In the middle of winter, it seems like any plans for planting our next crop would be far off. In actuality though, planting season creeps closer every day. We constantly spend time evaluating the many facets of prior harvests. We then apply that knowledge to our plans for the coming season… and we do that every year!
Getting Our Moms Ready
First, we choose where our plants will come from. Our moms have all been selected for next year. From just 100 moms, we’ll cut 20,000 clones that will cover 10 acres of land. When the time comes, our whole team pitches in and helps plant the crop. Thus, we gain a new appreciation for all the hard work of the farm crew who spend their whole summer under the hot sun. Naturally, we’re already trying to get into summer shape. Not to look good, but to prepare for the rigors of planting all those clones.
“Pheno Hunting”
Although we’ve already chosen the moms that we’ll use for our next crop, we never stop trying to find even better specimens among our plants. We’ll continue to nurture outliers with potentially healthier appearance and beneficial characteristics, a process otherwise known as “pheno-hunting”. One example of pheno-hunting would be choosing a plant with a higher concentration of crystals on the flower. This indicates a stronger concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes.
Farming Responsibly
Organic practices are important to us. They always have been and always will be. That’s how we grow the best possible hemp that we can. The living soil we use serves to optimize nutrient uptake for all of our plants. We also monitor our plants closely using an ingenious new phone app. This allows us to know exactly when plants need climate or water adjustments. It also helps us avoid waste since we aren’t watering plants unnecessarily.
Paying it Forward
One of the largest problems we’ve come to recognize is the general knowledge of hemp that so many new farmers lack. Or more correctly, experienced farmers who have decided to farm hemp for the first time. The implications of growing a field containing male plants, for instance, might be detrimental to another hemp farm many miles away. That’s why we’ve started working with other hemp farmers in the 4 Corners region to promote healthy, sustainable, responsible growing practices.
We want to see the cannabis industry advance in a positive direction. Education is by far and away the simplest way to empower other farmers and achieve our unified goals across the industry.
