Brittny Anderson and Brian Farmer are co-founders of the Cannabis Conservancy, a sustainability certification group that helps consumers identify cannabis growers and producers who use responsible agricultural practices.
In this Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode, Brittny and Brian join our host TG Branfalt to talk about the founding and goals of the Cannabis Conservancy, the positive response they’ve seen from both growers and consumers, new markets opening up in Canada and the U.S., how they are expanding cannabis research and education through the Conservancy, and more!
You can listen to the full interview session through the media player below, or scroll down to read a transcript of this week’s Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode.
Listen to the interview:
Read the transcript:
TG Branfalt: Hey there. I’m your host, TG Branfalt, and you are listening to the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast, where we try to bring you actionable information and normalize cannabis through the stories of ganjapreneurs, activists, and industry stakeholders. Today I’m joined by Brian Farmer, co-founder and director of auditing and certification services, and Brittny Anderson, co-founder and director of operations for the Cannabis Conservancy, which provides sustainability certification to legal cannabis organizations that adhere to good agricultural practices free of harmful chemical inputs, utilize waste reduction methods, are energy efficient and conserve water. How are you guys doing this morning?
Brittny Anderson: We’re doing really well. Thank you.
Brian Farmer: Great, Tim.
TG Branfalt: Again, I’m thrilled to have you guys on. There’s a lot to talk about. I don’t think the idea of energy usage and water conservation really comes up enough in the conversation of broad legalization. But before we get into the details, why don’t you guys tell me a little bit about yourself and how you end up founding this organization?
Brittny Anderson: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. So the Cannabis Conservancy started, Jacob, one of our other co-founders and I, we were down in Portland. So Jacob and I did our master’s together. And I’m up in BC. He was in Florida. And we had the opportunity to meet in Portland. And that was just as Colorado had announced that they were going to legalize adult-use cannabis. So we were talking about it and we could really see these two paths that the industry could follow, and one being the path of industrial agriculture, which is in my opinion, a very unsustainable model. It contributes to climate change. It strips the soil of nutrients. It’s draining aquifers. It’s contributing to biodiversity loss. And we’re also spraying chemicals on our crops.
And so then the other path that we were talking about is this nurturing holistic model where nutrients are cycled, carbon sequestered, soils are rebuilt, biodiversity is enhanced. And we really wanted to encourage the cannabis industry to take that second path, a sustainable path. So what we decided to do is, we wanted to help the industry move in that direction, so we started to develop our sustainability standards. We drew from national and international standards and certification bodies, such as ISO … organics, Canadian organic standards, and then we also included criteria for resource consumption such as energy and water, waste reduction, so taking some principles from the philosophy of zero waste. And then Brian and Jonathan joined the Cannabis Conservancy as co-founders, and then with their input we incorporated a lot of quality management into the standards as well. And so that was sort of version one and now we’re up to version three.
TG Branfalt: And how about you, Brian? How’d you end up linking up with the organization?
Brian Farmer: Well, I linked up through meeting Jacob Policzer, who’s one of the other co-founders. We were briefly involved in another effort to develop some standards, so we met through that. We both left that venture and this was as all of this was coming together, as Brittny described. So what I am bringing to this is a long history as a grower, but also I’ve been doing agricultural auditing at the international level for about 10 years, so I’ve done hundreds and hundreds of audits. So I’m kind of bringing that on the ground background to this standards venture that these guys had already started. So when I came in, we started codifying a lot of the processes, finalizing what the actual document that growers would get as they go through the certification process. So we were just tying up all those loose ends and making it real, so that’s how I got involved. And that was two and a half years ago, so time flies.
TG Branfalt: So tell me about developing these standards. I’ve read through them. They’re incredibly smart, comprehensive. They include a lot of really interesting policies, forward thinking policies, I think is the better word. Sort of walk me through the process of developing these standards and how they’ve evolved since you originally came up with them.
Brian Farmer: Well, as Brittny said, we wanted to use some of the standards that were already out there in a number of different areas in agriculture and sustainability. So we started with what already existed. And then what we are attempting to do, and I think we’ve done a good job at it, is make it cannabis specific. What the standard does is create what we call the seven pillars of sustainable cannabis production. And those are policy and implementation, how you deal with land in your infrastructure, your cultivation practices, how you deal with your harvest, curing, processing details. And then how you’re tracking energy, water, and waste, and how you’re attempting as a part of your operation to decrease the use of those, or at least in the initial stages, track that.
So with policy and implementation, basically what we’re trying to get folks to do is document their process so that as assessors, we can come in and properly see that what folks say they’re doing, they’re actually doing and there’s a record of it, and we can see that on the ground when we come in and do an audit. Land and infrastructure, that deals with how you are dealing with the land that you’re growing on. This applies to both those outdoor, sun grown growers up in Northern California. But it also applies to folks who are doing other kinds of cultivation, including indoor cultivation. The cultivation practices, again, it’s documenting, assessing your risks as a part of your whole cultivation process from seed or clone, to your final product that you’re putting into the market. So that includes basically, as you said, there’s a lot of detail in there. Every step of the process, assessing it, documenting it, and then having those records in place so that we can see that when we come to the farm or a larger grow operation and see that those things that you say you’re doing are actually being implemented.
And then for energy, water, and waste, what we’ve done is enable growers, producers, to use some of the different kinds of materials that we provide them to start learning how to track and dial in their water use, track the waste into and through and out of their system. And then how to track energy use, and this is especially important as so much of the industry is still inside and oriented toward industrial scale inside growing. And Brittny can talk a little bit about that as we move forward.
TG Branfalt: On your website you list bottom line principles. Can you describe what those are?
Brittny Anderson: Yeah. Our bottom line principles are really the seven pillars of sustainable cannabis production, so we have policy and implementation is one. Land and infrastructure is another. Cultivation practices, so that would be including your input, so thinking beyond organic. And then your energy, your water, your waste. And then harvest and processing.
TG Branfalt: You’re in Canada. You guys are on the verge of implementing an adult use federal policy. In the US, we’ve got California just went online. They have their own energy problems. I’ve read that legislation and that includes some language for water conservation and energy use and that sort of thing. But overall, do you think that as these laws are implemented in both Canada and the US, that they’re going far enough in addressing these principles?
Brian Farmer: Well, I think we’ll both answer that, but I’ll start. In short, no. I mean, as you say, there’s so many different contexts. Canada is one. Every state in this country is dealing with it in a little bit different way, so there’s no consistent way of addressing production and the values that people have around production and what those are going to be. You know, in general a lot of the things that exist so far have, in terms of compliance and production have focused on control of the product, traceability, security, issues around diversion, and not so much on the sustainability aspects of production. Some states have by default gone to using organic materials for pesticides and things like that. But there’s really no process of certifying, like through a third party certification system like we have. There’s no way of certifying any of that stuff, so people are scrambling to figure out how to do this in a consistent way. And one of the things that we provide is that consistent way of assessing this in a very broad, comprehensive way.
Brittny Anderson: Yeah. And in Canada, they’re actually … On January 20th is the deadline for Canadians to submit their input for the regulations. So they’ve drawn up a consultation paper, and it was in that consultation paper, sustainability essentially is completely overlooked. So I’m in the process right now of providing some feedback on that consultation paper. I think it’s really important, especially when we’re … The cannabis industry is quite old in some regards, but it’s also very new when we’re considering the legalized cannabis market. And so we really have an opportunity right now that we haven’t in other industries, to create a sustainable industry, really from the beginning. And so I think it’s the role of government to at least have baseline sustainability requirements, in turn further licensing.
So if they require all of the growers to meet certain thresholds, then we’re already going to be leaps and bounds above what other industries have. And then also creating a really even playing field for all producers. And I’m not talking about overregulation, but some basic core things that people can look at. For instance, one of them would be just tracking the amount of energy that’s being used. And then on an annual basis, convert that into kilowatt hours, say, per gram or per kilogram. And then we have an idea of what those baselines are in the industry. Of course, you could do the same thing for water, same thing for waste. And then further, to be benchmarked.
And I think the role of government is not to overregulate, and that those who want to go above and beyond that sustainability. Sustainability prescribed by governments has to be looking ahead to best practices and then being celebrated for really leading the industry in terms of sustainability.
TG Branfalt: Well, I want to talk to you guys about what you’re seeing in this audits, what you’re seeing on the ground. Before we do that, we’ve got to take a break. This is Ganjapreneur.com Podcast. I’m TG Branfalt.
If you are looking for a job in the rapidly growing and highly competitive cannabis industry, Ganjapreneur.com is the place to look. Visit the Ganjapreneur job board today to browse current openings with cannabis companies throughout the United States, from entry level budtender positions to executive level career opportunities. You can also create a profile and upload your resume to be discovered by cannabis recruiters. Visit our job board at jobs.ganjapreneur.com to create your profile today.
If you are a business owner, you can post your job openings for as little as $25 on our job board to reach the largest and most engaged audience of cannabis professionals on the web. Companies who are listed in the Ganjapreneur business directory are eligible for free job listings. If you are already signed up, contact us today via the website or send us an email at grow@ganjapreneur.com to activate your unique coupon.
TG Branfalt: Hey. Welcome back to the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast. I’m TG Branfalt here with Brian Farmer, co-founder and director of auditing and certification and Brittny Anderson, co-founder and director of operations for the Cannabis Conservancy. So before the break we were talking about what you guys want to see in terms of regulations, where you think they should be. What are you guys seeing on the ground when you do these audits in terms of sustainability among current operators?
Brian Farmer: Well, by and large, we’ve really started launching this standard in California with sun grown, outdoor growers, mostly in the Triangle. So the level of sustainability that they, by default, have is quite high often. They’re sun grown, so the whole energy issue, in terms of our standard, they’re much further ahead than somebody who’s growing indoors. Many of the growers are already doing very progressive regenerative practices, companion planting, really going far beyond what most people are … The stereotype of what people have. I’m usually impressed with a lot of the practices. What we’ve had to really work with growers on is documenting what they’re doing because in practice, most of them are doing many of the things that we would like to see them do. What they’re not doing is putting it together in a way that is easy for us to assess. So the first year, we’ve been working with growers on doing that, and they’ve made fantastic progress.
And what they’ve discovered is they can be even more sustainable than they are by putting this together and really understanding how they’re using what they’re using as a part of their process. And they’ve been able to really dial in a lot of things. And bottom line, make a more efficient system for themselves and ultimately make more money because they have a much more consistent product. But they also have a handle on how they’re using their resources. So that is one end of the spectrum for our initial certified growers. But we’re also really reaching out into other areas with different kinds of growers. We particularly want to address the inside growers, and Brittny can speak to that a bit.
Brittny Anderson: Yeah. I think one of the things, also just to point out, is that the growers that have signed up and have gone through the certification process as … Certification in the cannabis industry is a new thing. The growers that are choosing to become certified already have a deep commitment to sustainability. When we look at certification in the agricultural sector, people are hyped to get certified, otherwise they have nowhere to sell their product. Where in the cannabis industry right now, currently those that are getting certified, it’s really because they’re leaders. And how we see the market moving is that the people that are leaders are getting certified now, but in the future the demand for certified product is going to be so high that people that maybe don’t have a sort of intrinsic drive for sustainable production will be looking at it simply from a business perspective. But when we talk about sustainability in the cannabis industry, we’ve heard numbers quoted by Evan Mills, but … and how much energy, for instance, is being used in the cannabis industry.
But what I really want people to realize is that the sustainability of cannabis operations, they exist on a spectrum. So not all cannabis cultivation facilities are created equal. At one end of the spectrum we have an outdoor facility that relies completely on sun energy to fulfill the life cycle of its plants. There’s no power draw from the grid during cultivation. And it’s really just relying on the sun’s energy. So with this, in terms of sustainability, from an energy perspective, it’s a very sustainable model.
And then on the other end of the spectrum we can find facilities that are cultivating cannabis exclusively indoors, and in a poorly designed facility. They’re using inefficient equipment. There’s no scheduling optimization, and in some cases, power from coal. So this type of facility is using a lot of energy and it’s contributing directly to climate change. So when we’re talking about the sustainability of cannabis production, it’s not all created equal. And what we want to do is really highlight and celebrate the growers that have made a commitment to cultivate sustainably, and that’s to say there are indoor growers that are doing great things as well.
They’re looking at different technologies. They’re using scheduling optimization. They’re ensuring that their power sources are renewable. So I think it’s really important that when we are considering sustainability, that we want to move the entire industry forward and we want to make these incremental steps so that we’re not contributing to climate change in terms of energy, that we’re not drawing water out of our aquifers at an unsustainable rate, that the materials that’s produced on sites that’s not being sold, that it’s then maybe being composted or used for other methods. There’s a lot of great things that are happening and we want to celebrate those and try to encourage other people to adopt a sustainability qualities.
TG Branfalt: I want to get into some of the more interesting aspects of the standards that you guys have. But before we do that, we’ve got to take our last break. This is Ganjapreneur.com Podcast with TG Branfalt.
At Ganjapreneur, we have heard from dozens of cannabis business owners who have encountered the issue of cannabias, which is when a mainstream business, whether a landlord, bank, or some other provider of vital business services, refuses to do business with them simply because of their association with cannabis. We have even heard stories of businesses being unable to provide health and life insurance for their employees because the insurance providers were too afraid to work with them. We believe that this fear is totally unreasonable and that cannabis business owners deserve access to the same services and resources that other business are afforded, that they should be able to hire consultation to help them follow the letter of the law in their business endeavors, and that they should be able to provide employee benefits without needing to compromise on the quality of coverage they can offer.
This is why we created the Ganjapreneur.com business service directory, a resource for cannabis professionals to find and connect with service providers who are cannabis friendly and who are actively seeking cannabis industry clients. If you are considering hiring a business consultant, lawyer, accountant, web designer, or any other ancillary service for your business, go to Ganjapreneur.com/businesses to browse hundreds of agencies, firms, and organizations who support cannabis legalization and who want to help you grow your business. With so many options to choose from in each service category, you will be able to browse company profiles and do research on multiple companies at in advance so you can find the provider who is the best fit for your particular need.
Our business service directory is intended to be a useful and well-maintained resource, which is why we individually vet each listing that is submitted. If you are a business service provider who wants to work with cannabis clients, you may be a good fit for our service directory. Go to Ganjapreneur.com/businesses to create your profile and start connecting with cannabis entrepreneurs today.
TG Branfalt: Hey. Welcome back to the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast. I’m TG Branfalt here with Brian Farmer, co-founder and director of auditing and certification services, and Brittny Anderson, co-founder and director of operations for the Cannabis Conservancy. I just want to reiterate. The standards are comprehensive. They’re smart practices. They include a sourced locally policy, maintaining ecosystem health from really, seed to sale. Promotes transparency.
Couple of things I found interesting — the first was research, that you guys include this aspect in your standards. What research are TCC certified operators working on or what have they worked on? And what research are you guys interested in certified farms performing?
Brittny Anderson: I mean, our growers are conducting on the ground research all the time, experimenting with different genetics, looking at different pest management systems, experimenting with how to build nutrients in the soil, different on site nutrient building, compost teas. And so I think just as a farmer, there’s a lot of sort of experimentation and research that’s going on, on a continual basis. And then the Cannabis Conservancy, we’ve been involved. One of our pillars is education and what we want to do is when we’re looking at information that’s available, there’s definitely a paucity of data in terms of cannabis. And so we were contracted from the Colorado Energy Office to do a study. And we looked at patterns of energy and water consumption in the cannabis industry in that state. And part of that included interval energy metering of three different facilities. One was an indoor facility. One was a greenhouse facility. And one was an outdoor cultivation operation.
And so, unfortunately, that study has not been released yet, so we’re not able to go into detail. But it should be released shortly and we’re really excited about the contribution that it’s going to make. I think that it will help to establish a baseline for some of the things that we’re talking about. Because of the past, because of how cannabis is dealt with in the past, there hasn’t been a lot of scientific research and so that’s an area we think that’s really critically important. I am excited in Canada with the regulations they are going to be proposing that anybody can apply for a research license. So I think a lot of wonderful things are going to happen through that. And growers are constantly experimenting. A lot of the time, that information, it’s held quite close to the chest. A lot of people consider that proprietary. But just trying to share information in terms of best practices I think is important as we’re looking specifically at the sustainability, from a sustainability perspective.
If you found a way within your system on something that’s really effective through your IPM, it would be great to be able to share that with people. And there are growers that have a platform and are sharing that information with people. And with our growers, we’ll have discussions, like a round table discussion, so we can bring them together. And that’s when they are sort of able to ask each other questions and share some of the successes or some of the challenges that they’ve had and then really grow together and try to support each other with those endeavors and just try to make their own facilities the best they can be and do bring each other up within that process. It’s really great to see that type of community mentality.
TG Branfalt: And the other thing that’s in your standards, which I think is super cool, is the biodiversity issues in the cannabis space, specifically the issues related to the wild pollinators. I’ve been covering this industry for about five years and I’ve never heard anyone talk about bees. Never heard anyone talk about wild pollinators. As we know, they’re crucial, absolutely crucial to the ecosystem. So tell me. Tell us. How can operators build a bee-friendly cannabis grow?
Brian Farmer: Well, as you said, we have very specific kinds of practices that growers can do in their operation to encourage and support wild pollinators and also domesticated bees, if they want to do that. But particularly wild pollinators, especially in the areas where people are doing outdoor sun grown. So we have specific practices. We require that 6% of the land is vested in bee attractive flowers, perennials, berries, ground covers, mustard, vetch, any kinds of things that are be attractants. Could be fruit trees, that they have insectary gardens, so those are attractant plants specific to different kinds of pollinators. And we have other criteria that requires them to be very conscious of their spraying, even if they’re using organic approved pesticides, pyrethrin or something like that, or something very benign. If they don’t time that properly in their production cycle and they have open greenhouses, they could potentially affect those bees with that material. Even though it’s benign within an organic system, it could affect them.
So those are just a couple of the things. There’s other kinds of practices that we encourage. But we believe that making this as robust as possible and again, highlighting and encouraging and celebrating those growers that are doing all of these practices is really important. And that they can take those practices through the certification to the marketplace with certified product.
TG Branfalt: One of you said earlier that ultimately, the process allows people to maybe make more money. How can businesses leverage the certification in a marketing sense or in an absolute sense to consumers?
Brittny Anderson: Consumers, we’ve seen a growing trend in the demand for third party certified products, specifically in the food industry. We’re looking at coffee and cocoa and vegetables, sustainable seafood. Consumers want to purchase products that are in direct alignment with their values. And we believe that the cannabis industry is going to be no different. So for those people that are already shopping at Whole Foods, shopping at their farmers’ market, spending a little bit more money on their organic, fair trade products, that when they’re going into a dispensary, they’re also going to be looking for products that are in alignment with their values. And so with TCC certified products, it’s not only assured to be free from pesticides, which we know is a major concern for people and we’ve seen that there’s been issues with pesticides within the industry. And it’s also looking at ways to mitigate their energy use, reduce their water consumption, reduce the waste, and really in cases, rebuilding the soil.
And so when a consumer wants to purchase their product, now we’re looking … We’re also seeing in the cannabis industry right now, there’s a lot of green washing that’s happening. A lot of brands are using words or phrases that indicate that they are sustainably cultivating their products, or they’re organic. But without third party certification, there’s no assurance that what the growers are saying they’re doing, is actually what they’re doing. And we’ve seen that throughout different industries, and it is really of concern because it not only hurts the consumers that might be … They think they’re purchasing a product that they’re not. But it also is really … It hurts our environment in the end. And so we really see that consumers, that when they’re going into the cannabis dispensaries, they’re going to be looking for products that are in alignment with our values. And our certification provides that for those growers. And so our producers are able to sell their products for a premium to these dispensaries. The dispensaries are also assured that these products have gone through diligent testing.
And there’s a whole system in place that can track the cannabis back to the grower, so if there’s ever any question, then we are able to do a recall on that product. So I think that it’s good for the consumer. It’s good for the dispensaries. And it’s also really good for the grower because when you’re implementing these practices, you’re minimizing your risk and you’re also decreasing your resource use. So in the end, you’re actually spending less money to produce that product so your margins are larger.
TG Branfalt: And describe to the producers listening, the cultivators, what that certification process looks like.
Brian Farmer: Okay. In a nutshell, we’ve designed it so there’s a self assessment piece upfront. So if you’re interested in and going through the certification process with us, you contact us. We get you set up. We get some basic information on your production system, what you’re doing, what the style is. Are you outdoor or are you indoor? The size of your facility or your production, because our pricing is based on production size. Once we’ve figured all those details out, the producer gets a self assessment, which is a tool that they can use, which is basically our standard, but it’s laid out in a way where they are asked questions, and they can answer those question that relate to their production system. Once they go through that, they get that back to us. We go through that and look at the areas where the grower is in alignment with what we’re doing and can provide documentation to prove that. And then there may be areas where they are doing something, but don’t have documentation.
In other words, it’s a whole process of critiquing what you’re doing and seeing how it’s in alignment with what we’re asking growers to do. Once you’ve done that … Or, we can also come in and do that for growers. And we have done that, and that’s a different kind of process. But basically, we’re trying to get the same information. Once you’ve done that initial assessment, what we come up with is kind of a correction action list, and this is just a list of the things that the grower is going to need to do to get in alignment with what we’re asking as a part of the standard. Once they have done a portion of that, or all of it if they can do it, we then do an on site audit. We do a site visit to the facility or the outdoor grow, whatever it is. And we go through that whole standard, see if they’re doing what they say they’re doing in terms of their self assessment. If we find any other kinds of things that they’re doing that they need to correct, they get another to do list.
Once they’ve done that and we can sign off on all that information or practices, then they are able to be certified. But it is, as you said Tim, it’s quite a detailed, comprehensive standard. And you really have to make a commitment to work fully through a process. And that’s what we tell growers too. This is a very new kind of process for a lot of folks who’ve been not keeping records and trying to fly under the radar sometimes. This is the flip side of that. This is documenting everything and flying above the radar because you want to show how great your operation is based on doing all of these things.
So once a grower becomes certified, they get an individual QR code, which is also their certification mark. And that can go on their products. The cool thing about that is you can scan that QR code and it takes the consumer to a page on our website called My Grow, and each grower can set up their own page, which details in as much detail as the grower wants, their complete operation. They can include pictures, details about all of their cultivation techniques, their philosophies, whatever they want to include there. So it’s a direct connection from the consumer at the consumer level to the grower. So that traceability piece, we really wanted to include because it’s giving a chance for, especially smaller growers, to tell their story.
TG Branfalt: What is, in your opinion, the biggest challenge for cultivators to comply with the certifications to operate with these best practices in mind? And what’s your advice for those operators?
Brian Farmer: I think, well as I already mentioned, a lot of folks, the initial group of growers that we’re working with, in practice are doing a lot of the things that we have in our standard because they are outdoor, sun grown operations. By and large, what we’ve seen are a need to really improve the record keeping, so that an assurer like us can come in and look at that operation kind of through the record keeping lens. So that’s been a struggle for some folks. But the folks that’ve really made a commitment have hugely improved their record keeping to their own amazement sometimes, and to our delight. So I would say that and typically some infrastructure improvements that are going to bring things like a trim operation or an area where people are doing trimming or drying, those kinds of things. So typically, some infrastructure improvements. But it’s very dependent on the farm. It’s all over the map. Some people are right there and pretty much have that stuff together. Other folks have some work to do, but they … What we’ve seen is a good degree of commitment to make all that work.
But as I say, it’s a process. It’s not just a checklist that we come in and do. It really is working with us through this whole certification process to incrementally improve even once you’re certified. So each year we’re asking folks to step up their game as a part of the certification.
TG Branfalt: And what about, Brittny, from a … As you guys in Canada are launching this federally, this is huge. What are some of the challenges that you’re sort of seeing right now in terms of businesses getting involved from a conservation side?
Brittny Anderson: Yeah. Absolutely. Right now the regulations haven’t been written, so we don’t know exactly what the government is going to require in terms of licensing. But we are seeing when the license producers were first granted their licenses in Canada, we were seeing a lot of indoor facilities. And now as things have matured and grown, we’re seeing a lot more greenhouse facilities. And so I think as the industry is going to mature, we’re going to see a lot more people looking directly towards the sun and all of its glorious power and really tapping into that natural, renewable, carbon neutral, abundant resource. And so I think that’s going to be one of the key things in terms of energy. And I also hope to see not just large growers.
I was listening to the radio this morning and they were proposing a $100 million facility here in Southern British Columbia for cannabis cultivation. And so that’s wonderful. That’s going to bring a lot of jobs to the area, but we’re hoping that we’re going to be also seeing the small growers. A lot of the small growers, they’re the reason why legalization on a recreational level is about to happen. And so we want to see that small growers are going to be incorporated in this model and the government has proposed there to be micro licenses. And so we really want to support those growers that are more … That they are in rural areas and they have a small … They’re going to be just dedicating a part of that property to cannabis cultivation. And it’s potentially part of a larger agricultural system that they have on that property. That’s really when we’re going to be able to see those regenerative practices and people really taking time to build their soil and increase their nutrients. And I think that’s going to be a really beautiful part that comes out of legalization, is the space for the small growers to really legally flourish.
And then of course, there are going to be large growers that flourish as well. But as long as people are continuing to keep the environment in mind and that a requirement so that those that are wanting to go above and beyond, they seek that third party assurance, and consumers continue to demand it. I think that it’s an exciting time for us and I’m looking forward to all the changes that are going to be happening here shortly.
TG Branfalt: Well, I want to thank you guys for taking the time to come on the show. I think that this is really eye-opening, maybe for not as many people as I’d like to think. But for me, to hear this issue discussed and to hear that people are concerned about this is very heartening for me, somebody who does care a whole lot about pollinators and the overall ecosystem that … It does worry me from time to time. I think about the proliferation of the industry, and that’s one of the first things that comes to mind. I’m like, “What are we going to do about this energy problem?” California’s in a drought and they’re rolling it out there. So I want to commend you for taking the time and the effort. And just looking at the process you can tell a lot of work went into this, a lot of thoughtfulness went into this. And so thank you for being on the show and developing this really great system.
Brian Farmer: Yes. Our pleasure.
Brittny Anderson: Thank you for having us.
TG Branfalt: Where can people go to find out more about the TCC?
Brittny Anderson: So of course we have a website, which is www.cannabisconservancy.com. And we are all over social media, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and those all have those links to our website. And we encourage you to give us a call or to send us an email. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Yeah, we just want to be able to support this industry, go and continue to go in a more sustainability direction.
Brian Farmer: Yeah. We are going to be at some events coming up, so if you have some listeners that are at any of these events, we’ll be there either speaking or present. We’ll be at Indo Expo in Denver. Jacob’s going to be there. We’ll be at the NCEIA Seed to Sale Show in Denver, and a number of different events. I’m hoping to make it up to the Vermont Cannabis and Hemp Convention in May, so I might be up in Vermont there as well. But I think we’ll put our entire list of appearances up on the website so people can see that.
TG Branfalt: If you make it to Vermont, I’ll definitely see you in May. Again, I really appreciate you guys coming on the show. I wish we had more time to really sink our teeth into this a little bit more, but thanks again. I appreciate it.
You can find more episodes of the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast in the podcast section of Ganjapreneur.com and in the Apple iTunes. On the Ganjapreneur.com website you will find the latest cannabis news and cannabis jobs updated daily, along with transcripts of this podcast. You can also download the Ganjapreneur.com app in iTunes and Google Play. This episode was engineered by Trim Media House. I’ve been your host, TG Branfalt.
