Maybe it was about 2, 3 years ago they grew a few acres of hemp or cbd out in Ventura, CA. My best guess from what I saw is CBD. I know they harvested it with a combine, lol. Probably 40 acres my guess. I drove by it everyday to work.
First all these little signs popped up along the road, essentially a pot leaf with a red X over it and some small type I never stopped to read.
Then I noticed a few dozen thousand rows of clones or pre-housed seedlings go in. Then over the next month they start growing and looking like happy plants.
A couple months later after going in the ground, and they sure looked like 3-4’ tall healthy plants. And now is the best part, for my drive at least, depending on prevailing weather conditions, it smells like inside a grow tent/room during flower, for 1-mile downwind.
Then a couple of those mobile surveillance camera and security flood light trailers showed up along the roadside. Those lasted maybe 10 days before being replaced by a “security” guard (think farmhand boss’s in-law in a 90’s Corolla with a yellow dome light on the roof from what looked like a traffic barricade) always parked on the corner of the field for the last 6-8 weeks.
By this point, you could smell it 2+ miles, and I’m sure the county youth correctional facility and the regional CalFire yard located well within range had something to say about it.
Haven’t seen a large field road-side since around the area.
Thanks for putting up with my long post, but now if I may share my 2-cents, literal-worth. I think you are not alone in your endevour, maybe in your corner of Texas this year, but something IMHO I hope you’re also thinking about, is your “competition” only beginning after your harvest this year. Good luck and I wish you the best.