This article originally appeared in the March 2018 print issue of Cannabis Business Times. To subscribe, click here.
Beija Flor’s co-founder and head cultivator Jonathan Wentzel didn’t jump into cannabis cultivation on a whim. No, the Napa Valley native was born into the fifth generation of an agriculture family and was practically fluent in cannabis by the time he officially opened Beija Flor Farms (a roughly 1.5-acre outdoor grow in Mendocino, Calif.) in 2015. He cultivated his first cannabis plant years earlier, at the age of 13, with help from his southern Humboldt-based uncle.
Working in the fields and being around agriculture for most of his life has allowed Wentzel to form a strong connection with the land he farms, and he does everything within his power to protect it.
Here, Cannabis Business Times Senior Editor Scott Guthrie speaks with Wentzel about how his agriculture background has helped him with cannabis cultivation, why he prefers to make his own soil, his approach to outdoor pest management, the reasons behind Beija Flor’s decision to become a legal, licensed California grow and why he concentrates so much on terpene expression.
Scott Guthrie: Before transitioning to cannabis, you worked in the wine and vineyard industry. What did you do in that industry, and what takeaways have helped you the most with cannabis cultivation?
Jonathan Wentzel: That’s my family’s business, and we’ve been growing grapes since the ’80s. I think in general what it gave me is a respect for terroir and an innate trust in the soil. By terroir, I mean the culture and climate in which you plant. So, the topography that dictates what grows best is how we adapt to our terroir, and the same [applies to] cannabis varieties. That’s my takeaway from learning about the vineyards and how advanced they are, and how much [vintners] pride themselves on their sense of place and microclimate.
To read the full article in Cannabis Business Times' March 2018 issue, click here.
Top photo by Flow Kana
