In 2014, Mike began farming hemp and helped to develop rules for the Kentucky Pilot Program. He became the first, federally permitted hemp farmer in the U.S. since prohibition. Mike co-founded Third Wave Farms in 2017 and serves as Director of Agriculture, where he is responsible for production. Third Wave develops industrial hemp genetics designed for large-scale agricultural production of CBD, grain and fiber. Mike works with breeders all over the country to develop strains that are resilient, disease resistant and higher yielding.