But she had kept learning.
And when the opportunity finally arrived, she'd asked questions instead of signing the first impressive contract placed in front of her.
That mattered.
The following spring, Helvetic proposed a larger commercial research arrangement.
The initial evaluation had produced enough encouraging results to justify additional investment.
The company wanted a multi-year supply relationship, access to specified cultivation knowledge, and a defined license covering approved research and potential commercialization.
The proposed financial structure included milestone payments, supply commitments, and royalties tied to future successful products.
The total potential value could become substantial.
But the payment schedule depended on technical progress, regulatory conditions where applicable, and actual commercial performance.
Dileia examined the proposal carefully.
The attorney reviewed it.
Independent technical advisors evaluated the agricultural obligations.
And Dileia insisted on provisions that protected the farm's long-term health.
No unrestricted transfer of the entire cultivated population.
No unilateral right to remove parent stock.
No requirement that every future farmer obtain permission from a single land investor merely to cultivate appropriately licensed material.
And no broad claims that experimental products were already proven safe or effective.
The negotiations were difficult.
There were disagreements.
Lawyers exchanged revisions.
Commercial advisors calculated risks.
And more than once, Dileia wondered whether the deal would collapse.
But she remembered her father.
The crop has value only if the people who need it can eventually use it.
She didn't interpret that as a demand to give everything away without compensation.
Commercial research cost money.
Farmers needed revenue.
Investors needed reasonable returns.
And genuine intellectual property could deserve protection.
But she believed it was possible to build a business without surrendering the entire future of the crop to one company.
Eventually, they reached an agreement that satisfied both sides.
Helvetic funded a larger research and development program.
The Ashford farm became an approved source for defined plant material under documented supply conditions.
Future commercialization rights were carefully limited and structured.
The parties established rules for sharing verified research results and evaluating responsible expansion to additional growers.
Dileia retained ownership of the property and control over the farm's agricultural operations.
She didn't become a billionaire overnight.
But she secured a credible business opportunity with payments tied to actual work and progress.
For the first time, the farm's future rested on more than an uncertain promise.
It rested on contracts she understood, technical work she could inspect, and a financial plan designed to survive setbacks.
Then came the most emotional day of all.
The new research team organized a small gathering at the farm to recognize Walter Ashford's original contribution.