The Cannabis Equipment News team recently traveled to the Wisconsin Cannabis Expo held in Milwaukee on June 4, 2022. At the show, we had an opportunity to interview equipment manufacturers, cultivators and new product developers to learn more about what they bring to the cannabis industry.
Based in Oconomowoc, WI, Lake Country Growers specializes in CBD. The company grows its own product, planting some 22,000 plants its first year.
Co-founder Maureen Lawrenz says the company does everything by hand, from planting to harvest. She calls it more of an organic, old-school approach to farming.
After the harvest, the company contracts to have its plants extracted. In turn, Lake Country uses the extract in its products, including gummies, tinctures, chocolates, topicals and a bath soak. The most popular product line is the gummies, though its top-selling product is a CBD-infused relief stick. Lawrenz says the company takes a more holistic approach to the CBD business for families looking for health solutions.
Lawrenz co-founded Lake Country with Rebecca Ramage in 2019. Ramage's family was involved in the Iowa hemp industry, and the partners wanted to start a hemp business in Wisconsin. Lawrenz says it's a perfect partnership between a city girl and a country girl.
Still, managing the various timelines on a farm is difficult. Going from seed to bottle, Lake Country has to stay on top of many different processes that must be controlled to meet deadlines and make sure they maintain appropriate inventory levels. Most recently, the company has had issues managing the strained supply chain, primarily in packaging, as Lawrenz has strict branding/image guidelines.
Since its inception, Lake Country Growers has had healthy, consistent growth, and Lawrenz hopes to scale the business in the years to come.
The next Wisconsin Cannabis Expo, presented by the Shepherd Express, will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday, November 19, 2022, at the Alliant Energy Center.
