Marijuana Business Magazine August 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | August 2019 54 his rooms between each planting and harvest, which helps to keep the pests out and the quality up. The Farm uses prod- ucts from BioSafe Systems to sanitize. For hard surfaces, they use a blend of hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid. “When you have small batch, it’s important to have that spacing where you’re not pushing to produce more because it’s a smaller facility,” Billings said. “If you put too many plants in your small-batch room, you’re just going to create pathogens.” HYDROPONICS A NO-NO Nevedal is strictly against hydroponic systems for a craft cannabis operation. Instead, she considers drip irrigation, dry farming and hand-watering acceptable. “When we start moving away from traditional forms of agriculture into more industrial models, I think we lose the craft component,” she added. Wood’s drip irrigation system uses a rainwater catchment apparatus that stores winter precipitation for use in summer watering. “We have a very firm commitment in trying to create a high-quality, environ- mentally friendly product,” he added. BUILD A LIVING SOIL Both Nevedal and Wood are advocates for living soil, or plant-based growing media centered on compost with an active microbiology and biodiversity. Wood uses only organic soil amend- ments and tries to avoid excessive inputs, particularly too much fertilizer and synthetic nutrients. He finds his plants have better terpene expression when he adds fewer inputs. “I definitely believe that our inputs and the flavor of our cannabis are correlated,” Wood added. For Nevedal, a healthier soil teeming with living microorganisms aligns with her craft ethos. She recommends growers brew their own compost teas to add nutrients to the soil. She also uses organic amendments that won’t kill off natural bacteria or other beneficial organisms. The process also avoids additions that can negatively influence the taste of flower. “When I think of craft cannabis, that high level of care is building a living soil,” she added. “It’s being able to utilize mindful practices to focus on quality.” TIMING IS EVERYTHING Growing cannabis correctly is only half the battle. Harvest can separate a run-of- the-mill grower from a craft cultivator, according to Reach. “A lot of people fail at that,” he said. “Drying and curing and ultimately stor- age is what defines craft. There’s plenty of people who just grow it, cut it down, dry it and sell it.” Reach takes a little extra time to make sure he’s preserving terpenes and THC content. One way he does that is by harvesting an entire room at once, then drying cuttings all together and not adding any new plants until the first ones are dry. That way, “you’re not reintroducing wet product to dry product,” he said, “which can kill flavor and smell.” For Nevedal, a good harvest is all about timing. “If you harvest right as that plant is peaking, you have the most beautiful trichomes, the highest oil residuals,” she said. “With craft, you’re listening to the plant in that way, so you’re maximizing quality.” HAND-TRIMMING PREFERRED While some cultivators might use ma- chines, conventional wisdom is that for flower to be considered craft, it should be hand-trimmed. “We hand-trim everything we sell under our brand,” Reach said. Nevedal avoids using trimming machines because she believes they damage trichomes. “You’re going to be able to maintain the integrity of the trichome structure more so with a hand-trim,” she said. “If you Cannabis industry insiders maintain that for flower to be considered craft, it must be trimmed by hand. Courtesy of The Farm