Hamilton Farms: Meet Rahul Patel and One of NJ’s Smallest Craft Cannabis Cultivators

Alright, buckle up Critical Hog and Wet Betty #2 fans, this week we had the chance to talk with Rahul Patel from Hamilton Farms, a Piscataway native and the CEO of Hamilton Farms, to learn how beach daydreams between longtime friends turned into a cultivation of some of NJ’s best buds. Rahul and his COO, Kunal Lodaya, aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. They’re out there in the canopies, hand-defoliating plants (removing extra leaves to help bud growth) and managing the day-to-day.

Small But Mighty

Built on a whole lot of love and sacrifice, Hamilton Farms, with its modest 3,500-square-foot canopy, is 100% Jersey-proud. Rahul, Kunal, and their families went all in—life savings, retirement funds and even three mortgages to bring this dream to life.

Hamilton Farms is all about quality over quantity. With just two flower rooms and a rotating harvest every other month, they make sure each plant gets the TLC it needs. “We’re never in a rush to hit back-to-back harvests,” Rahul says. “If a plant needs more time, we give it that time. We only move forward when everything’s ready.”

Synganic Style

The Hamilton Farms team believes that staying small gives them the edge in cultivating the some of the best cannabis. Rahul reflects, “I’ve heard a lot of people question whether cannabis is meant to be grown at a large scale, and I think there’s some truth to that.”

Their size allows them to focus on quality over quantity and to fine-tune their growing process. One way they do this is by using synganic-style soil, which combines traditional feeding methods with organic amendments. Imagine a supercharged growing medium that gives plants everything they need to thrive. “As far as we know, nobody else employs a synganic method in Jersey, and very few do it anywhere,” Rahul explains. “We supplement our standard feeding program with organic amendments, including hand-watering all of our plants every week with compost tea.” They also take their pruning seriously, practicing extreme defoliation during the flowering stage, helping the plants focus their energy on growing the biggest colas.

Check out HF’s detailed harvest guide for more about their soil amendments, grow methods and philosophies.

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Beyond THC: Quality Over Potency 

“I think part of the problem is that folks in NJ have been consuming poor quality weed and thinking the potency is the issue. There’s an odd mentality that potency equals quality. That’s far from true. Personally, I think the sweet spot for potency is somewhere in the low to mid 20s”
-Rahul

Many of us have come up on the notion that higher THC percentages mean better cannabis, but recent science and research are showing more nuanced results. THC is just one component that contributes to the high, but quality also involves the flavor, aroma and overall experience. The mix of cannabinoids and terpenes plays a significant role, creating what’s known as the entourage effect. This is why a balanced strain with lower THC can sometimes offer a more enjoyable and well-rounded experience than one with higher THC alone.

The NJ Dream Team

The Hamilton Farms team is tight-knit and focused on building something long-term, beyond the moment where NJ cannabis prices begin to decrease. “We haven’t been paying ourselves out of the business, because the goal is for every dollar that we earn to go to our team, our supplies, and reinvesting to make sure Hamilton Farms survives in the long run,” says Rahul.

Though they plan to expand and hope to build a dedicated space for living soil options, they’re focused on modest, sustainable growth. Stay tuned for a chance to meet Rahul, Kunal, or Anthony Hagman, Director of Cultivation at PB, soon.