CJ Rankin is the owner of CJsCactus, a small business focused on the sale and education of ornamental cactus, as well as providing a drought-tolerant food source in the form of nopales, the edible pads of the prickly pear cactus. CJ's journey with Farmshare began in the fall of 2024 when he attended Farmer Starter, a 5-month beginning farmer training program for adults who wish to launch organic farming businesses. Though plants have always been a passion, CJ has homed in on cactus over the past three years, specializing in Melocactus—an intriguing variety known for bearing its reproductive system at the tip of its vegetative structure. CJ is excited to share his passion, experience and love for cactus with others.