Addressing Equity and Unconscious Bias in Cannabis Prohibition Zones: A Closer Look at Mendocino County The establishment of cannabis prohibition (CP) zones in Mendocino County has brought attention to potential discrimination and unequal treatment within the industry. In Redwood Valley, residents with 109 contiguous parcels filed a rezoning request to establish a Cannabis Prohibition Combining District (CPCD). The rezone application (R_2021-0002) was submitted by the Eastside Residential Redwood Valley collective of property owners who seek to mitigate what they believe has become an unaccept ..read more

Monocropping, or planting only one type of crop on land, has become a common practice in modern agriculture, including the cannabis industry. Unfortunately, this practice can lead to soil depletion, pest outbreaks, and reduced biodiversity. However, by incorporating cover crops in the winter, growers can break the destructive cycle of monocropping and promote soil health and biodiversity. While many cannabis growers may assume that cover cropping is only for outdoor farmers who grow in the ground, this practice can also apply to those who cultivate pots and raised beds. Growers can incorporat ..read more

Market volatility heavily impacts agriculture, making it difficult for farmers to manage costs while generating a profit. The cannabis industry is not immune to fluctuating prices, with each state's high regulatory compliance costs and a competing illicit market increasing the stakes for cannabis farmers. Cutting labor costs is one strategy that can help reduce agricultural costs in a volatile market. This can be achieved through various techniques, such as reducing the number of harvests, planting later, reusing soil, joining a cannabis cooperative, and adopting lean agricultural management ..read more

As owners and operators, we know how valuable our time is. We wear a dozen different hats, take responsibility for the outcomes, and find ourselves fully immersed in all things business seven days out of the week. But what separates the overwhelmed from the productive is respecting the time we are given each day. Without planning and scheduling, we hurt our business's efficiency, costing ourselves money in the long run.  To gather a great understanding of how you spend your time, create a big picture view of your daily operations. Spend time planning out and logging your projects in half ..read more

Working with our plants is meditative for most of us cannabis farmers. Our hands caked in dirt, lined along the underneath of our fingernails, our breath lengthened while we physically work in the fields, and our noses filled with the sweet aroma of live buds ripening with the sun. All are centering thoughts for us with a passion for cultivating cannabis, but it doesn't just stop there. While using organic nutrients and pest management techniques has been the standard for Giving Tree Farms since the beginning, our understanding of why this is important to our planet and consumer's health conti ..read more

1. Audit Your Energy Usage and Make Improvements To reduce the energy costs associated with producing quality cannabis, it’s important to get familiar with how much energy you’re using, then make a plan to reduce it.   Fortunately, energy-efficient alternatives are out there—and some of them are as simple as opting for LED bulbs. If you’re ready for an off-grid journey, be sure to have climate controlled greenhouses, remote monitoring, and lots of solar panels! And get ready for virtually no overhead costs.  2. Be Smart When it Comes to Scaling Between the use of genetics suita ..read more

Both cannabis and hops have terpenes and terpenoids, but that’s not the only overlap between these two plant-derived worlds. In recent years, similarities—in particular between craft cannabis and craft beer—have become more apparent. So, what can the relatively infantile but similarly regulated craft cannabis industry learn from the older craft beer industry? Let’s take a look.  Attention to Quality It’s easy to see craft cannabis as the “new craft beer.” Historically, they’re both coming back from a period of prohibition—or in the process of doing so, anyway. In both cases, legal issues ..read more

While winter brings some time for rest and recovery, for those involved in year-round cultivation, the new season brings added complexities for growing cannabis. The plant is thought to have evolved about 28 million years ago on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, which is home to extremely cold winters. While cannabis can grow in the winter, taking some extra steps to support your greenhouse cannabis cultivation can certainly help.  What About Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation? For optimal growth, most cannabis varieties, particularly sativas, prefer warm weather with plenty of sun and adequate hum ..read more

Perfect for autumn family adventures and first dates, pick-your-own produce is one of the few ways ordinary folks are able to connect with farms. Whether berries, pumpkins, apples or potatoes, a pick-your-own operation also helps the farmer pick up on some significant cost savings. Because it takes a bite out of the staggering 30-40% of American-produced food that’s wasted, it’s great for the environment, too. So, then, does pick-your-own have a place in the craft cannabis industry? Pick-Your-Own: A History In order to truly understand the u-pick model, let’s take a look at its history. In 19 ..read more

Our name is Giving Tree Farms for a reason. We’re a cannabis business on a mission and giving back is just as important to us as a quality product. With Giving Tuesday and the holidays just around the corner, we thought we’d take the time to highlight our dedication to supporting organizations and projects that strengthen communities.  Regular Volunteering at Anderson Valley Food Bank Anderson Valley Food Bank is dedicated to solving some of society’s biggest challenges. They do so by providing patrons with fresh fruit and vegetables and staples like beans, rice, eggs, oil, and pasta. Pr ..read more