Our Story
Pennsylvania has a rich history of growing hemp, and we're happily continuing it
Hi, we’re the Gibsons, owners of PENN’S CHOICE. PENN’S CHOICE is a family-run Western Pennsylvania hemp farm and brand specializing in seed-to-sale, high CBD & CBG hemp flower. Our mission is to bring the healing power of hemp from our farm directly to you. Discover our handmade Full Spectrum CBD Salves and CBD Bath Bombs, as well as our Premium Smokable Flower line. You can purchase our products directly from our online store (here!) or from various local Western Pennsylvanian retailers. We ship all over the United States, but all of our CBD products are grown, processed, and made with love by us right here in Western Pennsylvania. We're truly Pennsylvania Sown, Grown, & Owned!
There’s a little known but long tradition of growing hemp in Pennsylvania dating back to the first days of the Commonwealth. There’s also a long tradition of Gibsons on our farm, where we have been farming for 8 generations dating back to 1804. When the 2018 Farm Bill passed, we knew that the future of our farm and family was in plant medicine.
Meet the Fam
Steve Gibson, Co-Owner & CEO of PENN’S CHOICE, has always had a passion for cannabis and a desire to revive his family farm in Western Pennsylvania. He just didn’t know yet that these two desires would perfectly align. In 2018, Steve was living and working in Los Angeles with his wife, Rebecca Zaccard. He was thriving as a sales executive, but he always had dreams for the Gibson farm in the back of his mind. The passing of the 2018 Farm Bill opened the door to grow hemp on the 200 acre farm, and instantaneously, both Steve and his father, Joe Gibson, knew in their heart of hearts that this was the future of their farm and family. In March of 2020, Steve, along with Rebecca, relocated back home to Western Pennsylvania in order to build PENN’S CHOICE. Steve oversees the manufacturing and sales departments, as well as assists with the grow operations. His dreams finally have come true in that he has revived his family farm in a sustainable way that not only helps his family, but also his beloved community.
Rebecca Zaccard may have married into the Gibson family, but she is now an integral part of both the family and the business. Fellow founding member of PENN’S CHOICE, Rebecca is Co-Owner & COO. She oversees all day to day and administrative operations, as well as all marketing efforts. She loves the marketing side of the business, because through the various mediums, she’s able to bring the authenticity of the Gibson family and PENN’S CHOICE to the public. Formerly a sports host and corporate sales director based out of Los Angeles, the move to Western PA and jump into plant medicine and entrepreneurship may seem a strange one on the surface. However, if you know Rebecca, it actually makes a lot of sense. She has always had a passion for people, whether through bringing a little light to their day by making them laugh or by sharing natural remedies that could help improve their lives. Additionally, her corporate background stoked her leadership fire as well as honed her sales and marketing skills. Rebecca may not have expected to find herself running a hemp brand in rural Pennsylvania, but her passion and purpose have aligned, and she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.
For Joe Gibson, the term hard-worker doesn’t do him justice. Infamous for putting in half days (which is 12 hours to Joe!), this 7th generation farmer always has his boots on, much to the chagrin of his wife, Betsy Gibson. Joe is Co-Owner and CGO, Chief Growing Officer, of PENN’S CHOICE, and he has the resume to deserve it. With the work ethic of his father, and the entrepreneurial spirit of his son, Steve, Joe is the driving force behind all grow operations. He is also the owner of Gibson Builders, and so he has used his construction background to transform the farm buildings to handle the hemp harvest. He has changed his focus from decades of animal feed cultivation to creating the ideal environment for a thriving hemp crop. He oversees the harvesting, slow-curing, trimming, and storing of all PENN’S CHOICE premium hemp. He is passionate about the farm that has been in his family for generations, so he is committed to sustainable farming practices that will leave the soil richer for the generations to come.
Betsy Gibson gets a kick out of the fact that she, a vegetarian from Pittsburgh, fell in love with Joe Gibson, a rural pig farmer. Betsy and Joe’s love story is a perfect example of how you just never know where life is going to take you. Fellow Co-Owner of PENN’S CHOICE, Betsy oversees the shipping department, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Betsy is the lifeblood of PENN’S CHOICE and ensures that everyone has what they need to keep moving forward. She can be found hunting males (Joe would like to add that she’s hunting male hemp plants!), fulfilling large orders, retail and wholesale, or feeding the troops. Betsy truly does it all. A former librarian turned acupuncturist, Betsy has a deep understanding of and passion for natural healing. She has been waiting for the day when the farm, that she never expected to live on for 30+ years, would cultivate plants instead of pigs. She is helping PENN’S CHOICE do just that, all naturally and sustainably, so as to improve the quality of the land and the lives of both her family and those who use PENN’S CHOICE hemp products.
For the 2020 growing season, PENN’S CHOICE has grown multiple varieties of CBD from Oregon CBD and Mountain Strong. We have also recentely released a new strain, Sour G, containing high levels of CBG and 0.0% Delta 9 THC. We are excited about this year’s harvest, and we invite you to join us on our journey through our social media accounts. Thank you for your interest in PENN’S CHOICE!