Grower Highlight: Trailhead Farms

Gorge Greenery now stocks flower from the local, small-batch farm Trailhead Farms. Located just on the edge of Hood River city limits, the Greenery was given a tour of Trailhead Farms. We got the inside look on how this Clean Green Certified farm is operated.

Dave, one of the founders of Trailhead, checks us in at the farm and gives us a lay of the land. Trailhead Farms has three greenhouses, with room to build one more for next season’s grow. "We're an organic grow." Dave says, as he points out that Trailhead is neighbors with other farmers. Their neighbors are multi-generational fruit farmers sticking to organic growing practices that resist spraying pesticides and fertilizers. They care about their crop, and so does Trailhead Farms.

Trailhead Farms is a Clean Green Certified grower, meaning that they have either met or exceeded a multitude of guidelines that ensures that the farm has a low impact on the environment. Now more than ever, we need more farms to adopt sustainable growing practices. Trailhead has solar panels mounted on their south-facing roofs with plans to install more. Their greenhouses act as water collectors. Any rainfall on the greenhouses drains into gutters and is saved in storage tanks onsite to be used for watering later. Simple solutions like these make a big difference in maintaining a sustainable grow.

Most of Trailhead's grow for the summer season has already been harvested, so the greenhouses sit nearly empty. That, however, doesn’t mean that their work is over.

"The soil is alive,” Dave says, "And we work hard to take care of it. It's what keeps the plant happy and healthy." Dave scoops up a handful of soil to show us, and it immediately becomes clear that “Alive” is the right word of choice. The dirt is soft, dark, and even has some worms here and there. It’s filled with plant and animal life, and that’s a good thing. Dave describes the cycles of nutrients that the farm will use to help nourish the soil and, in turn, the plant. Whole malted barley, kelp, and fish bone meal are just a few of the all-natural ingredients Trailhead utilizes to nourish the soil.

One thing that was clear to us on our tour of Trailhead Farms was their attention to detail. When you run a smaller operation, you spend more time focusing on every aspect of what it takes to grow quality, clean cannabis. Their hard work has paid off.

Electric Lemon, Kimbo Kush X Cookies and Cream, Double Tangie Banana, and Tiger Beat names only just a few of their strains grown this season. When you run a small grow operation, the quality of the flowers you grow is very noticeable. The flavors are more rich and diverse, the high is cleaner and more enjoyable, and the plant has a higher variety of cannabinoids.

Kimbo Kush X Cookies & Cream

Choosing your cannabis isn't just about how high the THC percentage is. It’s about how the plant is grown. We are proud to carry Trailhead Farms cannabis. They are a sustainable Hood River farm. They produce a quality crop that was grown with passion and care. We are huge fans of what they do. Locally grown with care, Trailhead Farms embodies what craft cannabis cultivation is all about.

Why Gorge Greenery? We're not your average dispensary

In November of 2014, Oregon voters approved of Measure 91, allowing recreational sales of marijuana. Ever since that date, the Green Rush came to Oregon. It brings with it a swath of new and bustling industry where there was only black market and shady dealings before. Now, in 2017, cannabis dispensaries can be found in almost every corner of the state. There are 167 dispensaries in the city of Portland alone. This now begs the question: what's the difference between these shops anyway? What sets one cannabis dispensary apart from the other? How important is it that I choose the right shop?

When consuming cannabis, it's important to know where the product came from, more so if its the right choice of strain or edible for you. Many dispensaries out there pay this important detail no mind, and simply want to sell you marijuana. It's a brave new world out there, and we here at Gorge Greenery™ make customer service our mission, as well as being a standout, high-quality dispensary. Here's what sets us apart from the rest.

Budtender Knowledge

Our budtenders have years of knowledge when it comes to all things cannabis. Its important to choose a knowledgeable budtender when choosing the cannabis product that is right for you. Top Gorge Greenery™ budtenders have received level 2 certification from the Trichrome Institute in Colorado. The Trichrome Institute educates with a scientific approach and coaches our staff to identify strains of cannabis by look and smell alone. The Trichrome Institute also educates attendees on how to identify inconsistences and deficiencies in cannabis. By taking this course, our staff can guarantee only top quality and organic products are on our shelves.

Sourcing Products

At Gorge Greenery, we stand behind our products. We take the time to learn more about the Oregon growers and producers with the intention of selling flower, concentrates, edibles and other cannabis derived products. We only accept the highest quality products.  To achieve this, we strictly adhere to the following:

• We ensure all flower is grown without use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides and cultivated using natural and organic practices. We tour every farm that is featured on our menu.
• Our concentrates and vaporizer cartridges are pure. No glycol, no butane, no additives, no artificial flavors.
• Quality edibles from talented bakers, confectionists, and chocolatiers.
• Effective and relieving topicals from skilled processors.

Sourcing our products is extremely important. The Cannabis industry is a bustling and growing industry.  By taking the initiative to visit each and every farm and producer that we carry, we are preventing low-quality or unsound products from reaching the shelves. This extra step is a part of our promise to protect the consumer and provide the highest quality products.

Sustainability

We strive to achieve sustainable practices at the Greenery. We package all flower in-house using glass jars, which can be returned using a sustainable, eco-friendly reward program. We are strong advocates for reducing plastic waste and more sustainable practices industry wide. We are the only certified dispensary that is licensed to handle organic products in the Columbia Gorge. Our staff and dispensary is certified by Clean Green and Certified Kind foundations whom are working towards recognizing and promoting clean, organic cannabis.

Locally Owned and Operated

We are as local as it gets here in The Gorge! All of our staff has been drawn to the Columbia River Gorge with the passion for adventure and cannabis. We love the lives we live in this beautiful area. We are proud to be a locally owned business that promotes exploration and enjoyment of the Columbia River Gorge to locals and tourists alike

Organic Marijuana: Fiction vs. Fact

Alright team, it's time to talk about Organic Marijuana. In the age where people are particularly concerned about the quality of what they eat or drink, it's no coincidence that the same concern applies to the quality of cannabis they smoke or ingest.

The term “organic” isn’t thrown around lightly. Food and beverage manufacturers go through arduous procedures and regulations when it comes to producing a product that can be deemed organic. An organic orange is by and far different from a normally produced orange. Now this isn’t to say that a non-organic orange is “unsafe”, but the quality of the product is noticeably different. Think of it this way; a Chevy Impala and a Ferrari 458 Italia are both cars that will get you from point A to point B, however there will be a difference in what you experience during that drive.

                       I’ll take the red one…

So it's no wonder that the same level of concern over quality applies to the booming marijuana industry in Oregon. As recreational use rises, so has the demand for high quality or “organic” marijuana. Dispensaries all over Oregon have begun to offer “organic” marijuana, and much to the users’ delight. High quality cannabis usually results in a high quality experience.

That said, “Organic” marijuana is not actually a thing. At all. It’s not real.

Now that’s not to say that high quality cannabis isn’t out there; quite the opposite. The Clean Green Certification and Certified Kind program is a new means of ensuring quality cultivation practices from growers, ensuring a high quality product for the consumers to enjoy. Their basis of testing for high quality cultivation is nearly identical to the practices of the USDA: Soil quality, pesticide use, environmental impact, etc. Plus, most smaller farming operations take care to produce a crop that they are proud of, something that they would enjoy consuming themselves.

No there is a different reason why “Organic” marijuana is not a thing. In order for a product to receive the Organic label, it must first go through a series of tests and certifications through the USDA. In short, to receive the Organic label, the producer must ensure that the product is:

• Produced without excluded methods, (e.g., genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge).

• Produced using allowed substances. (No synthetic soils, no harmful pesticides, etc.)

• Overseen by a USDA National Organic Program-authorized certifying agent, following all USDA organic regulations.

So why can’t these regulatory practices apply to marijuana? The USDA is prohibited from working with cannabis.

The USDA is a federal agency that oversees all organic labeling requirements, setting the standard across the US for producing Organic products. Now, being a federal agency, do you think the USDA is in a position to apply the same Organic labeling practices to marijuana? No way. The federal government still classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 narcotic, and as long as cannabis stays on as schedule 1, we will never see “Organic pot”.

So what does this mean for the consumer who seeks out only high quality cannabis. What about the driver who wants the Ferrari 458 and the 458 alone? This is where the Clean Green Certification and the Certified Kind program comes in. Independent from federal and state governments, these organizations provide the standardization and regulation processes similar to the USDA’s Organic labeling in order to ensure a high quality marijuana product produced under sustainable and “clean” practices. These programs check for:

• Use of organic cultivation methods

• Prevention of soil erosion and nutrient runoff

• Water conservation methods from a legal water source

• Carbon Footprint Reduction (CFR) program

• Fair trade/fair working conditions

• Legal compliance/non-black market

Each of these programs go above and beyond what the USDA requires for the organic label, and provide both standardization to the quality of cannabis products as well accountability to the grower. So those looking for “Organic” pot should seek out Clean Green Certified and Certified Kind strains and dispensaries (like Gorge Greenery!)

Recreational and Medical users alike need to be vigilant when they purchase their marijuana. Oregon is home to 400+ legal marijuana dispensaries, but any dispensary that claims they sell “Organic” marijuana should be given a second thought. This isn’t to say that their quality of cannabis is sub-par (quite the opposite; it’s probably pretty darn good if they call it “Organic”), but to call the product “Organic” is false advertising. The USDA will never put the true Organic label on cannabis, not until major change at the federal level is achieved. So when you’re shopping for your high quality bud, anybody claiming to have “Organic” weed is pulling your leg. If you want the quality experience, look for the Clean Green Certified or Certified Kind logo, and you’ll be on your way towards high quality elevation.

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Stinky Pete

Stinky Pete has been released! Stinky Pete is 1/2 Snowtracks, 1/4 Vortex, 1/8 Dynamite, and 1/8 OG Kush causing an intense body high. Testing up at 25% this strain has and Earthy, manly smell, with an herbal nutty flavor with notes of cheese.

This strain is named after Pete Bergeman, who was well known throughout the Hood River Marijuana industry and passed away doing what he loved. Pete did a lot from Otis Gardens and he left his mark by building many custom work areas in the garden. He ran a tight crew and was well liked.

When Otis popped some seeds from their private breeding stock they discovered a large, powerful, and smelly 9 bladed plant. Pete died around the same time this strain was born so it is named in memory of him.

Come down and try this potent strain!

Trust your Bud- Gorge Greenery is Pesticide Free!

While this article was released in June earlier this year, it's come to our attention that many medical patients and recreational users alike are unaware of the serious risk of pesticides in Cannabis flower and products. Here at Gorge Greenery, we carry Clean Green Certified gardens and send everything out to OG Analytical (one of the trusted labs used in this study), for the most comprehensive pesticide screening capabilities in Oregon to ensure clean product every time.

"Dab Society Dutch Treat, a potent cannabis extract sold to medical marijuana patients, sailed through state-mandated pesticide testing. The results were printed on the label, backed by an official report. Workers at a Southeast Portland dispensary were happy to share the lab certificate. All you had to do was ask.

But, in fact, two laboratories commissioned by The Oregonian/OregonLive found pesticides in the same sample of Dutch Treat at levels above what the state allows.

It wasn’t an isolated case.

A combination of lax state rules, inconsistent lab practices and inaccurate test results has allowed pesticide-laced products to enter the medical marijuana market, The Oregonian/OregonLive has found.

Marijuana that fails a pesticide screen is not supposed to be sold to patients. But two other cannabis products in addition to Dutch Treat also tested above acceptable levels for pesticides.

The Oregonian/OregonLive shopped at Oregon dispensaries, bought cannabis that had passed pesticide tests and sent the samples to independent labs for further screening. Two labs performed the analysis: OG Analytical, a marijuana testing lab in Eugene, and Pacific Agricultural Laboratory, a Portland lab that specializes in detecting pesticides on foods and agricultural commodities. Both confirmed in blind testing the presence of pesticides that should have triggered red flags from previous labs."

Read the full article from The Oregonian/OregonLive HERE.

Sustainability-Driven Entrepreneurs

Right now “sustainability” still means pushing back against business as usual. As a young sustainability professional, I wanted to further explore the characteristics of successful sustainability-driven entrepreneurs.

1. Sustainable DNA

They make sure sustainability is baked into their business model. Over 1,300 companies have met B-Lab’s requirements and are officially recognized as a Certified B Corporation. According to B-Lab, “By voluntarily meeting higher standards of transparency, accountability, and performance, Certified B Corps are distinguishing themselves in a cluttered marketplace by offering a positive vision of a better way to do business.” There are also 1,200 companies have partnered with 1% for the Planet to donate one percent of their net annual sales to non-profit organizations working to tackle environmental challenges. Whether sustainability-driven entrepreneurs get official certifications and partner with big networks or just participate in similar practices without official recognitions, they always make sure they are having a positive impact on the economy, environment, and community.

2. Compassionate

Earlier this year, The Washington Post reported on a German study that found, “heightened sensitivity to the suffering of other people” is a major “emotional and personality-based driver of environmental attitudes.” Since systematically improving the way we treat communities is a major part of sustainability, it makes sense that the people who choose to work in the field also tend to be mindful of how they personally treat the individuals around them, which makes for great coworkers.

3. Highly Motivated

Sustainable entrepreneurship isn’t something people usually get into unless they are truly passionate about the issues. They believe in their vision for how much better the world could be and have an insatiable need to keep working towards it, even with the knowledge that they may not live to see it come to fruition. Because as anyone in the business of improving the world knows—it is an ongoing process, not a destination.

4. Resilient

Working towards sustainability is inherently emotional work, and because it requires going against the status quo it is filled with roadblocks and naysayers. Successful sustainability-driven entrepreneurs must have strong emotional awareness and they develop strategies to help them keep moving forward when the world tries to burn them out. In an interview with Net Impact Adam Hammes, sustainability professional and author, cited high emotional intelligence as the most important skill successful sustainability professionals possess. He said, “Without the soft skills of dealing with interpersonal struggles, the hard skills will never be put to use. You will get overwhelmed and burn out. Once you have developed emotional intelligence and soft skills, it is also helpful to then know your strategy – to save time and energy – and know your audience – to frame your approach in ways that make it well-received.“

5. Holistic Approach

Successful sustainability-driven entrepreneurs know the importance of approaching their work systematically. They make sure their actions truly match their philosophy and that they are making the intended impact on their surroundings. For example, a if a sustainability-driven restaurant owner uses compostable food packaging, then they make sure there is an appropriate and user-friendly disposal system in place.

*Source:  http://www.purelabels.com/