Meet The Medium: Uniting Businesses Across The State

Jared Ferguson holds the mulch layer from a living soil bed at Collective Elevation.

Imagine getting in your car after a long day, craving a high-quality meal, let's say spaghetti, and suddenly remembering that your neighborhood's farmers market is happening. You light up as you approach the familiar, charmingly rickety stalls with friendly faces behind them. 

Each interaction leaves you inspired by the dedication of your community members who provide organic, regenerative goods. You return to your car with beef from a local ranch and recently harvested onions, garlic, tomatoes, basil, and more. The fresh aromas make your mouth water as you drive home.

As you rinse the remaining soil off the ingredients, you're reminded of the individuals who lovingly tended to these crops. When agricultural communities adopt regenerative practices, like living soil, they nurture a deeper connection between growers, their community, and the environment. These practices and connections create a thriving ecosystem and yield a higher-quality product.

Jeff Andrews fills one gallon pots for clones at Bighorn Buds. (Photo by Sarah Blacher)

The Living Soil Alliance facilitates exchanging ideas and knowledge to promote living soil cultivation practices closely related to regenerative agriculture. Discover the perspectives of five pioneering members of the Living Soil Alliance, all of whom specialize in sustainable cannabis cultivation: 

• Dave Ventura from Borealis Natural Gardens

• Adam Arnold from Collective Elevation

• Craig McViney from Cannabis Counter

• Roy Noland from Ninepipe Organics

• Darian Gregory from Bighorn Buds

With their extensive combined experience, these alliance members are continually refining their practices. As we explore various growers' different methods and perspectives, we will discover the diverse advantages and obstacles of living soil. This knowledge will help us understand how it can lead to a more sustainable future for both cannabis companies and consumers.

Growing cannabis in living soil closes many loops within cultivation practices while enhancing the quality of the product. Noland explains, "We have distinct flavor profiles. One of the in-house strains we bred had 31 identifiable terpenes." Terpene and cannabinoid diversity demonstrate how plants grow to their full potential in living soil. McViney emphasized the importance of allowing plants to come to their full expression by saying, "Our philosophy is we chop whenever things are mature and ripe," indicating a focus on the natural growth cycle rather than a rigid harvesting schedule. This profound respect for nature's intricate balance ultimately allows cultivators to produce a superior, more holistic product.

Living soil cultivation emphasizes nourishing the soil's microbial ecosystem to make nutrients accessible to a plant's root system when needed. Ventura applies Modern Natural Farming methods based on Korean Natural Farming (KNF) to produce natural soil amendments. He mentioned, "We did (make amendments) from fermented fish as well because one of my buddies is the head chef at a sushi restaurant in town. All of the byproducts that would basically be trash that isn't your choice cuts... we can ferment all that and make it into a potent, high phosphorus and nitrogen food for the plants." This approach minimizes waste and provides valuable nutrients, fostering collaboration with neighboring communities beyond the cannabis industry.

Derry Driscoll prunes flowering plants at Sacred Sun Farms.

The world of living soil poses unique challenges that require mindful navigation. Living soil cultivators avoid traditional chemicals and employ creative pest and disease management methods. Noland describes their approach, "We extract and ferment cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and rosemary." Another KNF practice, Oriental Herbal Nutrients, naturally boosts the plant's immune system to combat naturally occurring pathogens. 

In addition to biological strategies, Arnold notes the need for a well-informed team, "My team needs to be more on it and more knowledgeable. I can't just train them in a day, but that's okay because it creates better and more long-term jobs." Families pass down acquired knowledge through generations to ensure the prosperity of their land, crops, and animals, regardless of who is in charge. The cultivators acknowledge the importance of sharing this knowledge with team members and future generations.

Living soil cultivators find a sense of unity crucial for the long-term success of this cultivation approach. Ventura stresses that the group's mission is to unite like-minded growers and collaborate. McViney shares an example of this collaborative spirit, "The owner of Sacred Sun Farms is coming here on Wednesday, and I'm giving them a tour of our grow because, hopefully, he can learn something from ours, or maybe he'll see something that I'm doing that he's like, 'oh man, there's a way easier way to do that' that I don't know about. It's nice to have it become way more of an open community… because you learn a lot."

Darian Gregory (left) and Adam Arnold (right) discuss living soil with a group of growers at the Collective Elevation farm.

Kis Organics, an online gardening business, offers organic and mineral amendments and abundant resources to help growers enhance soil quality and plant health. Gregory highlighted their slogan, "Our approach goes back to Kis Organics. K. I. S., Keep It Simple. We really take that to heart." Platforms like Kis Organics share knowledge and connect individual growers based on "simply" sustainable practices, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie among them.

Growing in living soil is beneficial for the environment and your wallet. Arnold discovered that using sustainable soil practices helped him save money compared to his business partner, who used different methods. Soon enough, his partner joined him in utilizing closed-loop operations to reduce ongoing costs. Business-minded cultivators like Arnold's partner are adopting these practices quickly because they significantly impact costs.

Just like choosing to buy fresh, locally sourced produce at a farmer's market, buying cannabis grown in living soil means purchasing a superior, high-quality product and contributing to a deep sense of community and environmental stewardship. Embracing regenerative practices and sharing knowledge through partnerships like the Living Soil Alliance will drive the industry toward a more sustainable and interconnected future. As we continue to explore and embrace living soil cultivation, we hope to witness a paradigm shift that elevates the cannabis industry and the well-being of our planet.

Scan the QR code (or click the image below) to see our curated Google map of statewide dispensaries that carry living soil products. You vote with your dollar, and there is power in that vote.

Chay James Bouchee carefully prepares the soil for watering.

Originally published in the Montana Cannabis Magazine Summer 2024 Issue.

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Nature's Way: Ninepipe's Unconventional Path to Premium Cannabis

Ninepipe Organics has carved out a distinctive niche in the world of living soil cannabis cultivation. In a recent interview with co-founder Roy Noland, we delved into the innovative practices that make their methodology distinct. For those unfamiliar with cannabis cultivation, this blog will offer insights into what sets Ninepipe Organics apart.

The Ninepipe Organics grow room with living soil beds.

The Journey to Organic Practices

The journey of Ninepipe Organics began with a personal need for medicinal cannabis. Roy's wife was diagnosed with liver cancer, prompting him to produce Rick Simpson Oil using cannabis grown organically. From the outset, the focus was on creating medicine that was not only effective but also organic. This commitment to organic farming remains a core philosophy at Ninepipe Organics.

Innovative Soil Amendments

One of the standout features of Ninepipe Organics' methodology is their unique approach to soil amendments. Unlike many other growers, Roy utilizes bison dung collected from the free-ranging Northern Cheyenne tribal herd. "We actually put solid whole (dung) chips in the beds, and they just become a feeding station for the worms. It's amazing. When you flip one over, the worms are hanging out of it", Roy states.

While using bison dung adds complexity to their process, the soil and, thus, the plants benefit from the native beneficial fungus and bacteria within the chips. To address potential pathogen concerns, they produce lactobacillus serum, which acts as a natural countermeasure to any lingering pathogens in the dung, ensuring the safety and efficacy of their soil.

House-made Lactobacillus resting atop the living soil beds.

Adaptive Mulching Techniques

Ninepipe Organics continuously adjusts its practices based on observations and research. While many growers rely heavily on cover crops, Roy and his team have shifted towards mulching with Alfalfa and Timothy. This change has reduced the need for pest management and allowed them to focus on nurturing the soil's natural worm population, which contributes to producing high-quality worm castings. The results speak for themselves, with high THC levels and exceptional terpene profiles in their products.

A thriving cannabis plant towers above the canopy.

Ninepipe Organics exemplifies a harmonious blend of innovation and tradition in cannabis cultivation. By adhering to organic principles and embracing unique growing techniques, they have achieved remarkable success in product quality and industry recognition. For those interested in learning more about sustainable and effective cannabis cultivation, Ninepipe Organics offers a fascinating case study on the power of innovation and dedication to quality.

Welcome to the Living Soil Alliance Blog!

We founded the Montana Living Soil Alliance with the mission of supporting sustainable, living soil cannabis cultivation in Montana, collaboration amongst living soil growers, and creating a platform for consumer education and outreach. Our growers are passionate about living soil cannabis, and collectively hold a wealth of information about sustainable growing practices.

This blog is intended to provide about our members and their grows, their approach to cultivation, and to educate consumers about the many benefits of living soil cannabis. In the coming months, we’ll speak to each of our members about their practices and provide you with detailed information about the health and environmental benefits of living soil.