Cannabis Cultivation and Science Podcast

My guest this week is Michael Wilson. Mike is the owner and head cultivator of Maine Craft Cannabis, a cannabis cultivation company licensed under Maine’s medical cannabis program.  Maine Craft Cannabis grows organically in living soil beds, and I met Mike when he reached out 2018 regarding consulting and dialing in the program in his facility. We’ve stayed in touch ever since, sharing ideas and test results as we continue to learn. Before joining the cannabis industry, Mike had a career in Mechanical engineering designing industrial centrifuges and x-ray machines. If you want to learn more, you can check out Maine Craft Cannabis at MaineCraftCannabis.com or on Instagram @Maine_Craft_Cannabis  https://www.kisorganics.com/blogs/podcast/episode-96-managing-soil-fertility-indoors-with-mike-wilson

My podcast this week is a bit unique in that we will be discussing how to diagnose deficiencies in cannabis and how to use a dichotomous key. We have a new document available on our website that has the dichotomous key we reference in the podcast as well as images showing the deficiencies related to each mineral we discuss. So if you wanted to follow along to the podcast with visuals you can check it out on our website or at anytime as a free guide.   My guest this week is Brandon Hudson. Brandon is a second generation cannabis cultivator with over 35 years of direct experience with this amazing plant. Growing up in East Tennessee, with The Great Smoky Mountains for a backyard, Brandon can't remember a time that he didn't love the outdoors. His parents grew row crops and were advocates of the 1970s Back To The Land movement. Building on fundamentals learned as a child Brandon has applied a controlled approach to cannabis cultivation starting his first plants his freshman year of college in 1986. He currently works for KIS Organics providing growers with everything from customer support to assistance with nutrients and soil tests. A well rounded and passionate organic grower, Brandon's real passion is in soil chemistry. Most recently, Brandon was the Director of Cultivation and one of four founding members of a minority-owned hemp flower farm in South Carolina.  He provided SOPs and oversight for all aspects of cultivation from propagation to harvest and cure, including daily operation of a large nursery facility. In this role Brandon also performed several federally funded hemp trials for HBCUs as well as research projects for nutrient producers. He also worked with a group to develop sterile gels for propagation. Anyone who has met Brandon knows he is rarely as happy as when he is talking plants with other passionate growers. He is a proud dad and husband who spends his free time outdoors with his veggie gardens and chickens. Now on to the show! https://www.kisorganics.com/blogs/news/episode-95-diagnosing-deficiencies-in-cannabis-with-brandon-hudson

Our guest this week is Jeremy Plumb. Jeremy was the Director of Production Science at Pruf Cultivar, one of the most technologically advanced cannabis cultivation facilities in North America. At Pruf, Jeremy combined decades of cannabis horticulture experience with cutting-edge technology to deliver previously unattainable consistency in both product quality and consumer effect. Prior to his leadership at Pruf, Jeremy was a co-founder of Farma, recently acclaimed by Rolling Stone as one of Oregon’s top dispensaries. Jeremy has served as a cannabis consultant to Israel medical cannabis researchers and as a cannabis policy advisor for US members of Congress. He also serves on the OLCC’s rule-making advisory committee. In 2015, Jeremy co-founded Cultivation Classic, Oregon’s leading craft cannabis competition. He lives in Portland, OR, with his border collie Lucy and when he can, finds few greater joys than sailing on the mighty Columbia river. Now on to the show! https://www.kisorganics.com/blogs/podcast/episode-94

My guest this week is Ryan Lee. Ryan is an educator, breeder, and researcher specializing in the chemical and genetic diversity of the cannabis species. Ryan comes from a background in neuroscience focusing on the endocannabinoid system, but later focusing on plant breeding technologies and the study of the molecular aspects of the cannabis genome and how we can use science to shape and improve the plant. Now on to the show!

Samuel Hoefler is a 10-year cannabis industry professional and current Head Grower of Prūf Cultivar. Sam is finishing an agronomy at Oregon State University and focuses primarily on nutrient management, irrigation techniques, and cannabis crop production. Sam has created a novel cultivation model at Prūf Cultivar while building one of the most advanced and informative data sets on cannabis nutrient values to date. Sam’s long term goals include establishing optimal nutrient ranges for cannabis, creating an open platform for industry professionals to share knowledge, and to continue pursuing a lifelong passion for researching cannabis cultivation.

My guest this week is Dr. Heather Grab. Dr. Grab is a Senior Lecturer at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in the School of Integrated Plant Science. In this role she teaches multiple courses focusing on Cannabis cultivation and processing and mentors students in Cornell’s Hemp Master of Professional Studies program. In collaboration with Cornell experts and industry partners, she delivers best practices for the cultivation and processing of Cannabis and Industrial Hemp to professionals in the Northeast and beyond. Prior to this position Heather was a USDA NIFA post-doctoral researcher in the Entomology Department at Cornell and continues to explore interactions between hemp and insects with her students and collaborators. Now on to the show! https://www.kisorganics.com/blogs/podcast/episode-91-cornell-universitys-hemp-science-program-and-new-research-with-dr-heather-grab

My guest this week is Rufus Akinrinlola. He is a Ph.D. Candidate and Graduate Research Assistant in the Entomology and Plant Pathology Department at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. He works in the research programs of UT Specialty Crops and Field Crop Pathology, focusing on Sustainable Disease and Integrated Pest Management Systems, where he’s co-mentored by Drs. Heather Kelly and Zachariah Hansen. Rufus has an MS degree in Agronomy (Plant Pathology) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a BS degree in Microbiology from Adekunle Ajasin University, Nigeria. His areas of interest include management of field and specialty crops with emphasis on the improved adoption of integrated pest management and natural products in crop protection. Rufus was recently (2021) awarded a Developing Emerging Agricultural Leader and Talent grant (DELTA Award) by Corteva Agriscience in recognizing his potentials as an emerging crop protection future leader. Now on to the show! https://www.kisorganics.com/blogs/podcast/episode-90  

My guest this week is Dr. Anna Paltseva. As an international urban soil scientist and assistant professor, Dr. Anna Paltseva's mission is to educate communities about the critical importance of soil health in growing nutritious food, supporting healthy ecosystems, and helping to reduce harmful greenhouse gases. Her expertise is in helping people identify and remedy soil contamination in urban gardens. She has a passion to help others to understand the impact of heavy metals on the health of soils and the best ways to improve soil quality. https://www.kisorganics.com/blogs/podcast/episode-89-understanding-heavy-metals-in-soils-with-dr-anna-paltseva

My guest this week is Dr. Jordan Zager. Jordan is an expert in natural product biosynthesis and chemical analysis of cannabis resin compounds. Dr. Zager earned his PhD from Washington State University, where his research set the stage for studying the regulatory events governing gene expression in cannabis and their effect on the biosynthesis of trichome-bound cannabinoids and terpenoids. Early in his career, Jordan set his sights on aggressively applying modern scientific methods to the medicinal and recreational cannabis industry and to bring cultivators the tools to become exceptional. Dr. Zager is now the CEO and co-founder of Dewey Scientific in Pullman, Washington. Now on to the show!

My guest this week is Lee Briese with Centrol Consulting. Lee is an independent crop consultant from central North Dakota. He provides agronomic advice that helps farmers build customized systems to grow and manage crops profitably. He specializes in helping farmers adopt practices to protect and improve their soil and local environment including reduced till, notill, cover crops, crop rotation and increased plant and economic diversity. You can find them online at CentrolTV.com.  https://www.kisorganics.com/blogs/podcast/episode-87-details-matter-an-ag-consultants-perspective-with-lee-briese