Indoor, outdoor, greenhouse or a combination: Outdoor
Photos by Michael Martin
Can you share a bit of your background and how you and your company got to the present day?
Woodman Peak Farm came together in the spring of 2017. It’s just a few of us: Chris and his wife, Casey, plus Ariel and me. Together we make the farm work in a way that doesn't feel like work.
It’s kind of crazy how we met and came together as farmers—one of those meant-to-be interactions, seemingly divine. Being in the mountains and going such long stretches between seeing friends and family made connecting with other farmers on Instagram seem like our only social outlet. Ariel and I had been living and working for an older back-to-the-land family in Southern Humboldt and Northern Mendocino. In 2016 we were growing some Royal Kush—Chris and Casey down in Laytonville were growing Royal, too, that year. Looking through hashtags, we stumbled upon each other, and occasionally “liked” each other’s photos throughout the season. It was later on that year at the Emerald Cup in Santa Rosa when I decided to wear one of those “Hello My Name Is” stickers with my IG name, “DeepOutThere,” on it—that’s when I actually met Chris.
Martin and Chris are both seed collectors.
In January, Ariel and I left where we had been living for the previous five years in search of something new. We were staying with our friend, Janae, on the Mendocino coast. She has tons of friends and loves having folks over. One of those times she invited over a friend of hers who she said was probably just as, if not more, into seed collecting as me. There was a big window looking out into the driveway, and we saw Chris and Casey pulling up towards the house that day. It turns out he was her seed collector friend. [His collection] is extensive, beautifully cataloged, and we all really clicked. After multiple visits, winter turned into spring, and it was approaching time to begin seeds for the season. We were taking care of Chris’ seed starts out on the coast and still didn't know where we, Ariel and I, were going to farm that year. I asked Chris about needing full-time help on the farm and [said] that we couldn’t possibly part with the seedlings we’d been growing for over a month. He invited us up to see the farm on 4/20, and we talked about things. Chris is a thoughtful and generous man. He asked us if we wanted to partner with him and build a new garden together under the name Woodman Peak Farm, on a hillside overlooking a beautiful pond built in the early 1900s with a seemingly never-ending horizon of trees. It was a dream come true of ours to be back on, and able to steward, a piece of land while cultivating cannabis in a way that respects the earth and livens the soul.
Woodman Peak Farm in February. The farm is located on a hillside overlooking a pond, with a horizon lined with trees.
What tool or software in your cultivation space can you not live without?
The day we installed our solar water pump, my life changed. I don't always like to do things the easy way, but I don't mind it with this. 1,200 watts of solar energy power pumps water a couple hundred feet up the hillside to the top of the garden without me even noticing. It has an electronic float valve, so as soon as the water level in our tank drops, it automatically begins refilling to its set level.
What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your business in the last six months?
That’s a tough one, but I’m going to go with creating our website through Squarespace. I’ve always been into photography and documenting the plants and land through the seasons. This gives me a way to neatly organize and display the high-resolution photos that I take (that the tiny Instagram screen can’t do justice to most of the time). A lot of people have responded well and really like seeing large, zoomable photos of the flowers and farm.
Martin documents the farm's plants and land through photography, which is displayed on Woodman Peak Farm's website.
What cultivation technique are you most interested in right now, and what are you actively studying (the most)?
A hybrid of a few, but generally heading down the path of closing the loop by utilizing onsite resources from the land.
A Black Royal cultivar
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours?
Realistically, the farm as it is now was founded on “apparent failure” from all sides. 2016 wasn’t a great year for Chris and Casey, and it left them in the unknown, wondering if they’d pursue another season. When Ariel and I met them, we had no idea what the future held and where, or even if, we were going to continue cultivating. A legal farm with the opportunity to collaborate with genetics, a beautiful place with lots of room to roam and a garden in a diverse and unique environment—that’s what we were looking for, and that’s exactly what we found. So, without failure, Woodman Peak Farm may not be around today—a perfect example of how when something seems to be falling apart, it’s because it needs to for something better and more resilient to come into existence.
What advice would you give to a smart, driven grower about to enter the legal, regulated industry? What advice should they ignore?
All good things take time. And things that take time take patience. Patience and a positive attitude go a long way with all the hoops that have to be jumped through in this regulated market.
I’d also suggest having an appropriately sized crew for the amount you are cultivating. The four of us do all the work in collaboration on the farm, which allows us to be involved in every single step of the process, making sure it’s all up to our standards. There have been times we’ve said that we could use a couple extra sets of hands during parts of the season, but we manage to push through it (with a few late nights) and get it done. That eliminates the need to hire labor, which would be financially unviable for us, and our four-person crew functions really well as is.
As for what to ignore, just trust your instincts. Everyone’s experiences are different, but if something doesn’t feel right, don’t go with it.
How do you deal with burnout?
Honestly, I don’t. I live for this. Living in and exploring the mountains and tending to this garden is my life. I wouldn’t say that I get “burnt out” on it. I will say, though, that the summers can be incredibly hot and exhausting, calling for relaxing in some cool water. On those days, you can find us at a serene private waterfall that we’re blessed to have on the land.
A Banana Punch variety
How do you motivate your employees/team?
I’d say that we’re all motivated by the plants themselves. Watching them grow through spring and summer is a blast, and seeing and smelling their flowers develop is even more fun. Sometimes, specifically during harvest, things can seem a little daunting with all that needs to be done, but we just turn the music up and get into a “let’s-get-this-done” workflow. High fives (and maybe a doobie) at the end of a big task are always good, too.
What keeps you awake at night?
It hasn’t ever been a problem, but when the males we keep for breeding are in full bloom, I tend to have some sleepless nights.
What helps you sleep at night?
The fruits of our labor, specifically in the form of concentrates.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for style, length and clarity.
