As a consumer of cannabis, it is important to know where your hemp is from, and what practices are used in its cultivation. SuperPlug brought Sacred Flower Farm’s products on because their mission and products align with SuperPlug’s vision, to provide folks with transparent high-quality products from the heart of Southern Oregon that are tested and formulated to aid in optimizing health and wellness.
Introduction to Sacred Flower Farms
Sacred Flower Farms is on OLCC-Licensed Recreational Cannabis farm group based in Ashland and Medford, Southern Oregon. Medford is also home to Superplug, in the Heart of the Rogue Valley. Sacred originally started in 2017 with their recreational cannabis farm, where they focused on Regenerative Cannabis farming using organic and sustainable methods which encompass practices like Korean Natural Farming, Permaculture, Companion Planting, and Living Organic Soil techniques.
Their success with recreational cannabis segwayed their expansion into growing some of the finest high-quality, organic hemp in the valley. Sacred Flower’s mission is all about their commitment to self-sustaining cultivation methods that go above and beyond to create a superior product. They strive to be a model in the way of cannabis cultivation while providing folks with high-quality, organic, natural, physical and mental support.
Regenerative Cannabis Farming
Regenerative cannabis farming uses a wide variety of techniques that focuses on giving back to the environment the cannabis is grown in. Sacred knew from the beginning of their operation they wanted to use organic and natural practices that would feed their soil, and in turn, produce high yielding plants. When examining regenerative cannabis farming, there are many standards these farmers follow:
- No use of synthetics or chemicals in planting or final products
- Organic, Earth based, growing methods excluding hydroponic techniques
- Use of mostly plant based nutrients as plant and soil additives
- Utilize compost material and cannabis leaf materials grown on property for plant-based fermented compost “teas’/fertilizers
- Use of tools to break down stalks and wood on property to use in soil aeration and nutrients for soil microbiome
- Growing complimentary companion plants for nutrients and utilizing plants for nutrition
- Using no-till principles, myco-remediation, cover cropping, all forms of utilizing Living Soil Tech, where the farmer builds active soil to keep it healthy and regenerative for continual use as the quality increases
- Includes Aquaculture, Agroecology, Agroforestry, biochar, compost, Holistic Planned Grazing, No-till, Pasture Cropping, Perennial Crops, and Silvopasture farming, ranching and land use practices
Regenerative Agriculture vs. Korean Natural Farming
Korean Natural Farming or KNF was created by Dr. Cho Han Kyu in South Korea in the 1960’s. Through KNF there is a deep understanding and focus that healthy populations of beneficial indigenous microbes like fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and nematodes are crucial to soil, and soil health is crucial to a healthy plant environment. KNF focuses on farmers generating mostly all of a farm’s fertility needs sourced on site through the farm and land which it belongs. Another big part of KNF is the Nutritive Cycle Theory. The Nutritive Cycle theory suggests that plants and livestock need nutrients during different life cycle stages of growth all accessible naturally around the given area and climate.
KNF starts with an inoculum process of introducing healthy mycelium and molds to the soils and compost and then goes through a series of temperatures changes over time to give the mycelium and microbes the most ideal environment to spread through the soil and compost. KNF also uses fermented plant juice/teas, and herbal nutrients to supplement and aid in these steps as well. Once the soil is ready and the land has been planted, KNF focuses on supplementing water soluble calcium in different life stages of the plants. This Calcium can be found in vinegars or eggshells easily accessible from hosting a small chicken coop on the property. Although KNF has multiple variations dependent on microclimate, the focus is similar to regenerative farming: Utilizing material on the land, giving back to the environment, and building healthy soil, all of which Sacred uses as their foundational practices for growing hemp and cannabis.
Companion Planting
Companion Planting helps protect cannabis and other crops naturally from pests and diseases. They can attract predatorial insects that feed on harmful pests, combat and break up the spread of detrimental mold and fungi, and can aid in soil health and nitrogen fixation. Companion plants contribute to property diversity, and certain plants even aid in pollination. These plants can also be used in plant based fermentation teas and most have medicinal properties as well for health and home.
Sacred flower uses companion plants like Lavender, Comfrey, and Chamomile every season. They also have Rosemary, various fruit trees, vegetable gardens and long rows of Blackberry around the properties. Oregon is known to have a variety of naturally occurring and easily spreading herbs as well like Sage, Yarrow, Dandelion, Clover, Lemon Balm, Milk Thistle, Stinging Nettle, Catnip, Mugwort, and more all found around the farm properties. Here are some commonly used plants for companion planting and what purpose they can serve:
- Pest Deterrents: Lavender, Lemon Balm, Catnip, Basil, Rosemary, Sage, Onion, Garlic, Peppermint, Coriander, Chrysanthemum, Wormwood, Dahlias, Geranium, Borage, Calendula
- Camouflage/Visual Distraction: Nasturtium, Amaranth, Wild Mustard, Geranium
- Nitrogen Fixation: Yarrow, Hyssop, Dandelion, Vetch, Comfrey, Beans, Peas, Clovers, Buckwheat, Lentils
- Medicinal Plants: Yarrow, Hyssop, Calendula, Comfrey, Lemon Balm, Milk Thistle, Anise, Peppermint, Borage, Anise, Goldenrod, Alfalfa, Chamomile, Stinging Nettle, Tansy, Sage, Passionflower, Cumin, Parsley, Red Clover, Mugwort, Borage, Lavender, Catnip, Dill, Chrysanthemum, Raspberry
- Pollinator Attractors: Yarrow, Hyssop, Calendula, Comfrey, Lemon Balm, Anise, Borage, Anise, Goldenrod, Alfalfa, Chamomile, Stinging Nettle, Thyme, Sage, Passionflower, Cumin, Parsley, Fennel, Tansy, Buckwheat, Comfrey, Sage, Lavender, Catnip, Dill, Chrysanthemum, Parsnip
- Cover Crops: Nasturtium, Comfrey, Grains, Red Clover, Peas, Small Edible Greens, Alfalfa, Sweet Peas, Fava Beans, Vetch, Stinging Nettle
- Nutrition and Micronutrient Providers: Dandelion, Milk Thistle, Fungi
- Food Crops: Edible Fruits and Vegetables that can be eaten, raise biodiversity, and scraps can be used in compost/animal feed
Sacred Flower Farms Properties and Utilizations
Sacred Flower currently has two farms. Their first is the recreational property located on the outskirts of Medford featuring a variety of marijuana strains, a vegetable garden, companion plants and herbs, and a barn for dry processing. Their hemp farm, nestled at a higher elevation between the rolling hills of Ashland, is 45 acres of a variety of CBD strains, a pack of roaming Alpacas, and rows of companion plants like Lavender, Chamomile, and Comfrey. These farms require year-round tending outside of the typical growing season and harvest. Plant cuttings from the companion plants and male cannabis plants are collected during and after harvest to make their plant-based fermented compost teas. The wide mix of herbs and plants available on the property as well as the alpaca droppings and naturally occurring minerals like fish scales, also aid in the nutrients available make mulches and teas.
Alpaca dung is highly balanced in nitrogen and potassium and comes out in hard pellets, which take time to break down along with the sturdy plant stocks, but is safe enough to mix in with the soil without burning plants, and aids in water retention. Their diets are easy to maintain because they primarily eat grass and steer away from the hemp overall making them perfect companions for the farm and it’s regenerative practices. This is one of the reasons why Sacred Flower uses the alpaca in their design.
Sacred uses sungrown techniques rather than indoor because of the natural abundance of resources found in this region. The Pacific West Coast, particularly Southern Oregon and Northern California, are referred to as the Emerald Triangle. It is home to the best microclimate in the world for growing cannabis. Water shortage can play a big role for farming across the US, limiting the number of plants that can actually be grown in a given space, but Sacred utilizes the natural climate for their premium sungrown outdoor flower. Sungrown flower is a huge energy conserver in comparison to indoor flower, which requires a lot more energy, and typically doesn’t utilize any local nutrients or give back to the land it’s grown on.
Hemp’s environmental impact is a positive one, as it can absorb contamination in soil and water. This is why it’s important to support organically, sustainably-grown, and sungrown hemp. Our goal at Superplug is to focus on the wellbeing of hemp consumers and encourage sustainability through our products and services. By partnering with premium brands such as Sacred Flower Farms, we can ensure the hemp and CBD products we offer are contributing to the health and wellness of our customers, while minimizing all our of collective carbon footprints on the planet. Browse all of Sacred Flower’s products here.