GAVIN WADA HEAD GARDENER
OWNER NATE GIBBS
43 ROCKIE CALZADA VEG ROOM GROWER
ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS A HALLMARK OF THE BRAND
“Grown with Aloha” isn’t just a catchy phrase, but a way of life for Gold Leaf.
STORY BY DANIELLE HALLE @SWEET.DEEZY | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS
nwlEAF.COM
because most indoor Cannabis farmers are not familiar with the biological potential of the soil food web. Gold Leaf is different, because in four years, they have never thrown away their soil. This respect for the earth is unheard of in most commercial agriculture setups, but it is a way of life for Gold Leaf Gardens. Rather than no-till, they employ a “low-till” method which involves removing the plants from the soil at harvest, and then giving the soil time to “rest” and break down the remaining roots and nutrients. The microbes work together in a balanced ecosystem to give the plant what it needs during its life cycle, and then once that growth cycle is over the microbes “will adapt and @goldleafgardens become more dominant, over time becoming very robust.” goldleafgardens.com While the farmers try not to disturb the soil as much as possible, there are workers taking on the challenge of breaking up the root mass and aerating the soil. Those workers are live worms, which provide worm castings free of charge in exchange for a home in the flower beds. So why choose this style of cultivation? Gibbs explains that the “entire farm is an ecosystem. The entire farm is alive. What you do on one end of the farm, how you treat it, the people who work on it, it’s all part of that ecology.” Therefore, you can’t expect to put poison into the soil, water source, or other grow mediums and expect medicinal results. Not only is nurturing the soil-food web a way to uplift the spirituality and connection to the plant, but Gold Leaf is also saving resources by reducing waste and reusing their soil. Another benefit to this practice is that the farm can support small local businesses by buying their natural inputs from KIS Organics, based out of Redmond. They don’t buy bottled, salt-based nutrients or additives from the store. Every nutrient Gold Leaf uses to amend their soil is not only organic, but it’s also sustainably obtained, such as their locally-sourced seaweed. Entering this realm of “esoteric gardening” - in which they get their hands dirty and make their own soil - has given Gold Leaf Gardens a unique identity in the i502 marketplace. Although it is more common to completely sterilize and automate everything in Cannabis these days, Nate truly believes “gardening is good for the soul.” You can’t automate Aloha. “Growing organic, sustainable Cannabis may be niche, but that’s what some people are looking for. The people who are hip to it will find you and support you,” said Gibbs. “Those who don’t care,” he said, “there’s something for them. It’s all good, no judgement.” Craft Cannabis is here to stay thanks to small, family farms like Gold Leaf Gardens.