating legally, and successfully, was once owned by stoner legends Tom Crosslin and Rolland “Rollie” Rohm. In 1993, the couple opened Rainbow Farms to the public, offering campgrounds and concerts in advocacy of the decriminalization of marijuana and in opposition of the War on Drugs – a global campaign for drug prohibition led by the U.S. federal government in its 50th anniversary this year.
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A lady stops for some refreshments at a food stand at the Spectrum Cup festival Aug. 6 in Vandalia, Mich.
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Annual festivals like HempAid and Roach Roast began in 1996 and drew thousands of attendees, even offering voting registration tables and petitions, according to Healy.
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“This was all to expose the benefits of marijuana,” he said. “There was a lot of good things that they were doing, but marijuana was still illegal.”
summer 2021| MIGreenState
