Ball Family Farms Launches Rare Breeds: Paying It Forward to Underground Talent
Ball Family Farms is a legacy name in the space—and now they’re paying it forward.
This month, BFF introduced Rare Breeds, a new initiative that scouts underground growers and gives them the tools to launch their own strains in the legal market. In an industry overflowing with hype brands and boardroom formulas, this project is all about recognizing true talent. It’s proof that the best flower doesn’t come from big business—it comes from creators who’ve been doing it for the culture long before there was a spotlight.
“This ain't about hype strains or boardroom breeding,” says Chris Ball, founder of Ball Family Farms. “Rare Breeds is for the real ones—the folks who laid the foundation, took the risks, and never sold out the culture.”
The first grower to be featured in Rare Breeds is Hoodbaby, the underground cultivator behind BFF’s award-winning strain Rico, which took first place at the Connect Community competition. (Another BFF release, Yuzu, was discovered by Chris himself and took home honors at Zalympix.) His debut drop under the initiative, Invader Zim, sold out its test run in a single day—a street-to-shelf success story. Known for his sharp palate, real terps, and purpose-driven craft, Hoodbaby embodies everything Rare Breeds was built to amplify.
Invader Zim
We spoke with Chris Ball about the inspiration behind this program and the journey that led him here.
Chris, what inspired you to start Rare Breeds? Did you have people helping you come up?
Absolutely. I wouldn’t be here without the people who supported me. That includes my brother Charles, my cousin Mikey, Ebony Andersen, Julie Miniskin, Leonard Velasquez, Bryan Sanders, Ron Ockimy, Oren Lang, Andy Gabor, Kevin Hart, Ashton Howarth, Drew Friedman, Ralina Shaw, Frankie Segal, Jazmin Mercado, Michael Fallas, and my entire New Ball Family Farms family.
What would you say is the biggest contributing factor to your success?
Our success at Ball Family Farms is the result of pure manifestation and my WILL to be an important and respected player in this culture.
The biggest factor? My relentless pursuit of excellence. I’ve put in 100,000 hours of focus, failures, grit, money, relationships, determination—and I’ve refused to take “no” for an answer. No matter what sector of the business I was inquiring about that day, I stayed locked in.
What do you look for in underground talent?
I look for a real connection to the culture. Street credibility. An unwavering passion for the grow room. They have to understand genetics on a deeper level and have an insanely accurate palate when it comes to smoking and evaluating flower.
Where do you see the future of the plant going?
I believe it will be federally legal. It’s going to transform Western medicine and eventually operate like the alcohol industry.
With Rare Breeds, Ball Family Farms is bridging the gap between legacy and legal—turning passion into platforms and street knowledge into shelf-ready success. It's not just about who grows the loudest flower. It's about who built the roots.
For more follow https://www.ballfamilyfarms.com and @ballfamilyfarms on Instagram.
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Written By:
Shirley Ju is a journalist, media host, and seasoned music industry professional. She is the founder of Shirley's Temple, a podcast series with a focus on mental health, where her guests include Trippie Redd, Chanel West Coast, Ricky Williams, Blac Chyna, and more. Shirley's work has been featured in publications such as Variety, Complex, Nylon, Flaunt, and REVOLT; she can also be seen doing exclusive interviews for leading urban news source VLADTV, featuring a platform with 5 million subscribers. Find out more about Shirley at @shirju on Instagram and Twitter, and on LinkedIn.
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