Our Roots
In appreciation of Harmen and Antonia Lyzenga. They have three children by the names of Gerrit, Kelly and Katrina, seven grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. All of their knowledge, love, and passion remain alive and well at Mountain Jubilee Farm.
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The Lyzenga Family
The Lyzenga family has owned and operated the farm for more than 50 years. Four generations of the family have poured sweat and tears into this land to passionately bring you the high quality products we have based our brand behind.
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We have built and grown our home on Mountain Jubilee Farm for as long as we can remember. Our farm is nestled in Milford, California, where the sun shines and dreams prosper. We are more than grateful for the opportunity to share our products with all of you. For us, this farm has provided us with a self sustaining lifestyle for generations and over time farming has become what we do best.
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This farm is the product of our great grandparents Harmen and Antonia Lyzenga. Harmen was born and raised in the Netherlands and Antonia in Guam.
When they migrated to the United States in 1947 they brought not only deep cultural heritage but also the traditional farming techniques of their respective homelands. They were committed to nurturing their children, land, livestock and the local community. Today, we uphold and honor their commitment by pouring the very same devotion they had for others into the very same land to provide our customers with nothing but the highest quality hemp derived products.
A New Life
Our great grandfather who was known by friends and family as "Charmin' Harmen" was a 30 year war veteran and a retired police chief. He came to America shortly after world war II humbly looking for a new beginning. This new beginning became "Mountain Jubilee". At the start, the farm took shape in the form of a dairy farm and eventually a cattle ranch, where the traditions that our grandparents took with them from their countries, have been passed down through the generations of the Lyzenga Family.
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Our great grandmother, Antonia Harmen, was a wonderful and strong hearted woman having been a survivor of World War II. Not only did she bring up her children and the farm with love and passion that is rare to see, she also dedicated a great portion of her life towards educating children and young adults on a variety of subjects. She taught courses ranging from kindergarten through college level material and was a well respected figure in the teaching community. Besides a teaching career of 33 years, she went on to publish two books.
Meet The Team
Mrs. Katrina Shockley
Chief Operating Officer
Mrs. Katrina Shockley has more than 30 years of business and production management skills to bring to the table. She is formerly the Production Manager of CGI, Inc., a leading manufacturer of advanced products for robotics and automation where she was directly responsible for all facility operations and maintenance.
Mrs. Shockley excels in leading and managing a large workforce, where at CGI she managed 120 employees as well as being responsible for scheduling. Such experience in driving a large team of people to meet company goals and directives has proved to be and will continue to be a tremendous asset to Best Cali Hemp.
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Katrina is also the land owner of the operation's grow site and knows the layout of the farm and the operation to a level that cannot be replicated.
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Her past 20 years of service with Parker Hannifin Corporation under Veriflo division has given her a wealth of knowledge and experience in all aspects of manufacturing from product development to purchasing, planning, scheduling, production management, packaging and shipping. If it weren't for Katrina our operation surely would have fallen apart by now.
Mr. Richard Pierson
Vice President
Richard Pierson has been preparing the farm for about two years to be able to start a growing operation and has successfully prepared the foundation Best Cali Hemp, LLC. to prosper. Mr. Pierson is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the growing, cultivation, and harvesting of the cannabis plant. Having worked as the head grower for a facility that cultivated medical marijuana for people in need, Mr. Pierson is extensively qualified to be a part of this operation. Mr. Pierson has personally cultivated an unparalleled mastery in regards to all processes of the growing process when it comes to the cannabis plant, Having been directly responsible for the health of all clone and other plants for the operation he managed before Best Cali Hemp, LLC. Mr. Pierson is also familiar with growing hemp and cannabis indoors, outdoors and inside of a greenhouse.
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• Mr. Pierson holds an Associates of Arts Degree with a major in Merchandise and Product Development from The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, California.
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• For the past two years Mr. Pierson has been giving back to his community as the Assistant Director for ChokeOutCancer, a highly esteemed, recognized 501c Non-Profit organization that has been running smoothly for more than eight (8) years. ChokeOutCancer raises awareness for cancer while endorsing health and wellness through a lifestyle emphasizing on the implementation of martial arts. Through his connections in the CBD industry, Mr. Pierson has managed to implement strategic relationships in order to benefit the Non-Profit.
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Karel Ancona
Public Relations Coordinator
Published author and poet, ambitious socialite and one of the many faces for Best Cali Hemp. Karel write and curates the vast majority of the content you see here on the site and on our social media platforms. Providing a unique yet sensational perspective on the daily happenings at the operation site, Karel brings cheer and joy everywhere she goes. Karel is consistently at the forefront for many causes and has become known in the community as a strong and vibrant voice for a vast number of causes and non-profits.
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On any day you can find Karel hunched over a laptop working on social campaigns and getting the word out on Best Cali Hemp. Karel has more than 35 years of experience as a journalist and news editor having worked for various media companies and newspapers throughout California, She is highly qualified as a public relations specialist having worked extensively on multiple campaigns, publishing press releases and has even published political excerpts.
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Karel has always been extensively involved with her communities and is responsible for founding the Milford 4-H Club, an agricultural youth club that instills healthy values and leadership skills as well as the Milford Community Building Fund. Karel is also affiliated with the Carson City " The Greenhouse Project".
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Karel is also a retired firefighter having fought the fires that plagued California in the 80's.
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John Tyler - JT
Director of Research & Development
John Tyler has been in Milford, California for four years and has been with us since the very beginning of our operation. Being one of the most talented members on our team. Without John, this operation would be difficult to maintain. John is the bright mind behind Best Cali Hemp's cloning program, having been responsible for creating a few strains of cannabis in the past. John Tyler has spent many years in the field and in the lab working with hemp, cannabis and a variety of other plants providing him with a tremendous amount of experience and technical knowledge when it comes to growing just about anything.
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John Tyler also heads up the genetics department of Best Cali Hemp, creating , crossbreeding and researching multiple strains of hemp resulting in the high quality hemp we provide through Best Cali Hemp. John Tyler has worked on various grow operations and everyone on the team is grateful to have him here at the farm.
Mr. Richard Pierson Sr.
Chief Financial Officer
Coming from a heavily accomplished career in the cutthroat corporate fashion world, Richard Pierson is one of original founders of Best Cali Hemp and currently manages and directs all of the company's and assets in addition to instilling corporate values in a sustainable manner. Richard Pierson is one of the driving forces behind turning Best Cali Hemp from a small grow operation into a fully faceted company positioned to grow tremendously.
After graduating from William Paterson University in 1990 with a degree in Finance, Richard Pierson joined Tommy Hilfiger's finance department where he spent the first 5 years of his career building a strong financial resume. In 1997 Richard's financial background led to a position in the newly formed International and Licensing division of Tommy Hilfiger. Over the next 12 years, he built his career as a successful international executive helping expand the brands presence across the globe. Richard was instrumental in building out the architecture that led to Tommy Hilfiger becoming one of the most successful international companies in the apparel sector. Richard traveled extensively to all parts of the world networking and signing major distribution deals in China, Japan, South Korea, South East Asia, Australia, India, Mexico, Central and South America. His strong ability to manage relationships and drive results led to numerous promotions and ultimately Vice President of International.
In 2008, Richard moved from New York to Los Angeles and was hired by Guess as Vice President of International reporting directly to Paul Marciano. He brokered the companies first joint venture business with his former Tommy Hilfiger distributor in Mexico. With his extensive network and experience in South America he opened new distribution partnerships in Panama, Colombia, Chile and Brazil.
Richard's entrepreneurial spirit and desire to grow new business led him to taking the position of Vice President of Global Licensing at bebe Stores where he used his extensive international and licensing network to build bebe into a globally distributed and recognized brand. Richard's ability to drive significant financial results with minimum overhead led to a quick promotion to Senior Vice President. In 2016 bebe closed the business and Richard established Gemini Global Consulting where he currently works with brands to take their business international. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and three children.