Name: Kevin Sparks
Location: Shamokin Dam, Pa.
Title: Head Grower / Production Manager, Insa
One word to describe your cultivation style: Refined
Indoor, outdoor, greenhouse or a combination: Indoor
Can you share a bit of your background and how you and your company got to the present day?
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I have always had a special connection to the cannabis plant itself; the way it grows, the smells, colors and variations always intrigued me. I was a chef most of my life and have always loved horticulture and gardening. Using my hands to make something meaningful is the connection I have with plants. Initially, when marijuana became legal in California, I decided to move from Massachusetts to Humboldt County, Calif., where I worked on farms and sourced the highest quality flower Humboldt and Mendocino counties had to offer. At the same time, I was able to meet some originators in the industry and farmers who, to this day, make up the cannabis cultivating culture.
After a few years of learning the business side of cannabis—cultivating, selling, and networking–I ended up back in New England to help start farming a 20-acre CBD/hemp farm with SolCanna, which was based in Connecticut. When medical marijuana became legal in Massachusetts, I joined Insa in early 2019 and put my passion and knowledge to work. I have been with Insa since and helped establish Insa's Pennsylvania cultivation operation from the ground up.
Insa started in Massachusetts with co-founders and childhood best friends Peter Gallagher and Patrick Gottschlicht. Since the opening of their Easthampton, Mass., location in 2018, Insa has been committed to bringing high-quality products and a personalized retail experience to medical patients and adult-use cannabis consumers in Massachusetts, Florida and Pennsylvania. Insa's skilled team of expert growers cultivate highly sought-after and unique flower strains, while their technicians work in Insa's state-of-the-art laboratory to produce premium concentrates, darts, and [vape] carts. In addition, Insa's in-house chef churns out innovative and award-winning edible products, including European chocolate bars, truffles, and drops which are currently only available in Massachusetts and Florida.
At Insa, we believe that some of the most amazing aspects of the cannabis plant are its variety, complexity and versatility. We focus on cultivating balanced cultivars that are exceptional in flavor and variety and provide the best relief for patients. Insa is currently hunting through hundreds of new genetics to keep pushing new cultivars to the market. Some are new and proprietary to Insa, and some are hot new strains that we have sourced. This winter, we were honored to be the only grower offering “Jealousy,” [named] Leafly's 2022 Strain of the Year, to patients within the Pennsylvania market. The exclusive strain, Jealousy, is an indica-leaning cultivar created by crossing Gelato 41 and Sunset Sherbet to craft a hybrid flower. Our cultivation team was able to develop 20 phenotypes from the original Jealousy seeds, which orginated on the West Coast. The selection of the Jealousy phenotype was then narrowed down to three phenotypes where Pennsylvania patients helped select the winning product through Insa's pheno-hunt voting process. After three years, the Jealousy strain was finalized and packaged using Insa's unique nitrogen process to ensure the flower maintains its peak of freshness.
What tool or software in your cultivation space can you not live without?
When it comes to Insa's cultivation space, I cannot live without a Hand-held Digital Hygrometer. Manufactured by Labconco, the Hand-held Digital Hygrometer is a battery-operated instrument that measures humidity levels and calculates dew point and wet bulb temperatures based on the relative humidity and temperature readings. By using this tool, we're able to ensure the growing environment is in [a] pristine condition, allowing our plants to [prosper] properly. The hygrometer helps verify our BMS (building management system) reading so we can make sure the atmosphere in the grow rooms remain[s] level throughout the entire growing process. With a properly fostered environment, the cannabis plants we grow yield the highest quality final product for our patients.
What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your business in the last six months?
Within the last [six] months, Insa purchased an infrared thermostat which is used for calculating vapor pressure deficit (VPD). VPD only requires three variables: leaf surface temperature, air temperature, and relative humidity. By using the infrared thermostat, we have the ability to see if the plant has gone through the transpiration process. Transpiration directly impacts the plants' health, and now, with the thermostat, we can ensure Insa's plants will grow to their full capacity without fear of slow or stunted growth issues. In an effort to produce the highest quality flower, our process is extremely hands-on and meticulous, and with the help of new cultivation technologies, we're able to cultivate near-perfect cultivars for Pennsylvania patients.
What cultivation technique are you most interested in right now, and what are you actively studying (the most)?
I'm currently most interested in Korean natural farming, Korean natural farming takes advantage of microorganisms, beneficial fungi, and bacteria.
Each day we learn and experiment with different approaches in hopes of implementing them in the future. That is what really drives me to be a better grower–the constant need to grow, adapt and evolve within cultivation practices. I love the cannabis plant; the variations of growth are amazing between the cultivars' look, smell, and flavor profile. Insa's team is always looking into new approaches. We keep pushing the envelope and seek out the best new practices to provide quality commercial production with a craft touch.
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a "favorite failure" of yours?
I can't pinpoint any failure that's more significant than the other. I've had numerous failures and mistakes, and those experiences are what made me who I am today. Getting knocked down and told you can't do something really drives a true passion and competitive fire inside. Every day is unknown and unpredictable, and I'm grateful for the opportunities every day to learn and grow from negative experiences.
What advice would you give to a smart, driven grower about to enter the legal, regulated industry? What advice should they ignore?
Keep it simple, follow the basics, [and] less is more. Ignore the feed charts; figure out what your plants want and when they need certain nutrients at certain times. That's the magic of the cannabis plant, in my experience.
How do you deal with burnout?
Coming from the culinary arts/restaurant world, one thing I learned is how to deal with pressure. Staying calm and cool helps me through situations. Also, dabs of rosin at the end of the workday really help!
How do you motivate your employees/team?
Without our team, we are nothing. At Insa, [Penn.,] we have some of the hardest working, focused, nicest people I've ever worked with. Staffing really stems from striving for quality and consistency at the highest level and with dedicated, loyal staff, our cultivation team continues to maintain focus to be the best.
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What keeps you awake at night?
Knowing there is opportunity left on the table with new products, new genetics, and thinking about where we want to be six months from now with new selections. Trying to stay ahead and relevant in the genetics game.
What helps you sleep at night?
Zlife live resin by Insa, GMO flower.
Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for style, length and clarity.
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