I fell in love with the agricultural experience and lifestyle as a young boy after summer visits to my uncle’s 500-acre farm in Iowa. It seemed natural to base a life on creating products we need to live on.
On the West Coast, as a young adult, I began to learn and discover the negative affects conventional agriculture had on our bodies and our environment. Before long, I was convinced organic products were the best products to buy and the best methods to produce with.
At Oregon State University, where I studied Crop and Soil Science, I was disappointed to find there was little offered for students interested in organic farming so I helped to found OSU’s Organic Growers Club. It’s still going strong today. After graduating OSU I got right to work in Southern Oregon growing organic fruits and vegetables for growers’ markets, u-pick and subscription-based sales right off the farm with my wife Amy.
I was convinced organic products
were the best products to buy and
the best methods to produce with
Southern Oregon is also at the northern tip of the “Emerald Triangle”. Having an open mind and a green thumb, I was given the opportunity work for and consult with many medical marijuana producers in the region. Our commitment to producing organic food for our customers, compelled me to nudge cannabis growers to do the same for products to be smoked as well.
Cannabis is very attractive to pests and has a high requirement for nutrients. It took years of experience and trial and error to develop a successful model for growing organically at a high production rate.
We have a responsibility to ourselves and
our environment in how we grow our cannabis
Another method I learned in the nation’s cannabis capitol is the curing process. The trick is to dry the herb while retaining the smell and flavor and creating a smooth/non-raspy drag. This process is one that is now used by Emerald Twist and all Green Barn Farm members.
Myself, Emerald Twist and Green Barn Farms are committed to the production of cannabis using organic and low-energy intensive methods and respect for all creatures on our planet. We use the sun’s energy and are Clean-Green Certified*.
I hope you enjoy our "Way Beyond Organic, Sun Grown Cannabis" as much as we enjoy growing it.
-- Jerry Lapora
*We would qualify as USDA organic but the USDA is not ready to certify cannabis.