Regenerative Farming

There are many buzzwords surrounding Cannabis farming these days – organic, sustainable, biodynamic, and more. All of these practices are important. However, Regenerative Farming encompasses all of these elements with simple, clear guidelines that ensure the protection and regeneration of Mother Earth. These practices ensure we don’t take without giving back. They allow us to work within our resources to cultivate the cleanest, purest cannabis available while leaving little to no trace. Often referred to as “Beyond Organic,” Regenerative Farming allows the Farmer to focus on creating the perfect natural environment for the plants to thrive by using what nature provides.

For years in agriculture, farmers have been stripping the soil of its natural balance and microorganisms by applying chemicals and salt fertilizers. Tilling the soil year after year leaves it “dead.” Regenerative Farming focuses on “living soil” full of microbes, worms, insects, and companion or complementary plants.

Unfortunately, it has become common practice with cannabis to do “mono-cropping,” where the farm only grows cannabis, especially in indoor farming. Limiting the crop to only one species prevents the natural balance. If there are no flowers, there are no beneficial insects to eat, the invasive ones that even find their way into an indoor grow room. And if there are no “banker plants,” there is no place for the beneficial insects, like the ladybug, to live.

Cover crop plants such as Red Clover, Vetch, Fava Beans, and more have essential functions. They act as a “living mulch” – retaining moisture in the soil and protecting the earth and microbes from the direct sun and heat. Many of these plants, such as Red Clover, pull water from the air into the soil, which is critical during drought years in California.

A Regenerative Cannabis Farm also produces food, flowers, and medicinal and culinary herbs. Many of these herbs, such as lavender, rosemary, and oregano, attract beneficial insects and increase the Terpene expression of cannabis.

Below are some of the guidelines Regenerative Cannabis Farmer adhere to produce the cleanest and most consciously made cannabis available:

• No use of synthetic fertilizers, fungicides, or pesticides. Nothing chemical based.
• Use earth-based nutrients only. All inputs are regenerative and healthy for the plants, the earth, and the consumers.
• Use sustainable, reusable, and biodegradable materials whenever possible. Avoid using plastic as much as possible.
• Have an integrated pest program that is diverse and uses only natural cures, beneficial nematodes, and insects. No chemical pesticides ever.
• Create your inputs by making compost, raising animals or worms for the potent fertilizers they provide for the plants.
• Catch and store rainwater.
• Leave the soil undisturbed but feed it with the cover crops and natural mulches available on your farm.
• No use of hydroponic, aeroponic, or soilless mediums.
• Grow food, flowers, and other medicinal herbs.
• Grown in the Earth and under the Sun.
• No use of GMO or feminized seeds.