For Nicole Vanderhorst, Founder and CEO of WH Farms Co., agriculture has always been more than an industry. It is part of her family’s legacy and the foundation for a future built on innovation.

Raised in rural North Carolina, Nicole grew up with a deep appreciation for farming, land ownership, and the economic opportunities agriculture can create for families and communities. While her early experiences, including her involvement with Future Farmers of America, fostered a respect for agriculture, she always knew her passion lay in the business side of the industry.

That perspective would eventually shape WH Farms Co., a GMP- and ISO-certified, vertically integrated botanical ingredient and product development company specializing in industrial hemp. Today, the company develops proprietary botanical ingredients and finished products for businesses and brands, creating fully traceable wellness solutions for both people and pets as it continues to expand into retail.

For Nicole, success is measured by more than the harvest. It comes from the broader impact of creating new pathways for innovation, economic growth, and commercial opportunity.

“The joy comes not simply from growing the crop, but from demonstrating what is possible when agriculture, science, innovation, and commercialization are intentionally connected.”

Like many farmers, Nicole’s path has not been without challenges. Building a business around industrial hemp has required navigating misconceptions surrounding one of the most misunderstood crops in modern agriculture. Despite operating as a USDA-licensed, non-psychoactive industrial hemp producer, WH Farms Co. has often faced the same assumptions directed toward marijuana-related businesses, resulting in obstacles that included lost banking relationships and limited access to resources.

Those challenges are not unique. Historically underserved farmers and ranchers across the country often face barriers to capital, market access, business development resources, and the strategic relationships needed to compete at scale. NMSDC’s Acres program helps to strengthen commercial readiness and build the capabilities required to pursue enterprise-level business opportunities and corporate supply chain relationships.

She refused to let those obstacles dictate the company’s trajectory. Instead, she leaned into innovation, regulatory excellence, and a strategy designed for long-term success.

“Rather than allowing regulatory complexity or misperception to define our limitations, we used it as an opportunity to strengthen our formulations, reduce risk for our partners, and create a platform that is increasingly positioned for broader domestic and international commercialization.”

As WH Farms Co. continued to scale, Nicole began searching for opportunities that would help position the company for growth within larger corporate markets. That opportunity arrived when she attended her first NMSDC® Annual Conference & Exchange.

“Walking into that environment was eye-opening. I immediately recognized that this was both the network and the professional accreditation our business needed as we prepared for our next stage of growth.”

The experience introduced Nicole not only to the NMSDC ecosystem, but also to the Acres program. Recognizing the opportunity to strengthen the company’s corporate readiness and expand its access to enterprise opportunities, she applied.

Acres represented an opportunity to develop an entirely new business capability.

“Through our exporting efforts, we had already developed a level of commercial readiness. What we saw in Acres, however, was an opportunity to develop an entirely different muscle: corporate readiness.”

Since joining the program, she has gained access to resources, education, and relationships that have helped reshape her vision for the future of WH Farms Co. Through Acres, she earned an Agribusiness Certificate from Southern University, received a scholarship to attend a business education program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, and benefited from mentorship opportunities with senior executives from leading global companies.

The program also provided valuable insight into the expectations and operational discipline required to become a successful supplier to large corporations.

One lesson had a significant impact on the business. After learning more about the clean beauty requirements of a major retailer, Nicole shifted from in-house manufacturing to specialized manufacturing partnerships. The decision increased profit margins by more than 20 percent while further positioning the company to meet enterprise customer expectations.

“Acres helped us understand that corporate readiness is not simply about gaining access to large companies. It is about building a business capable of sustaining those relationships once the opportunity arrives.”

Beyond the educational and business benefits, she says one of the greatest strengths of Acres is the community it creates among agricultural farmers.

“Acres is truly a beautiful community, and there is something powerful about being surrounded by farmers who understand both the responsibility and the opportunity that come with building businesses rooted in agriculture.”

As Nicole reflects on her experience, she points to the NMSDC Annual Conference & Exchange as one of the most valuable opportunities available to minority-owned businesses (MBE), particularly those looking to establish meaningful relationships with corporate decision-makers.

She credits the conference’s one-on-one matchmaking sessions as a unique opportunity for agricultural businesses to connect directly with procurement professionals, gain insight into corporate needs, and build relationships that can influence future growth.

“There is power in proximity, and being present provides access to the social and economic power of the NMSDC ecosystem. The conference offers knowledge, strategy, meaningful connections, and opportunities for growth. Every MBE should experience it. It has the potential to amplify both your business strategy and your vision for what’s possible.”

Looking ahead, Nicole is focused on increasing revenue, expanding WH Farms Co.’s impact within the industrial hemp industry, and creating a larger economic footprint in the communities the company serves. She hopes the company’s growth will serve as an example of what becomes possible when minority-owned agricultural businesses gain access to the resources, relationships, and opportunities needed to thrive.

Her journey demonstrates how programs like Acres, combined with the connections made through the NMSDC ecosystem, can help transform potential into progress and position minority agricultural enterprises for lasting success.

Learn more about NMSDC’s Acres program and how it expands access to agricultural supply chains for historically underserved farmers.

Register for the 2026 NMSDC Annual Conference & Exchange