Tag

Northcoast Horticulture Supply Archives – Humboldt Green

Joe Knows – Soil Management

By Consulting, Media

Joe Moran of 1 Degree Consulting talks about the importance of a Soil Management Plan on this week’s episode of Joe Knows. Tune into the Humboldt Green YouTube channel each week for industry news and information.

Joe Knows Soil Management – 1 Degree Consulting

Joe knows soil! Managing your soil is a huge component of growing cannabis. It’s important to test your soil and water, not just for a healthy yield, but you want to be able to past testing and get your product into the hands of consumers. There are two soil models in cannabis farming, managing native soils and importing soil to your farm. There are some negatives and benefits for each model.

When you import soil there are a lot of costs you have to consider. The purchase costs, freight, delivery, soil storage and above ground irrigation. The positives are that you don’t need a huge nutrient regime because the soil comes loaded with food. Water storage, diversion and reporting of water usage are some of the bigger elements to importing soil. Above ground containers can also use a lot of water.

Benefits of using native soil and having plants in the ground is that you save on purchasing and labor costs, plus there’s already a water source in the ground. The water retention value for native soil is greater than farming in a container. The native soil already has minerals and nutrients, but the important thing is that you want to get it tested because you might have deficiencies or too much of one property.

Farmers can consider both models, but you need a soil management program for farm to be successful. If you’re going after your County permit, you need an Operating Plan, Soil Management Plan and a Site Management Plan for your waterboard enrollment. The team at 1 Degree Consulting can help you write the plans that are needed for compliancy.

Seasonal year-round planning is important when it comes to soil management, whether you’re doing it during the growing season or during the wintertime. The Soil Scientists at Dirty Business Soil inside of Northcoast Horticulture Supply, can test your soil, water and plant tissue and create a custom Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) based on analytical results. NHS can then create a custom soil and amendment blend based on your NMP and offer Farm-Direct pricing on all of your supply needs.

Winterization Workshops

By Education

Dirty Business Soil and Northcoast Horticulture Supply will be teaming up for two Winterization Workshops during October and November. We will be discussing why harvest time is considered to be the beginning of your next cycle. Winter is a time to increase organic matter and microbes in your soil, along with optimizing your pH and removing most, if not all of the salt build-up. You can bring a soil sample in to any NHS location to have it analyzed for salts and current nutrient levels – we can help with getting your soil optimized for spring! Winterization components such as compost, cover crops, straw mulching, and compost tea will also be discussed in detail. Preparing your garden and farm for Spring will help build a healthier soil and help reduce erosion, pests & disease! Register at nhs-hydroponics.com/events.

October Winterization Workshop

Location: Eureka NHS 852 W. Wabash Avenue

Date: Saturday, October 27th

Time: 1:00 to 3:00

Cost: $25.00

Purchase Tickets

November Winterization Workshop

Location: NHS – Fortuna Feed 126 Dinsmore Drive

Date: Saturday, November 10th

Time: 1:00 to 3:00

Cost: $25.00

Purchase Tickets

  • Preps production areas for the following cycle by resting and rejuvenating with OM, Microbes, and ground cover.
  • Optimize pH and removes salt build-up: liming and leaching.
  • Soil health builder – nutrient retention, biology, N-fixing, humus building.
  • Erosion reduction.
  • Pest and disease reduction.
  • Ecological and economic principles/benefits.

WINTERIZATION

Compost

Cover Crop

Cardboard – If sheet mulching.

Straw Mulch

Compost Tea Applications – as much as you want, even none if you are low tech or lazy or whatever the reason – you will still get benefits from simply sheet mulching and getting compost in there.

Liming Agents – need a pH measurement to know how much liming agent is needed.

 

Mad Plants Beyond the Thunderclone Kinetics Machine

By Events

The Kinetics Grand Championship takes place over the Memorial Day Weekend. Human powered art vehicles race over land, sand and sea for fifty miles all for the glory!

This year, Northcoast Horticulture Supply, Humboldt Green, House & Garden and Sensational Solutions have teamed up to sponsor the Mad Plants Beyond the Thunderclone Kinetics machine. Kinetics team leader Scott Cocking of Sideshow Designs shared several photos with us of the machine in progress.

We can’t wait to check out the finished machine at the Kinetics Grand Championship starting line on the Arcata Plaza on Saturday, May 26th. Help us cheer the Mad Plants team on to the finish line! The NHS crew will be out documenting the Kinetics team during the race. If you happen to snap a picture and post it to social media, use the hashtag #madplantskgc so we can find it and share it.

KINETICS GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP RACE DETAILS

Race Day 1: Saturday, May 26

Arcata Plaza 9:00 AM to Noon *There will be TWO Noons this year with so many teams.

Manila Dunes Community Center Kinetic Festival Noon to 3:00 PM

Dead Man’s Drop 1:00 PM

Halvorsen Park Finish Line Party 1:00 PM till Dark

Day 2: Sunday, May 27

Wharfinger Building 9:34 AM

Eureka Natural Foods 12:00 PM

Loleta Hill 1:30

Day 3: Monday, May 28

Eel River Crossing Under Fernbridge 10:00 AM

Finish Line 1:00 PM

Check out the Kinetic Grand Championship website for more details about the event.

Local Businesses & Community Supports Arcata Plaza Redesign

By Government

The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP) is a group of Humboldt and Del Norte County residents who work together to create environmentally friendly transportation projects that support the community and help boost the local economy.

CRTP submitted a letter to the Arcata Mayor and Council Members outlining a plan to redesign the Arcata Plaza to provide pedestrians priority over vehicles and to create more positive activities accessible on the plaza at all hours.

Steve Gieder of Northcoast Horticulture Supply and Humboldt Green, a member of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities, shared the following letter CRTP sent to the Mayor and Council Members.

Mayor and Councilmembers:

The Arcata Plaza is the cultural, civic, and historic heart of our city. The Plaza is bordered by local businesses and regularly hosts well-attended events, important for the local economy and a thriving community. But most of the time, the Plaza functions as a parking lot and is otherwise little used by local residents, families and businesspeople. This creates a social vacuum often filled by anti-social and even illegal activities. Unfortunate recent events have highlighted this problem even more starkly.

We’re happy to see a growing consensus in the community that it is time to address the Plaza’s problems head-on and help it live up to its enormous potential. We believe that two important types of changes to the Plaza can help accomplish this goal: (1) redesign the Plaza as a place for people rather than for cars; (2) make more positive activities available on the Plaza at all times. These two types of changes are in line with established principles of place-making. In other words, they will help create a self-sustaining, healthy, thriving, pro-social public space. They will also stimulate economic activity and create a symbol of support for more sustainable forms of transportation.

Therefore we ask the Council, through an appropriate public process, to create and implement a plan to revitalize life on the Arcata Plaza which includes the following ideas and proposals.

Phase 1: Low-Cost, High-Impact Plaza Redesign for People

We propose a series of near-term regulatory changes and minor infrastructure improvements that can be enacted by the Council to revitalize downtown business and make the Plaza a more social, inclusive place, including:

A. Closure of 8th and 9th Streets between G and H Streets to automobiles, with the exception of emergency vehicles and delivery vehicles
B. Amending the City Code to further encourage outdoor food/drink consumption at permitted restaurants and food carts on the Plaza, and to allow businesses to construct “parklets” for seating, eating, dining, art display, and similar activities
C. Reclassifying G and H Streets through the Plaza as 5 mph “Pedestrian Priority” roadways
D. Working with the North Coast Growers Association to create a car-free Plaza during farmers markets
E. Working with downtown businesses to create a plan for addressing safety concerns on the Plaza in a community-friendly and cost-effective manner Further infrastructure improvements to support these changes can occur over time as needed and as funding allows.

Phase 2: Adding More Activities for People

Over the medium and long term, additional infrastructure changes should take place to support positive daily use of the Plaza by a diversity of people. Such infrastructure changes could include: a permanent map of the downtown and better wayfinding signs for bikes and pedestrians; a playground; a permanent performance venue; art stalls to showcase the work of local artisans; better weatherization of social spaces on the Plaza. In implementing these or any other proposals, we encourage the City to take reasonable precautions to minimize the impacts of any construction on the Plaza on successful, established businesses and events such as the Saturday farmers markets.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Ryan Campbell, Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities
Coco Maki, Pasta Luego
Steve Gieder, Northcoast Horticulture Supply & Humboldt Green
Ken Hamik, Community Pride & Peace
Steve Lovett, People’s Records
Martha Jain, MJA
Tom Wheeler, EPIC
Portia Bramble, North Coast Growers Association
Chris Smith, Tuck’s Inc.
Sarah Anderson, North Country Fair
Erica Grey, MotherWoman Support
Greg King, Siskiyou Land Conservancy
North Coast People’s Alliance
Christine Champe, Stillwater Sciences
Tibora Girczyc-Blum
Jennifer Chierici
Kathleen Marshall
Deborah Waxman
Tom Sokolowski
Kim Tays
Stan Binnie
Claire Roth
Vincent Peloso
Joe James
Diane Ryerson
Robert Shearer
Mary Sanger
Aidas Worthington

Canndor Herbarium Project

By Consulting, Education

 

The Humboldt Green team collecting cannabis samples for the Canndor Herbarium Project.

Humboldt Green has been working with the Canndor Herbarium Project collecting specimens from Humboldt County farms. We’ve been traveling to local cannabis farms in search of flower for the library of specimens.

If you are a cannabis farmer that would like to contribute a sample of your genetics to the Humboldt Herbarium, contact Humboldt Green and we’d be happy to send out one of our green consultants from 1 Degree Consulting to collect a sample.

The 1 Degree Consulting team herbarium samples from a local Humboldt County cannabis farm.

All farms that contribute samples will have access to the library of data specifically for the Canndor Herbarium. Humboldt Green will highlight your farm’s contribution on our social media channels and help promote your brand to our audience. Contributors will gain discounted services from Humboldt Green, 1 Degree Consulting, Northcoast Horticulture Supply, and Canndor.

Keep Humboldt green and help preserve the diversity our our rich horticulture. Submit your sample by contacting 1 Degree Consulting empowered by Humboldt Green at contact@gohumboldtgreen.com or by calling our office at 707.443.3140 to set up an appointment for us to come out to your farm.

Canndor Herbarium Project cannabis flower samples.

Canndor Herbarium Project cannabis flower sample press.

Support Cannabis Farmers Affected by Northern California Fires

By Media

Photo Credit: The Press Democrat

Wildfires in Northern California have incinerated homes, structures, vineyards and cannabis farms. Those affected by this devestation need help and support from fellow cannabis community members.

Humboldt Green received the following email from Jessica Lilga of Alta Supply explaining how the cannabis community can help during these difficult times.

“Dear Cannabis Community,

I live on the edge of coffee park neighborhood of Santa Rosa. Awakened Sunday night by the sound of propane tanks exploding as fire rapidly swept through, we left the house immediately.. On the way to a friends in Sebastopol, streets were flooded with frantic people all barely escaping. Once arrived and looking for information, ash and embers rained down thick. We turned on sprinklers and sprayed down the house. Soon, the winds shifted and we were fine. We put out the word the Sebastopol house was safe and friends who did loose houses came. We used this house to offer comfort to as many as we could. We are filled with gratitude knowing how lucky we all are. Its just stuff, we have each other and good insurance. In time, everything will work out. As of now, I hear my house is fine.

Our cannabis community is not so lucky and needs our help. Reports are rolling in and they are not good. Cell service and power lost, so many people couldn’t reach out for help. Many farmers have lost homes, greenhouses, animals and tragically enough, family members. Without insurance on crops, these families have lost their livelihoods. With fires still ranging strong, this destruction is not over and many are scrambling, fire at the edge of their properties, frantically harvesting to save what is remaining. Heavy smoke damaging crops that do remain, so many farmers affected in so many ways… This will be a challenging season for thousands of cultivators. It was already a make or break year for so many. The challenges of regulation and risk reduction motivated many farmers to give this year everything they have and really maximize the opportunity.

Our humanity calls us to ACT. What I personally can contribute is the statewide network of dispensaries Alta Supply works with. Many farmers want to help and have no financial means at this time. Alta Supply can accept donations from Cultivators who have not been affected, anyone who can spare a unit or two to help a fellow farmer in need. All funds will be donated to fellow farmers who lost their livelihoods.

Ways you can help:

  1. Share this to your social media and help get the word out.
  2. Cultivators willing to donate flower. Full or half pound units. Farm to Farm direct support. For giving farms, please list farm name, contact info, varietal/strain name and lineage, total weight donated. We will connect you directly with the farmer you will be supporting unless you prefer to remain anonymous.
  3. Anyone who can serve as a Regional Drop off depot for cultivators who have flower to donate.
  4. Courier Services. We know how challenging it is to get off the hill, so those willing to arrange a pick up from farm would be useful. We will also be needing assistance delivering to our hub in Oakland from drop off depots.
  5. Ask a fellow lab if they are willing to do testing for donated flower. SC Labs has kindly offered free testing services for all donated flowers.
  6. Alta Supply will create a special menu online where donated flower will be available for dispensaries all throughout the state. A special link will be sent to every shop statewide interested in participating.
  7. Please help us find farmers who lost both home and farm to support, please reach out with a list of names of those who really need it the most.

John@foremanfarms.com has a freezer truck and a place down south to process, contact for details.

If you have resources to help farmers in harvest to save crops, please reach out.

Here are a few we know of so far:  (Please donate directly if possible).

Monica and Razor lost their home and farm in Santa Rosa. Currently living out of car with their 2 dogs they were blessed to save. Razor is suffering from extreme smoke inhalation and needs a comfortable place to stay while in recovery.

Paul has the most harrowing story so far. He lost everything, farm and house. His daughters mom lost everything too. He saved the neighbors, mom and daughter, tho they lost their son.

Ashley on instagram @FrostFlowerfarms707 Shes an amazing cultivator with an enduring spirit. Part of the Mendo Gen Group.

Shelby is a dear personal friend of mine who lost everything.

For those able to provide cash donations, CalGrowers Wildfire Fund is a fantastic choice.

Any other way we can collaborate to offer support, please reach out, we are open to suggestions.

We have no idea how many people are truly affected at this point. There are some serious tragedies and some close calls, many gardeners are frantically harvesting now and could use a safe processing/curing room.

Please let us know if there are other ways to contribute and we are happy to make connections.

With kindness,

Jessica Lilga”

If you have supplies and items that you would like to donate to fire victims, all four of the Northcoast Horticulture Supply stores and Fortuna Feed are drop-off locations for donations. We have volunteers driving items down to Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa county. Thank you for your support!

 

 

 

Yes We Cann Parade Award Ribbons & Hullabaloo Shirts

By Events

The Humboldt Cannabis Community showed up by the hundreds to support the Yes We Cann Parade & Hullabaloo in Arcata on August 12th. We would like to recognize the enthusiastic spirit of our parade participants and hand out the very first Yes We Cann Parade & Hullabaloo Community Awards to floats and groups that walked in the parade. As a thank you to everyone who made it out to the Yes We Cann Parade & Hullabaloo, we would like to gift you with a commemorative Hullabaloo t-shirt.

2017 Yes We Cann Parade & Hullabaloo commemorative shirt.

Come and collect your Yes We Cann Parade & Hullabaloo Community Award and commemorative t-shirt at the Eureka Northcoast Horticulture Grand Opening Event from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, September 9th. Stop by the Humboldt Green booth and check in with our friendly staff for your parade participant gift. Bring your family and friends to the NHS Grand Opening for FREE barbecue, live music by Kindred Spirits, a vendor showcase and up to 30 % off sale on gardening products (Eureka store only). The Eureka NHS is located at 852 W Wabash Ave across from Costco.

Congratulations to the Yes We Cann Parade & Hullabaloo Community Award Winners!

Parade Group Award Name
Bella Vista Hoopers Best Dance Team
Cannabis Hype Squad Dopest Dudes
Cannifest Float Flashiest Float Award
Community Pride & Peace Most Whimsical Botanical Float
Dynasty One Most Inspiring Band
Emerald Scientific Spirit Award
Environmental Excellence Group Most Dedicated
Farms & Farmers Humboldt Green Award
Fire Mountain Farms & Errl Hill Best Balloon Decorations
Four Legged Friends of Cannabis Top Dog Award
Honeydew Compassionate Use Project Best Use of Windsocks & Flags
Horvath Plumbing Best Local Business Participant
Humboldt CBD Best Parade Chant & Hottest Vehicle
Humboldt Glass Blowers Most Humboldt Award
Humboldt Greens Community Outreach Award
Humboldt Normal Positive Participator
Humboldt Sun Growers Guild High Five Award
Kiskanu Best Decorative Golf Cart
Mad Farmer Team Awesome Award
Move to Amend Ripple Effect Award
Object Heavy Funkiest Band Award
Old Town Horse & Carriage Best Parade Leader
Patients & Advocates Most Enthusiasm
Redwood Women’s Foundation Best Floral Float Award
Royal Gold Soil Best Family Float
Silverhammer Best Rock N’ Roll Band
SkullFACE Best Parade Signs
Space Gem Candy Most Cosmic
Terp Pimpest Ride
The Green Machine Parade Pyro Award
True Humboldt Best Fundraiser Awarness Award
Weed For Warriors Project Best Hand Made Signs

We will have one Yes We Cann Parade & Hullabaloo Community Award available to each group who participated. Your team leader or a member of your group is welcome to pick up the award. All individual participants can pick up their shirts or have your team leader grab them for you. If your group participated in the parade and we do not have you on the awards list, please let our staff know when you visit the Humboldt Green booth at the NHS Grand Opening on Saturday the 9th and we will provide you with an award.

Congratulations again to all of our Community Award winners and thank you to everyone who participated in the Yes We Cann Parade & Hullabaloo event! We’ll see you at the parade next year.