What’s at stake for Humboldt County’s legacy farms? New docuseries put growers in the spotlight
Presented by Boveda
April 29, 2022
Sponsored
The Emerald Triangle community brought us (yes, you) the first craft cannabis – now they’re struggling to keep their legacy and future alive.
In the Emerald Triangle of Humboldt County, California, artisanal cannabis cultivation dates back generations. This community of farmers and their families survived the War on Drugs and even during Prohibition thrived producing some of the finest bud available. They got their hands dirty every growing season and formed lasting bonds with the plants that allowed them to carefully get the most out of their harvests, whether they were taking a risk with a new strain or reviving an old favorite.
The Emerald Triangle is still one of the best cannabis regions in the world, as is Tuscany for wine.
Today, a new generation of farmers, some following in their families’ footsteps, are keeping this legacy alive. The Emerald Triangle is still one of the best cannabis regions in the world, as is Tuscany for wine. It’s the kind of premium herb that can only come from careful, hands-on cultivation, rich in terpenes and cannabinoids with unmatched taste, aroma, and effects. Every harvest is a fresh experience.
But as more and more big venture capital farms move in, the old growers of the Emerald Triangle are in grave jeopardy.
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The Boveda team understands the issues these growers face. Initially, growers turned to Boveda for two-way moisture control solutions to protect the complex terpene profiles of craft cannabis. As the relationship deepened, Boveda heard the partner farms’ problems and wanted to help raise the flag.
Boveda’s Legacy Southern Humboldt County documentary series tells the inspirational stories of deep-rooted growers and offers some breathtaking views of cannabis in its natural habitat. The people behind Moon Made Farms, Huckleberry Hill Farms, Canna Country Farms and Ridgeline Farms invited the Boveda team into their homes and gave them an insight into a complicated culture that stretches back generations.
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In these four mini-documentaries, learn more about them and the struggle to preserve a place for ancient craft workshops in the fabled region of California. A full-length feature film is slated for release later this summer.
Episode 1: Switch on with Moon Made Farms
In 2007, Tina Gordon moved to Humboldt County in search of an escape from the dense and urban life – and fate led her to cannabis. She developed a 40-acre property once owned by a close friend into Moon Made Farms, known for its regenerative practices, lunar farming, and high-quality craft cannabis.
Having a small, hand tended cannabis farm allows her to work on purpose.
“What sets us apart is the level of intimacy in our approach,” she says. “One of the golden rules we have here is to keep an eye on each plant every day, and another is to tune in with all your senses.”
“I think being actually practical, keeping your eyes open, and being in the same room as the facility contributes just as much, if not more than anything else.”
Tina places particular emphasis on the soil, water and air that come in contact with her growing plants. Post-harvest, she protects the finished product equally by using the Boveda Terpene Shield. Boveda helps Tina maintain the full terp experience that transports people enjoying their cannabis to the special place where it was grown.
Episode 2: Third generation farming at Canna Country Farms
Ted Blair grew up in the Emerald Triangle in the early ’80s when the region’s farms had to operate in stealth — no small feat with acres of fierce crops. Growing up outdoors like he does at Canna Country Farms is in stark contrast.
With the Emerald Triangle operating underground for decades, getting a license was a big, emotional decision for Ted – but it’s worth watching his kids carry on the family tradition.
“We’re stepping up, we’re not laying down,” says Ted. “You’re going to have to snatch this from our dead cold hands because it’s a legacy.”
Ted prides himself on defying the mainstream and cultivating a strain to suit everyone rather than focusing on the hot strain of the day—and that includes his own genetics. His award-winning Canna Country #26 is a cult favorite, with an ocimene-forward terpene profile unlike anything else on the market today. Boveda Terpene Shield helps to look its best. The flower took second place in the coveted ‘sungrown’ category of the Emerald Cup despite containing only 18% THC. This shows that a robust terpene profile is just as impressive as cannabinoid content, despite what current market trends might suggest.
Episode 3: A Hard-Fought Legacy at Huckleberry Hill Farms
A second-generation Emerald Triangle farmer, Johnny Casali remembers the early days of the War on Drugs all too well. With surveillance helicopters as a constant presence, he grew Plant on platforms in the trees to avoid detection. The war on drugs also sent him to federal prison for eight years for growing the plant. But when he returned, his community welcomed him with open arms.
Now Johnny is still active in the community and runs the Emerald Cup winning Huckleberry Hill Farms. He carries the legacy of his mother who was considered one of the best breeders in Humboldt County. To this day, he breeds offspring of a strain cultivated by his mother. In her tribute, Johnny created a popular strain called Mom’s Weed.
“What separates our product from Big Ag products is that we don’t just pour things out of a jar into a tank,” says Johnny. “TLC doesn’t come in a jar.”
Johnny uses Boveda Terpene Shield to ensure temperature and humidity changes don’t take away all the hard work and passion he puts into his flower before it reaches the consumer’s hands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZVPBVEML7c
Episode 4: Ridgeline Farms
Like Johnny and Ted, Jason Gellman grew up in the Emerald Triangle Growing Community.
Growing up during the height of the War on Drugs, Jason experienced the horrors of Prohibition first hand. Now, in an era of legalization, he’s struggling to keep Humboldt on the map while the community struggles to survive.
The legacy of the original artisanal cannabis
Tina, Ted, Johnny and Jason run independent farms, but they are all part of the same community forged through survival, hard work and a love of the plant. For decades, this community has taken great risks to produce some of the best cannabis strains in the world.
But with the industrialization of cannabis, small farms like those in the Emerald Triangle could disappear forever.
Hear the stories, knowledge, and struggles of these farmers in a full-length documentary that features these four farmers and others working to save this way of life.
You can watch the trailer for the documentary now.
About Boveda’s Terpene Shield
Save the terps! The Original Terpene Shield is a two-way moisture control package specifically designed to preserve cannabis at its best, protecting terpenes while preventing buds from drying out or going moldy. This patented technology allows purified water vapor to be either emitted or absorbed to balance the relative humidity in a sealed container. A thin layer of water molecules forms around the trichomes of cannabis flowers, shielding them from the air.
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This not only protects the uniquely rich terpenes of Emerald Triangle Buds, but also helps producers take the guesswork out of the curing process. Boveda is available in multiple sizes to protect any size stash – from single joints to giant containers – and two relative humidity options at 58% RH and 62% RH.
Follow Boveda’s documentary work with the Legacy Southern Humboldt County series and find cannabis humidity control solutions on the Boveda website.
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