A warmer, drier season raises some concerns. But it’s also a welcome opportunity to let plants reach their potential under blue skies. Southern Oregon talent Tony Simonelli has documented the region’s harvest season with the Leaf team for five years, wandering through weather of all types to photograph our cover and much of the content you’ll see throughout the annual issue. This year, his beautiful capture of Buddies’ bountiful buds feels like a slice of Oregon’s harvest season in your hands (minus the mud). -@terpodactyl_media
PHOTO BY TONY SIMONELLI @SIMONELLITONY
CONTRIBUTORS
WES ABNEY, FEATURES
ANGELA-JORDAN AGUILAR, FEATURES
DANIEL BERMAN, DESIGN
BOBBY BLACK, FEATURES + DESIGNS
NEIL BRAYBROOK, PHOTOS
JACKIE BRYANT, FEATURES
TOM BOWERS, FEATURES
DAVID DOWNS, FEATURES
REX HILSINGER, FEATURES + PHOTOS
ELLEN HOLLAND, FEATURES
MATT JACKSON, FEATURES
THE LIFTED LENS, PHOTOS
BENJAMIN NEFF, PHOTOS
JAMIE OWENS, FEATURES
CHRIS ROMAINE, PHOTOS
SARAH SANDOVAL, SALES
KEENAN SHUR, ILLUSTRATION
TONY SIMONELLI, PHOTOS
DIANA THOMPSON, PHOTOS
TERPODACTYL MEDIA, FEATURES + PHOTOS
BRUCE & LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES
We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism. Please email us to discuss advertising in an upcoming issue of Oregon Leaf. We do not sell stories or coverage. Email makani@leafmagazines.com to learn more about our range of affordable print and digital advertising options to help support Oregon Leaf, the state’s longest-running Cannabis magazine!
Thanks for picking up The Harvest Issue of the Leaf!
Harvest is a season of bounty, a reward for a long spring and summer of faith, work and long days.
Today, we’re used to hitting the grocery store and seeing bananas, apples and oranges year-round, but that’s not how life was only a few generations ago. Humans lived seasonally for hundreds of thousands of years, ebbing and flowing with nature, and enjoying the bounty provided depending on the time of year.
While our food is available 24/7, thanks to a global supply chain, those of us old enough to have bought weed illegally remember the flow of fire around November and the late-summer drought, as all of last year’s weed was gone. Today’s stoners know nothing of the shortages or a dealer being out of weed. Neighborhood dispensaries are open seven days a week and bursting with amazing ways to get high, delivering medicinal and recreational relief on demand.
“TODAY’S STONERS KNOW NOTHING OF THE SHORTAGES OR A DEALER BEING OUT OF WEED.”
The reason we have vapes, edibles, concentrates and topicals galore — along with delicious, terpy sun-kissed flowers — is hardworking farmers whose hands are in the dirt for nine months a year. Our industry runs on sun-grown Cannabis, whether it’s light deps, greenhouse or full-term flower. From native soil to raised beds of living soil, or a broad field full of autoflowering phenos that slap, there’s a farmer in the sun, rain and mud to thank for your next hit.
That’s why our Harvest Issue has been running since 2011. We at the Leaf recognize and celebrate the farm, where our roots begin and end, with people who work hard, smoke hard and have grown Cannabis since the medical-only and prelegal days and for generations. The knowledge, passion and cost of isolation are all part of a culture and legacy that means so much more than a price per pound.
We must thank and protect our outdoor farmers who serve the entire Cannabis ecosystem. They keep the machines of industry flowing and fill more shelves directly and indirectly than any other segment of the market. They’re responsible for the sweet honey of THC in the same way God is a provider of our abundance, the plant and our natural world. Cannabis is a gift that keeps giving, harvest after harvest, and that overflowing bowl is a promise kept that we should be grateful for this season.
HALLOWEIRD
The leaves are falling, an autumn chill fills the air and the pungent smell of fresh Cannabis wafts by. Harvest isn’t the only reason for celebration; it’s also, once again, time for Leaf Magazine’s annual Halloween spooktacular: Halloweird.
HOSTED ON OCT. 18 at the Cedarville Lodge in Gresham, this year represents the second ghoulish gathering of its kind. With a couple thousand spooky stoners in attendance, the event was packed with copious creatures of the night. The line for entry — composed of excited guests dressed in their Hallow’s Eve best — wrapped around the parking lot outside the venue prior to opening.
The scene was a meeting of the macabre with eerie Halloween decor and a variety of entertainment and amenities available for enjoyment. Liquid libations flowed freely within the lodge, thanks to hospitality sponsor Truth Dispensary, while a thick fog rolled through the outdoor portion of the premises (and that’s not even considering the weather).
Bread Truck Records set up their mobile record store at the entrance to the event, whereas Fat Kid Food Co. and High on Tacos formed a small food cart pod at the far end of the lot. Guests could be seen walking around in a stoney daze, devouring over-the-top munchies like a horde of hangry zombies.
Other Halloweird activities included a photo booth sponsored by Sweet Tree Farms, Nomad Axe Throwing sponsored by Treasure Valley Cannabis Company and a dab activation experience sponsored by Entourage.
Showing off their product line, Entourage brought a range of concentrates and vaporizers for attendees to learn more about. Their Breadstix and Papaya Juice hash rosin jars were definitive standouts from the demonstrations, with each selection featuring a distinct profile that piqued the senses.
Some of the most well-known brands in the Oregon Cannabis industry were present, vending tricks and treats from Halloween-themed booths. Edible companies Yamba Junk and Mule Extracts served up cotton candy and slushie drinks for eager guests, while farms like HQ Farms and Lowd brought some of their newest strains to see and smell.
An array of dispensaries — including Up N Smoke, Dope Depot and Chalice — gave out swaths of swag, loading visitors up on anything from rolling papers to decorative signs. Processors had impressive representation from brands like Livetia, Northwest Oil Tech and Focus North, with the companies presenting a collection of concentrates for spectators to check out.
>>CONTINUES NEXT PAGE
“GUESTS
COULD BE SEEN WALKING AROUND IN A STONEY DAZE, DEVOURING OVER-THE-TOP MUNCHIES LIKE A HORDE OF HANGRY ZOMBIES.”
SPONSORS
Presenting Sponsor Buddies
Hospitality Sponsor Truth Dispensary
Photo Booth Sponsor
Sweet Tree Farms
Experience Sponsor
Treasure Valley Cannabis Company (Nomad Axe Throwing)
Vibe and Dab Activation Sponsor Entourage
AWARDS
Best in Show (Costume)
Ruby Rhod from “The Fifth Element”
Best Budtender Costume
Edward Scissorhands
Best Team Costume
The Little Mermaid
Best Branded Booth
Deanz Greenz
Best Haunted Booth
Tasty’s
Best Carved Pumpkin
Oregon Bud Company
HALLOWEIRD
INSIDE THE LODGE, Leaf curated the space specifically for community creators. Glass artists Windstar and Hood Rat Shit Glass exhibited a menagerie of gorgeous pieces incorporating functional smokeware, pendants and some truly unbelievable sculptural work. The Oddities Booth, hosted by Street Kitty Glass and Whitney Harmon Glass, made a return this year, perfectly fitting the theme with a creepy display of taxidermy dolls, fetal animals in jars and elaborately crafted dab rigs.
Local clothing brands Nug Nips and TismWear Clothing had some of their signature merchandise available for purchase, and Mousehouse Edibles, a Portland-based confectionery company, served nonmedicated mocktails made with organic, homegrown fruit syrups.
Perhaps the most thrilling portion of the night was the award ceremony, where trophies were given out for best costumes, decorated booths and carved pumpkins. A pair dressed as Ariel and Ursula from “The Little Mermaid” won Best Team Costume for their aquatic outfits, while the awards for Best Budtender Costume and Best in Show went to an Edward Scissorhands and a Ruby Rhod from “The Fifth Element,” respectively.
Deanz Greenz won Best Branded Booth with the help of their tombstone-ice-sculpture bong that revelers could interact with outside. Tasty’s, on the other hand, took home Best Haunted Booth with a sinister-looking, spooky canopy filled with clouds and lightning made via practical effects.
Oregon Bud Company earned first place for the Pumpkin Carving Contest, the second year in a row in which they’ve placed in this category.
On a particularly somber note, Robin Spencer, who carved the pumpkin for OBC last year, passed away in December 2024, so it felt fitting to see the company take home the first-place prize in her honor.
SOME OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN BRANDS IN THE OREGON CANNABIS INDUSTRY WERE PRESENT, VENDING TRICKS AND TREATS FROM HALLOWEENTHEMED BOOTHS.
As always with Leaf events, one of the best parts of the whole evening was getting to share genuine moments with friends and acquaintances alike. One thing that differentiates the Oregon Cannabis community from any other is the overwhelming warmth and authenticity that is seemingly contagious at these kinds of get-togethers.
Friendly hugs, greenery-induced grins and the passing of joints and jars back and forth. Add in some of the most passionate growers, processors, dispensaries and local artists, and it’s a recipe for one killer sesh.
A huge amount of gratitude to our presenting sponsor Buddies, as well as all the other sponsors, vendors and attendees who made the event possible.
Without the amazing PNW community, Leaf wouldn’t be here, so we want to give so much appreciation to everybody who continues to show up and help make these gatherings a fun, safe place to celebrate every year. Until next year, fangs for supporting!
@OREGONLEAF
@LEAFMAGAZINES
At Substance, the shelves flow with flowers, but the focus points to people. “We’re a compliant inventory management company, but we’re really in the human care industry,” owner Jeremy Kwit explained. “Our staff are our ambassadors.”
OASIS
“WE’RE TRYING TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S PERCEPTIONS OF THE PLANT AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO IT …”
COMPASSION OVER COMMERCE
Carrying that torch shapes everything from how the team trains to the feel of each store. For Kwit, every sale isn’t a retail transaction; it’s “a human transaction,” a small exchange built on empathy over efficiency (though it’s not lacking the latter).
Founded in 2013 as a medical dispensary, Substance has since expanded into nine Oregon stores, including two in Medford.
The Crater Lake Highway shop sits at the core of Oregon’s cultivation country.
“We sell Cannabis to people who grow Cannabis,” Kwit said. Catering to cultivators requires a high standard, which keeps the team curating craft products from across the state, not just southern Oregon.
Kwit’s perspective didn’t first bloom from business; it came from experience. As a teen, he watched Cannabis prohibition fracture his family after his mother discovered a note about his sister trying a joint at a Madonna concert.
“Our household turned into a police state,” he recalled. “Instead of building a relationship of trust, it created a culture of secrets.”
The lesson that stuck and shaped Kwit’s career was honesty and transparency in place of fear and shame.
DESIGNED FOR DISCOVERY
Kwit’s ethos has seeped into every Substance location.
“We’re trying to change people’s perceptions of the plant and their relationship to it, and that starts where they get it,” Kwit said. Picture something between a minimart and a Nordstrom. It’s bright, clean and “designed for discovery.”
Seven custom-built fixtures invite guests to gaze and explore instead of waiting in line.
“Trick or treat your way around the store,” Kwit joked, describing how digital shelf tags let customers learn as they browse.
SELECTION WITH SUBSTANCE
The selection is equally intentional, with anywhere from 150 to 180 types of flower and upward of 600 vapes, so there’s something for every kind of customer. Kwit explained that every detail aims to create what he calls “a regular retail experience,” one that’s approachable, informative and stigma-free. It’s the same reason you won’t see traditional Cannabis icons or leaf symbols in their branding.
Behind the scenes, the same care fuels their supply chain. From a central hub in Bend, Substance sources from roughly 150 farms and 150 packaged goods companies.
“We buy in bulk and send all of our different stores the right amount of material,” Kwit shared. The practice aims to ensure that smaller shops stay stocked (but not over-stocked) with variety and freshness.
CARE BEGETS CARE
Hailing back to his human-centered approach, Kwit believes that care for customers begins with care for staff. Substance covers full health care premiums, AAA memberships and a 401(k) match for all 90 employees across the company. Ongoing education includes more than simple product knowledge, with digital courses on communication, emotional intelligence and more offered to staff.
Now, the company looks to expand further across Oregon, “adding more spokes to our wheel,” hopefully, Kwit shared, in mountain towns and new communities. Wherever Substance lands, the mission stays the same: create connection and keep humans at the heart of the harvest.
SUBSTANCE
3425 CRATER LAKE HWY, MEDFORD, OR SUBSTANCEMARKET.COM
MONDAY-FRIDAY 8 AM-9 PM
SATURDAY - SUNDAY 9 AM-9 PM
JOSH MCDONALD
OREGON LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH
Josh McDonald introduced himself with a warmth we could feel over the phone. Like many of the Leaf’s Budtender of the Month honorees, his passion lies with the plant, of course, but first, with its people. For over six years, he’s been a budtender at Douglas County’s first-ever legal dispensary, dating back to 2014, Roseburg’s 420 Club. But his connection with the shop goes beyond a paycheck. “It doesn’t just feel like working for family; it feels like home,” he said.
BEFORE BUDDING into budtenderhood, McDonald said he was a “jack-of-all-trades,” working as a bartender, barista, food manager and more. His experiences built a tangible troupe of talents in care and customer service long before tending Cannabis.
At a barista job, he was recruited to be a budtender by a friend and shop manager, Jennifer Morse. Inspired by the shop’s connection to the community and team support, McDonald found his calling and has been building his community there ever since.
“It’s more than just a job. My boss, Jim, has helped me out so much on a personal level that he’s like a father … The customers are like family, too,” he said. “I’ve been invited to weddings, barbecues and everything.”
But McDonald isn’t a fair-weather friend, as he often offers support that goes far beyond standard customer service.
“I have a customer that I’ve been waiting on for years. About four years ago, she shared that her son was diagnosed with cancer,” he said. “We’ve hugged, we’ve cried. We’re at the point where we tell each other, ‘I love you.’”
In what he feels was a “full-circle moment,” McDonald shared that their bond was strengthened when they were cast together in a local movie production called “Killer Roommates,” where he played a henchman and she played his mother.
experimenting with liquid latex to conjure otherworldly transformations or buzzing from the energy of a live music crowd (preferably Lady Gaga), he approaches life like a stage: always ready to perform and create connection.
“HE APPROACHES LIFE LIKE A STAGE: ALWAYS READY TO PERFORM AND CREATE CONNECTION.”
The horror henchman role is another glimpse into McDonald’s brimming creative cup. Whether he’s
420 CLUB
2576 NE STEPHENS ST., ROSEBURG, OR THE420CLUBROSEBURG.COM
His love of makeup, practical effects and theatrical flair really comes alive each October, when the 420 Club team creates an open-to-the-public haunted house. It’s no surprise that he won Best Budtender Costume by popular crowd vote at the 2025 Oregon Leaf Halloweird party. His tight take on Chris Tucker’s Ruby Rhod from “The Fifth Element” was a delightful display! Despite his scary skills, McDonald hopes to keep growing his career at the dispensary, eventually moving into management, while blending his creativity with the community he cherishes. His enthusiasm, after all of these years, is a reminder that passion isn’t just something you show — it’s something you share.
Oregon Leaf
Josh took home Best in Show (Costume) at the 2025
Halloweird party with his take on Ruby Rhod from “The Fifth Element.”
PERMAFROST PERMAFROST
Southern Oregon Family Farms is a cooperative of small, sungrown family farms that first teamed up in 2022. These brands share, as described on the co-op’s website, “a direct distribution network” and enable “members by exchanging resources, best practices, expertise, and legal lessons.”
SCATTERED ACROSS southern Oregon’s fruitful yet trying terrains, these farmers have learned to rely on friends, family and each other in a region that is as secluded as it is special. They share information, labor, resources and, when Oregon Leaf last spoke with the collective, a common dream.
“We didn’t have much to offer each other at first, except the comfort of knowing we weren’t alone,” Kristine Miller of Southern Oregon Moonshine said in an interview with Oregon Leaf last year. At that time, the co-op was drawing up plans for distribution and extraction.
One year later, we’re cracking into two jars brought to fruition by the same folks and processed by Calyx Crafts. To our delight, the jars aren’t a concoction of leftovers, mystery mixes or fuzzy farm origins (as one might wonder with a collective approach).
Instead, each one is clearly labeled with cultivar and cultivator in a 2-gram capacity.
Savage Skunk Farms’ Kush Mints came in a smooth sugar wax that was more akin to a budder. Its piney, earthy musk delivered a slap of spice to the nostrils and sailed through the smoke more like a menthol experience. Pine played another big part here, too.
From Circle D Farms, we dabbed a doughy Permafrost crumble that played to a much sweeter palate. Again, we picked up distinguishable pine notes, which danced in and out as a sweet herbal tea tiptoed in.
But these are just two examples from SOFF. As these family farms continue building a better future together, you can keep an eye out for other offerings from the co-op’s network of more than a dozen farms and producers.
“From Circle D Farms, we dabbed a doughy Permafrost crumble that played to a much sweeter palate. Again, we picked up distinguishable pine notes, which danced in and out as a sweet herbal tea tiptoed in.”
Kush Mints by Savage Skunk Farms
Danksgiving
Every year, I remind myself that Thanksgiving isn’t exactly a celebration I fully embrace. It’s a day we shouldn’t glorify, yet it does provide the rare chance to see my family. So, I’m choosing to hold it as a day of gratitude: for what I have, for who I love and for the chance to give back. I’ll volunteer at a soup kitchen, a small gesture to make a tiny dent in my guilt. On a recent trip to Electric Lettuce in north Portland — which, by the way, felt wonderfully safe and welcoming — I tried the new Stumptown Haze sativa strain. I’m not much of a sativa person, but my ever-patient budista promised focus, laughter and a flavor worth savoring. She was right; this strain hits beautifully — earthy, herbal and full of character. The recipes were all tested with this potent, happy-making strain. Laurie + MaryJane just introduced two golden milk blends, and I created these recipes using one of the blends. Scan QR code to order! Laurie@Laurieandmaryjane.com
CHUNKY GOLDEN SWEET
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced
2 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
2 cups trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
4 teaspoons Golden Milk Powder*
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil or butter, and saute red onion for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Stir to coat, and cook over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms (and extra oil if needed), and cook until vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized. Add honey or maple syrup, and combine well.
3. Remove from heat, and stir in Golden Milk Powder until fully incorporated and evenly distributed. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
PASS THE PUDDING
Baking spray
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
3 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
¾ cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons Golden Milk Powder*
Pinch salt
¼ cup coconut
1. Heat oven to 340 F. Spray 4 ramekins with baking spray.
2. In a blender, combine all the ingredients except coconut.
3. Puree until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
Divide mixture between the prepared ramekins.
4. Bake puddings for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle with coconut. Place back in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes until the toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or chilled.
GOLDEN SECOND HARVEST SOUP
2–3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups peeled, diced carrots
2 cups peeled, diced butternut squash
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup coconut milk or cream
4 teaspoons Golden Milk Powder*
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, sour cream or crème fraîche Sprinkle of Golden Milk powder, for garnish
1. Heat olive oil or butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, and saute until fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes to deepen the flavor.
3. Add diced carrots and butternut squash, stirring to coat them in oil and tomato paste. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Pour in broth, then bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
5. Stir in coconut milk and Golden Milk powder, then season with salt and black pepper. Simmer gently for another 5 minutes.
6. Use a blender to puree soup until smooth. You may need to do it in batches.
7. Serve hot and topped with Greek yogurt, sour cream or crème fraîche and a sprinkle of Golden Milk Powder for garnish.
*For all these recipes, if you don’t have Golden Milk powder, add 1 teaspoon each of turmeric and cinnamon, plus ¼ teaspoon each of ginger, nutmeg and cloves. For the Pass the Pudding recipe, also add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Use an infusion method of your choice.
Golden Second Harvest Soup
Chunky Golden Sweet Potato Hash
MAC WHITE
Mac White is a different breed. When the going gets tough, he just crushes through and perseveres. When he gets a vision, he doesn’t know the word “stop.” “I always looked up to Elbo and Coyle when I was first getting into glass, the way they could make it look like another medium always drew me in,” Mac said.
HIS JOURNEY on the torch started in 2012. When he relocated to Bellingham, Washington, in 2014, Whitney Harmon and I were fortunate enough to have him land at our studio, the Honeycomb Hideout, where he continued to create for another seven years or so before heading off to Albuquerque, New Mexico. In that time, I watched his talents grow to great lengths.
Mac also has a background in freehand art with a lot of different mediums. The mixture of that skill and glass art has made for some memorable pieces over the years.
You will see a couple of examples here where Mac either collaborated with others or made pieces himself. He then went on to freehand etch with graphics of another caliber, making these truly one-of-a-kind pieces of art.
“Mac
His most recent drops were at Prism Smoke Shop in New York and Zee Vapor in Illinois. He usually has a piece or two available on his Instagram, so check him out there as well.
I also want to give Mac and his new fiancee, Emma Palmerton, a huge congratulations on their recent engagement, where he got down on bended knee during their trip to Greece!
@MACELEVENGLASS
also has a background in freehand art with a lot of different mediums. The mixture of that skill and glass art has made for some memorable pieces over the years.“
WHITNEY HARMON COLLAB
G o o d V i b e s
gorilla glue # 4 Heavy Hitting Classic
E ects: Euphoric, Relaxing, Sedating, Happy, Creative
Flavors: Diesel, Chocolate, Co ee, Pine
Aroma: Earthy, Sour Diesel, Pine, Chocolate
Lineage: Chem’s Sister X Sour Dubb X Chocolate Diesel
HARVEST /ADAPT
October hums in Northern California. Diesel engines on backroads, scissors clicking in barns, the air thick with the smell of cedar and cut flower. The light goes gold around 4 p.m. and stays that way until the ridge disappears. This is the season everyone waits for and the one that breaks them a little more each year. Across Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino, harvest is smaller now but sharper. The crews are lean. The fields are tighter, planted with cultivars that can handle heat, fog and the sudden rains that roll in off the Pacific. The farmers who stayed learned to match the rhythm instead of fighting it.
AT NEUKOM FAMILY FARM on the banks of the Trinity River, Cannabis sits beside tomatoes, melons and peaches in the summer, part of the same rotation that’s kept the soil alive for decades. Amy and Jacques Neukom move through the rows like it’s any other crop: water, cut, cure, repeat. They sell vegetables, eggs and joints at the same market stand. Nobody whispers anymore.
“People come for food and ask about the flower,” Amy Neukom said. “It’s just farming now.”
In the Mattole Valley, Dylan Mattole has shifted to washers suited for concentrates, specifically hash and rosin. “Sun-grown is rising to the top in those markets,” he said. “The hash makers appreciate the quality that comes from organically sun-grown flower with unique genetics.”
In Mendocino, Joseph Haggard and his mom, Katie, who helm Emerald Spirit Botanicals, breed for flavor and function, not percentages. Their multiple-award-winning cultivar Pink Boost Goddess gleams under the late light, the scent closer to strawberry jam and flowers than gas. Joseph Haggard said the demand is real.
And in Humboldt, the Humboldt Family Farms collective pulls the pieces together, jar by jar, farmer by farmer. They share transport, packaging and stories — the connective tissue of a region learning how to stay alive inside a system that barely sees it.
Founder Scott Vasterling calls it “logistics with heart.”
The collective’s latest campaign lifted sun-grown sales at Embarc stores into double digits for the first time. Proof, however small, that education works when the weed is good enough.
Harvest is a habit first and a headline second. Regardless of the attention it gets or doesn’t, the farm activity still swells before dawn, and the generators still buzz all night. The people doing it don’t talk about resilience; they’re long past all of that. They’ve built smaller, smarter, steadier lives on land and in a market that keeps asking for everything.
By dusk, the hills glow. The smell carries for miles: terpenes, rain and work. On some ridges, lights stay on all night, and on others, the barns are already full.
The season ends the way it always has: tired hands, quiet pride and smoke rising from the valley like a promise that next year will come around again.
"They’ve built smaller, smarter, steadier lives on land and in a market that keeps asking for everything."
“People want to feel good again. They don’t want to get wrecked,” he said.
Their farm feels closer to a vineyard than a grow site, with sun, soil and intention dictating everything.
COURTESY
AMY NEUKOM & SCOTT VASTERLING NEUKOM FAMILY FARMS
SCOTT VASTERLING HUMBOLDT FAMILY FARMS
FIRE FOLLOWER RED HOT AUTOS!
DO YOU EVER WISH HERB WAS MORE “SET IT AND FORGET IT”?
THE HARVEST ISSUE you’re holding celebrates the end of one annual, full-sun cultivation cycle, but another begins. Some growers are just getting set up for their winter indoor run, and we’re seeing more newbies, as well as pros, grow with “automatic” seeds.
Cannabis that flowers “automatically” does not need the strict lighting schedule of standard weed strains. Like early LEDs, auto seeds have gone from punch line to punching above their weight. Autos used to contain a little THC, with low terpenes and yield, but not anymore. Modern autos smack. Chances are you have smoked or dabbed an automatic plant and didn’t even know it.
NIGHT OWL SEEDS
Maine cult star Night Owl Seeds — a 6-year-old company and a leader in the automatic seed game — does midnight seed drops, like Strawberry Milk and Qookies, that sell out in minutes. What is company founder/operator Daz’s strategy? Automating classics like Marathon OG, AJ’s Sour D and (soon) Banana OG.
Daz learned how to make auto versions of strains in Europe, which is ahead of the Americas in the automatic weed game. Then Daz worked under Mephisto Genetics until he started his own thing. “I’ve been isolating with plants for 10 to 15 years,” he said.
Daz said automatic weed growers are usually hobbyists working indoors in tents. When Daz finally got the wherewithal to run a large indoor warehouse, he populated it with 40 tents instead of one big grow.
HUMBOLDT SEED COMPANY
Experts say it’s getting almost impossible to tell the difference between automatic flowers and regulars. All automatics contain genes from a subspecies of weed called “ruderalis.” These rude girls flower automatically on the roadsides of rural Russia. Modern autos lack any telltale ruderalis aroma or taste.
Humboldt Seed Company, the 24-year-old top photoperiod brand, is working on autoing a vast chunk of its 80-strain commercial catalog. Among them, we’ve seen a new fruity auto Hella Jelly F5 with sizzling sativa effects, but it grows short and flowers quickly.
The December 2025 Auto Hella Jelly solves the two major issues commercial growers have with sativas: They get too tall and take too long. Time and space cost money. This squat, pink-flowered strain should take around 90 days from seed to harvest. When dabbing Auto Hella Jelly, you’d never know it’s the distant grandchild of Russian ditch weed. The live rosin is very blond, fruity and delicate, like a sugary confection. It hits light, clean, fruity, loud, strong and bomb, easing tension and energizing work.
Award-winning journalist/author and former Leafly Senior Editor David Downs’ monthly genetics intelligence dispatch.
AUTOPOTAMUS
One home grower in Quebec, Canada, who’s killing it with automatics is gardening influencer Linh Nguyen, aka “Autopotamus.” Sponsored by a raft of genetics and hardware brands, Autopotamus grows bountiful bushels of dank, icy colas that showcase the potential of autos in the 2020s.
Daz said autos grow a bit differently than regular, so-called “photoperiod” strains, which need timed lighting. For one, they don’t like getting transplanted or repotted. Don’t stress autos out.
Autos are harder to grow than photos, Daz said, but once you see the speed, flavor and potency, “it’s hard to go back.”
AMERICAN AUTOFLOWER CUP 2026
The American Autoflower Cup, one big sign of autos’ arrival, returns in early 2026 and just announced its seven categories. Registration is currently open. Judging is conducted by industry experts, lab analysis and popular vote.
The awards ceremony is Jan. 31, 2026, at beTRUE Los Angeles.
CANNABIS THAT FLOWERS “AUTOMATICALLY” DOES NOT NEED THE STRICT LIGHTING SCHEDULE OF STANDARD WEED STRAINS.
NOTEWORTHY AUTOMATIC SEED BREEDERS
NIGHT OWL SEEDS MEPHISTO GENETICS
HUMBOLDT SEED COMPANY
MULTIVERSE BEANS
AUTOMATICS
SPEEDRUN SEEDS
I’m running some autos this winter in San Francisco that were gifted to me in July by Cora Genetics founder Hardy Nieto, who just passed away.
I popped a full pack and selected four of the feminized Dr. Grinspoon S1 autos for a big fabric pot. I don’t need the bud, but the fresh terps and joyful bouquet are a living memento mori for the new year. Time flies, so be quick and excellent — automatically.
NIGHT OWL SSV COURTESY
HUMBOLDT
HUMBOLDT SEED
HELLA JELLY
PHOTO BY NEIL BRAYBROOK HIGHIGAN ON YOUTUBE
NIGHT OWL CHEMMY POWERS COURTESY
Harvest time offers a lesson that all things change
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE
I’m looking up toward a sky dappled with clouds and feeling the vibrations emanating from the life-form beside me. It’s a towering Blueberry Pancakes plant, and I’m pushing away from the energy of the group to stand in stillness with the silent hum of its life force.
The Cannabis flowers are a deep emerald green, huge and frosty, and they smell like blueberries at peak ripeness. Held in minimal trellising, the plant’s branches confidently stretch out into the air. Watching it sway in the wind over the valley of oaks below makes me smile. When I touch the flowers, they leave a lingering perfume on my fingertips. This plant is statuesque, natural, beautiful and alive.
I’M ON a Humboldt Seed Company farm in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near Grass Valley, California, as a part of the company’s 2025 quest to find the world’s best weed. Alongside me on this odyssey are Leaf’s chief operating officer, Tom Bowers, and fellow Leaf contributor David Downs.
This festive occasion in late September brings together a group to de-leaf and buck the flowers for steam distilling into terpenes for their aroma and flavor. Later, I’ll joyously dance in a fog machine that’s wafting the Blueberry Pancakes scent.
I’ll eat whipped cream infused with the plant’s essential essence. I’ll inhale other Cannabis flowers into my lungs as a soft, warm rain begins to fall and a lightning storm sends wavy electric jolts across the horizon.
But when I watch the flowers I’ve “big-leafed” fall into the bin, I feel a bit of heartache at the impermanence of it all. It’s the type of melancholy that can come when we mortals think about what comes in the end for us and for every living thing. And I’ll tell my friends: “There could have been another way.”
“In the days with the least sunlight ahead, these flowers will provide warmth in the darkest days.”
In my home grow on my rooftop balcony in Oakland, California, I feel a similar sense of loss when harvest time comes. The Cannabis plants on my front porch provide a welcoming display of lush greenery that I enjoy looking at as they grow and mature. But once the fall comes, they’re gone, and I miss them, even just for their decoration.
A 2022 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health shows that even a small amount of greenery in an urban environment can be beneficial for reducing stress, as elements of nature provide a “soft charm” that allows people to achieve more efficient concentration.
A FLOWER WITH THREE LIVES
I think Cannabis flowers (and all flowers) are here to teach us about impermanence. With flowers — which grow, blossom and fade — the only real moments are in the now. I smell and smoke Cannabis flowers and remember that their time, and my time, here on Earth will not go on forever.
I’m probably in the minority group of people when it comes to thinking about harvest as an ending for the Cannabis plant and not a beginning to its ultimate purpose: all the weed we’re going to smoke when wintertime arrives. But I know I’m far from the only one to fall in love with a Cannabis plant.
Tina Gordon, the cultivator at Moon Made Farms in Humboldt County, believes the Cannabis plant has three lives. The first life, she said, is when it’s growing in the ground, “and that’s when the cultivator is stewarding the plant.” The second life begins when the flower is cut, and that life continues all the way up to when it’s smoked. The third life starts within the resonance of a person when they smoke that flower.
This third life of Cannabis that Gordon speaks of alludes to our deeply personal connections with this plant because of the way it makes us feel.
I think the reason this plant resonates so clearly with so many different people has to do with the fact that our bodies are built with an endocannabinoid system, which has receptors that bind to the chemical elements Cannabis provides when we ingest it. The endocannabinoid system regulates critical bodily functions. It’s the key to our health and vitality.
Sure, other plants contain cannabinoids. Who can deny the sharp appeal of freshly ground black pepper or the soothing effects of cacao? But cannabinoids are most prevalent in the Cannabis plant. And while we know a lot about this plant, there are still undiscovered cannabinoids. We’re also continually learning more about how the other chemical elements in Cannabis affect our well-being.
A TIME OF REFLECTION
The Cannabis plant is our companion that helps us as we navigate through life and guides us toward asking the big questions, like “Why are we here?” Harvest brings a moment of reflection, even though it’s an intense time for growers. It’s a mad rush against the rain, a battle against hungry caterpillars, a phase when a few missteps in drying can ruin a year’s worth of effort. But at a certain point, it’s all over.
“To harvest or render the plant, it’s the culmination of everything that has gone into the plant,” Gordon said. “I mean, it happened. Here she is.”
The seasons help mark the passage of time and offer rhythmic resets that are in line with the Earth and nature around us. It’s best to think of everything, all of life, as an infinite loop. In the same way that there is no beginning, there is no end. Cannabis flowers are meant for smoking. Their ultimate destiny is helping us fulfill our destiny.
We’re getting close to reaping the benefits of the 2025 sun-grown Cannabis harvest. It’s almost time to open the jars, pull out the flowers and set them on fire. In the days with the least sunlight ahead, these flowers will provide warmth in the darkest days. We’ll settle into winter’s reset, and when spring comes, we’ll plant seeds and start over again.
@THEHUMBOLDTSEEDCOMPANY
@MOONMADEFARMS
MOON MADE
Moon Made Farms Queen Colas
White Chocolate Chip cultivated by sticky trees
This is a special shoutout to southern Oregon, born, bred and brought to full fruition in the fruitful hills of the area. Sticky Trees is a multidisciplinary grow operation with a variety of revolving methods and techniques. There, the team has served up something splendid — but not necessarily sweet — with Ziplock Seeds’ White Chocolate Chip cultivar.
@STICKY_TREES_
IT’S A CROSS of Triple Chocolate Chip (Mint Chocolate Chip x Triple OG) and S1 White Truffle (Gorilla Butter GG4 x Peanut Butter Breath). Sticky Trees has nurtured nugs of varied contrast, blurred by the thick trichome coating that reflects your flame at you like some sort of dank disco. Calyxes cozy up to make tight buds, cured to the quintessential crunch that’s still not too dry as you crack into the nug. Like a pyro-heavy entrance, the opener of this sensory show plays tunes of fuel, pepper and glue, with an explosive plume. That band of flavors clears the stage for softer notes of vanilla, basil and mint, which are then replaced, once again, by echoes of the first ensemble. Like any good Cannabis cultivar (or concert), it offers a loud lineup and memorable experience. The flavor experience that follows is creamy, with a surprising petrol punch that seems to slide off your palate in a tongue-tingling tumble. It opens up in a new direction from the nose profile, kneeling to the fumes of fuel found in that first whiff.
“Like a pyro-heavy entrance, the opener of this sensory show plays tunes of fuel, pepper and glue.”
ebb & flow
In the southeastern corner of Oregon’s Rogue Valley sits a picturesque farm called Ebb & Flow. With roots in permaculture and medicinal Cannabis cultivation stretching back over a decade and a half, co-owners Amy Parscal and Lisa Denney have set the bar for sun-grown flower in the state since 2015.
IN 2016, Parscal and Denney moved to their current location, formerly a horse ranch, and converted the land to a 10,000-square-foot grow space. Over the last 10 years, Ebb & Flow has expanded to a sizable 80,000-square-foot outdoor garden with three fields and a handful of greenhouses.
Cultivation practices here are regenerative and fully organic, utilizing the natural sun to produce some of the cleanest Cannabis possible.
“We build our soil with composts, using soil testing to remineralize at the right ratios and provide everything as a baseline support for plants to thrive,” Parscal said.
By dialing in optimized recipes for what each strain needs at different stages of development, the Ebb & Flow team can continually increase the inherent potential and quality of their cultivars.
The climate around the garden also contributes significantly to the terroir of each plant grown here.
“We’re on the sunny side of the valley,” Cameron Pankratz, farm manager, said. “We have nice dry conditions and lots of wind that creates robustness and sturdiness in plants.”
Ebb & Flow possesses a substantial stable of about 100 different strains, including some Oregon Leaf Bowl award-winning cultivars. Their Ice Cream Cake x Runtz, Animal Sherb Mints and Quantum Fields all placed in this year’s competition — an impressive feat that highlights the overall consistency in their roster. >>CONTINUES NEXT PAGE
PUNCH BREATH
CHEESE DANISH
“WE TEST THINGS IN ALL THE DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS, SO WE’LL PUT SOME ROWS OF TESTING GENETICS IN THE FIELD, IN LIGHT DEP IN THE SPRING AND THEN ALSO FULL TERM IN A GREENHOUSE.”
MEMBER BERRIES
THERE ARE SO MANY SELECTIONS WORTH TALKING ABOUT, BUT FOR THIS HARVEST ISSUE, WE’LL DETAIL JUST A FEW FARM FAVORITES:
Quantum Fields #21 is a cross of Quantum Kush and Wedding Cake. An in-house varietal complete with gorgeous green buds and a sweetened pinewood and fruit profile, this flower has bright notes reminiscent of bubble gum and strawberries.
Another standout, Member Berries (Skunkberry x Mandarin Sunset), bred by Ethos Genetics, is a vigorous plant characterized by baseball-batsized colas with bright lime green buds. The flower has a succulent grape and berry smell similar to Welch’s grape juice mixed with fresh blueberries. It’s a scent that leaves the mouth watering for a taste.
Per Christian Sanford, sales manager for the farm, the strain “sells out quickly in stores and keeps customers coming back for more.”
Some other standout selections from the visit include Sour Papaya, Orange Dog Wash, Stargate, J1, Saffron, Peach Marshmallow, Sherbanger and even Blue Dream. Of particular note, a large portion of Ebb & Flow’s genetic library is made up of inhouse cultivars bred on site by Denney.
Sun Lounger, a cross of P85 and Huckleberry by Annunaki Genetics, is a cultivar remarkable for some of the starkest, purplest buds in the entire lineup. Composed of a citrus orange expression with hints of chocolate and mixed berries, it’s a distinct and fragrant scent.
“I’m definitely looking for terpenes, No. 1,” Denney said. “I try to bring out certain features and combine profiles for more diversity.”
Denney started breeding Cannabis for Ebb & Flow more deliberately around six years ago, and she has worked through an astronomical amount of strains and phenotypes since then.
“We test things in all the different environments, so we’ll put some rows of testing genetics in the field, in light dep in the spring and then also full term in a greenhouse,” she said.
There is intention and effort put into breeding for qualities like resilience and phenotypic stability, and the goal is to eventually release clone varieties and feminized seeds to the public.
Another area Ebb & Flow has expanded upon in the last few years is partnering with processors to bring a wider range of products to market. By working with companies like Entourage, Kalya and Nimble, the farm has co-branded an array of rosin, vaporizers and prerolls. This year, 25% of the total crop will be used to make hash rosin, marking a significant portion of their harvest dedicated to collaborations. With outdoor space and a number of greenhouse beds dedicated specifically to growing flower for fresh frozen inputs, the crew is hoping to produce some of the best extracts possible.
So how does a farm with only nine employees — including seasonal and part-time workers — do so much so effectively?
“We don’t compromise on quality,” Parscal said. “We’ve built an amazing team who share the same values and ethics. Lots of gratitude for each of them and what they contribute to our business. We couldn’t do it without them.”
EBBANDFLOWFARM.COM @EBBANDFLOWFARM
CHERRY HINDU KUSH
SIZING UP THE SEASON
QUANTUM FIELDS
PHENO HUNT
WINNER
She’s My Cherry Pie
RUNNER-UP Forbidden Fruit
GrapeGod
Single Source
Hash Rosin and Vape Pens
Location: Jacksonville
Signature Strains: Biscotti Chunks, Grape Guava
Farm Size:
4,000 outdoor plants, 3,000 greenhouse plants
Employees: 60 company-wide
treasure valley cannabis company
Treasure Valley Cannabis Company is based in Oregon with a dispensary located in Ontario, as well as several growing and processing spaces around the state.
Launched in October 2020 by owner/operator Jeremy Archie, the business has expanded tremendously over time, advancing from a single retail outlet to a vertically integrated powerhouse of an operation that employs over 60 individuals between the shop and various farm and lab locations.
TREASURE VALLEY’S FARMS encompass over 100,000 square feet of combined greenhouse space as well as four separate outdoor gardens specifically geared toward generating fresh frozen flower for solventless processing. The Leaf team visited one of Treasure Valley’s locations: a farm with 4,000 outdoor plants and 3,000 more in greenhouses in Jacksonville.
“This location has been a perfect setting for the farm,” Archie pointed out. “Our state isn’t known for having (many) dry spots; they are only so big. But southern Oregon has been a utopia for sunshine and outdoor garden space.”
Walking among the fully flowered Cannabis plants and taking in the breathtaking sights and smells, utopia feels like a fitting descriptor.
Zach Matthews, cultivation manager, was midway through running a “wash test” when the tour started. For those unfamiliar, a wash test assesses the general viability of a cultivar for processing by agitating a small portion of flower (usually a few grams in smaller pieces) inside a container filled with ice water to see how many trichome heads will “dump” from the buds. Larger amounts of resin present at the bottom of the jar indicate that a strain will yield higher quantities of hash when put through solventless extraction.
“We are looking for strains that are going to wash,” Matthews explained. “We’re going to have everything from carts to rosin to sugars, all types of different stuff, but we’re focusing on creating high-quality solventless options for the market.” >>CONTINUES
treasure valley cannabis company
“I’M TRYING TO BRING THINGS TO THE MARKET THAT NOT EVERYONE ELSE HAS. I WOULD SAY THAT WE’RE BLESSED WITH BOTH CUTS FROM CLOSE FRIENDS AND STUFF THAT WE HAVE HUNTED AND FOUND ON OUR OWN.”
WHEN IT COMES TO STRAIN SELECTION FOR THE GARDEN, TREASURE VALLEY AIMS FOR UNIQUENESS OF EXPRESSION, CONSUMER TRENDS AND OVERALL FEASIBILITY FOR SOLVENTLESS PROCESSING. “We are actively working on expanding the amount of plants that yield higher for hash currently,” Archie explained.
“I’m trying to bring things to the market that not everyone else has. I would say that we’re blessed with both cuts from close friends and stuff that we have hunted and found on our own.”
One such strain, Biscotti Chunks, is a cross of Biscotti and Fatso bred by Cannarado Genetics. Featuring a profile best described as candied funk, the fully flowered plant exudes tones of freshly baked dough and pastries coupled with an herbaceous aura of garlic-tinged raunch.
Grape Guava (Grape Tallymon x Strawberry Guava) by Bloom Seed Co. is another such cultivar. Characterized by a borderline obnoxious scent of freshly squeezed white
grapes and succulent mixed berries, the strain has turned out to be a hefty hash yielder for the farm.
Coming in at a whopping 7% return post-harvest (from wet flower weight to hash weight), the plant is considered top tier in terms of hash production. Other standout genetics seen on the tour included Honey Banana, two different phenos of Tallymon, Papaya OZ Melon, Hashburger, Madd Fruit, Rainbow Beltz x Sour Diesel, Sour Papaya, Chem De La Sour, and Red Smoothie — and that’s not even encapsulating half of the lineup.
By working seeds from stock to find farm-exclusive phenos and sourcing specific cuts that meet flavor or production criteria, the company has curated a diverse lineup of cultivars for its future menu.
In terms of growing practices, Treasure Valley utilizes a blended style of cultivation consisting of organic supplements, native soil and some bulk base nutrients
with a minor amount of top dressing and organic foliar sprays for maintenance. They find this method promotes some of the best parts of organic horticulture, like cleanliness of smoke and natural flavor, while pro viding the yield and workflow advantages that can come from synthetic or hybridized programs. It’s important to note that plants are only harvested for concentrate pro duction based on trichome maturity and color, so the crew meticulously reviews each strain with a microscope as harvest time approaches.
“All I want is to be able to work smart er and continue to build on this time and experience in space,” Archie noted. “We are more focused, structured and scheduled than ever before, all while keeping quality over quantity in mind.”
At the end of the day, Treasure Valley Cannabis Company is one of the largest dispensaries in the state in terms of sales, so it’s no surprise to see the intention and volume of work that goes into creating its in-house products.
For consumers looking for a pirate-sized bounty of quality Cannabis products, X marks the spot on Treasure Valley.
GRAPE GUAVA #6
MADD FRUIT
buddies
Buddies Brand is a multijurisdictional titan of a Cannabis company that operates in five different states. Starting with Oregon in 2016, the organization cemented itself locally before expanding across state lines into California, Washington, and soon, Nevada, Arizona, and New York. The biggest goal throughout the growth process is to bring the same quality and consistency in output to every market.
“WE LIKE TO CREATE THE SAME BIG MAC IN EVERY STATE,” LAB MANAGER JORGE FUENTES EXPLAINED.
“We like to have the same operating procedures, the same processors … We want everyone to get the same product in every state.”
Considering that the company carries over 200 distinct items between all of the categories it produces, including vaporizers, edibles, dabs, topicals and more, consistency can seem like a daunting milestone. It seems, however, that Buddies is up to the task.
Just looking at the sheer amount of awards they hold between various competitions — like the High Times Cannabis Cup, the Oregon Growers Cup and Leaf Magazines’ Leaf Bowls — it’s clear that there’s something to the formula.
So how do they create that reliability in each drop? It all starts in the grow.
Buddies manages 13 different farms with a combined 520,000 square feet of canopy in Oregon. Their garden in Gold Hill alone holds a massive 22,000 square feet of outdoor cultivation space. As described, if you stacked each row of plants at this location back to back in a straight line, it would go for over 27 miles. At that volume, it takes an incredible amount of organization and management to stay on top of things.
The farm gets genetics ready early in January and has plants out in the field by April. Starting with the native soil of Sam’s Valley, the crew at Buddies runs tests in every garden yearly to help determine what amendments or supports are needed. Depending on the levels of nutrients present, the approach can be varied relative to each space.
>>CONTINUES
JOMO
Location: White City/Gold Hill Signature Strains: Grandaddy Purp, Jomo Farm Size: 13 different farms; 520,000 square feet of canopy in Oregon. Gold Hill location is 22,000 square feet of outdoor cultivation space.
WINNERS
“THE
FOR SELECTION, the team at Buddies typically judges a strain based on percentage yielded in extraction, plant resilience and overall ease of growth and clonability. When growing for extraction, features like visual appeal and THC percentage are much less important. The farm runs a tight stable of 47 varieties, including old-school cuts like Grand Daddy Purp and Double Urkle, CBD flower like Pennywise and Remedy and newer cultivars like Blue Snowcone and Jomo (a cross of GMO and Sugarshack from Oregon-based breeder Shwale of Farmhouse Studio).
When operating at Buddies’ size and scale, harvesting so many plants at once is an almost insurmountable process. The crew prepares by clearing their drying space out, organizing the lab and having freezer trucks ready to ensure that the flower is put on ice immediately after getting cut.
“We pull a truck in, unload, process, then get it in the freezer as quickly as we can to preserve the terpenes because that’s the goal, right?” general manager Jake Burkman explained.
“Hydrocarbon extraction is a little bit more forgiving on terpenes,” Fuentes noted. When the flower doesn’t have terpenes that are considered worth preserving, it is instead dried and then processed via ethanol extraction to create distillate. The product goes through two rounds of filtration utilizing different micron sizes to catch all particulates and then winterization to separate fats and lipids. The final result is crystal clear distillate.
“Save those terpenes, save the flavor,” he said. Secondary to harvest, terpene-rich material is fresh frozen and put through a hydrocarbon extraction process.
To run an operation of this scale, the utmost care in cleanliness and quality control is needed. The lab and everything from gramming to packaging is kept as sterile as possible, with quality control processes taking place at every step along the way and again before products leave the facility. There’s a noticeable drive among the team to improve processes every run.
“I feel like every time we do it, we can find something we can do better and revamp. We sit down after harvest and say, ‘Hey, how can we get better, how can we make this more efficient?’” Jeremy Brown, assistant general manager, explained. With a secret sauce that includes organization, consistency and a drive for pushing the bar up on each and every harvest, it appears that Buddies has built a recipe for enormous success.
GMO
DOUBLE URKLE
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES
TWO GRAM ALL-IN-ONE VAPE
WHALE OIL EXTRACTS
Whale Oil Extracts is a single-source hash processor with a 100-acre farm in Jacksonville. The definition of a mom and pop business, Jonah and Elena Miller fill the roles of co-owners and operators of the organization, with Jonah overseeing lab operations and Elena managing the farm.
JONAH MILLER’S STORIED HISTORY WITH EXTRACTION GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2009, when he lived in Whale Gulch, California, and made bubble hash. Despite producing everything related to Cannabis, from flower to BHO, he has a persistent passion and love for solventless processing. This last April served as a full-circle moment when Whale Oil Extracts dropped hash rosin on the Oregon recreational market for the first time. Since then, it has quickly become a favorite on dispensary shelves.
With an impressive record for competitions, the single sourcer earned multiple awards and accolades in the last year alone, ranging from a Dab Rite Invitational win to their sweeping of both the Rosin and Full-melt categories at this year’s Leaf Bowl. Whale Oil Extracts is no stranger to
tournament formats, as they’ve competed with medicinal Cannabis and earned placements at prestigious events, like Ego Clash and Melting of the Heads, as far back as 2021.
“We just try to make the absolute best batch of something we can. The process starts with looking at the buds, smelling them while they are on the plant and seeing what we like through the whole process,” Jonah Miller explained.
Jonah Miller’s personal preference is one of the biggest factors when it comes to strain selection.
“I’m pretty critical from doing all the competitions over the years,” he explained.
With a palate developed and honed for assessment, he knows when a flavor expression
will be a hit. But taste isn’t the only consideration; vigor in growth and viability for hash processing are also important variables, especially with the farm running just under 10,000 square feet of cultivation space. With size constraints and a crew of only three people outside of themselves, Jonah and Elena Miller have to work as smart as they do hard.
“I can come up and touch the plant with black gloves and usually see how it might wash,” Jonah Miller demonstrated.
“You see how there’s no heads on this one? It’s just lotiony. This one is probably not a washer.”
SHERB
TEAM SHOT
whale oil extracts
“WITH AN IMPRESSIVE RECORD FOR COMPETITIONS, THE SINGLE SOURCER EARNED MULTIPLE AWARDS AND ACCOLADES IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE.”
WHEN IT COMES TO SIGNATURE STRAINS FOR THE FARM, TROPAYA LIKELY TAKES THE CROWN, holding the most competitive wins and placements out of any individual cultivar in Whale Oil Extract’s lineup. A stunning cross of Tropicana Cookies and Papaya by Oni Seed Co., the flower exudes succulent orange and papaya fragrances with a candied aspect akin to Jolly Ranchers or Life Savers Gummies.
The Sherb, a cross of Girl Scout Cookies and Pink Panties bred by Sherbinski, comes in at a close second in terms of wins. Sweet and doughy with a bakery-fresh, pastry-esque profile that evokes notes of hot sugar and flour, the smell literally makes the mouth water. One of Whale Oil’s longest running selections, this one is considered a farm-favorite flavor.
Another cultivar worth highlighting is Strawguava, a delectable cross of
Strawnana and Papaya by Oni Seed Co. It leans into the strawberry side of its genetics significantly, featuring a creamy, fruit-forward scent that radiates off the plant.
Outside of some of the aforementioned heavy hitters, this year’s harvest includes plenty of Blockberry and Candy Rain along with some newer selections to Whale Oil Extracts, like Honey Banana, Tangie Cookie Burger, Starfruit, Gorilla Glue #4, Dulce Papaya and the affably named Disco Roses. Notably, intentional effort is put into pheno hunting each year with a goal of discovering more farm-specific cuts to add to their genetic library.
microorganisms, like lactobacillus, to enrich the soil, leading to a more robust living medium that Cannabis plants can thrive in.
Interestingly, some of the garden beds are actually hügelkultur beds, which are described as trenches dug out and and filled with layers of logs, compost and manure topped with soil.
Over the course of a few years, the materials decompose and release a large amount of carbon and natural nutrients into the soil.
In terms of growing practices, Whale Oil Extracts emphasizes using Master Han-Kyu Cho’s Korean Natural Farming method. It’s a low-tech, low-overhead strategy that employs fermented inputs, like fruit and fish juices as well as Oriental Herbal Nutrients. The process creates and habituates organic
“This year we planted between them, and the seeds have just crushed,” Jonah Miller stated.
Polyculture is noticeably present in every corner of the farm with the biodiversity supporting a healthier, self-regulating ecosystem, per Elena Miller.
“We have cosmos, marigold, fennel for pollinators,” she pointed out. “Zinnias for ladybugs, herbs for bad bugs.”
An environment absolutely teeming with life, ladybugs, mushrooms and plants of all kinds can be seen throughout the garden.
Considering everything that goes into the farm, the brand’s leviathan-level splash this year comes as no surprise. Each jar contains a Whale-sized amount of passion and love.
PLANT SUPERFOOD BLEND
CLONES
JOLLY BLUE RAZZ
DOLCE PAPAYA HONEY
BLOCKBERRY
QUALITY IN EQUALS QUALITY OUT
millerville
Millerville Farms is a family-owned agriculture business in the northern slope of the Siskiyou Mountains in Cave Junction. Helmed by Rhea and Matt Miller — second and third generation growers with decades of experience — Millerville produces a range of greenery, including tobacco, hops and, of course, Cannabis. The couple operates two farms with 40,000 square feet of outdoor canopy and 12,000 square feet of greenhouses. Employing only a handful of full-time employees, peaking at around a dozen during harvest season, the amount of work that Rhea and Matt put into cultivation is tremendous.
As a company, the farm joined the recreational market in 2016 and has produced organic, Clean Green Certified flower for public consumption ever since. With a history of growing for medicinal usage before 2016, Millerville Farms has provided caregiving for somewhere between 32 to 96 patients at any given time over the course of its operations.
“It’s not about cornering the market; it’s about having the availability for all the people that the plant actually is here to provide and serve,” Matt Miller noted.
With a genetic archive of over 200 strains collected throughout the years, Millerville runs around 30 to 40 different cultivars per season, with the longer finishing plants placed in greenhouses so they can reach full maturity before harvest.
“WE’RE SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT SUN-GROWN CANNABIS. BOTH OF US ARE BORN AND RAISED IN SOUTHERN OREGON,” RHEA MILLER EXPLAINED.
ELVIS WEDDING CRASHER
farms
Selection is an arduous process, but, per Matt Miller, most choices are kept around for their distinct expressions that translate to flavor and “hit right in the palate.”
The name Millerville is synonymous with the acclaimed strain Jaeger. A phenotype of Hindu Kush x Hindu Kush, the cultivar was created in-house. A beautiful plant with bold purple buds and a picturesque green-to-purple fade on the leaves, the flower has a fragrance that’s comparable to Jagermeister liquor, complete with rich notes of black licorice, anise and mixed spices.
One of the newest additions to the farm this season is Dirty Zkittles, a cross of Jaeger and Zazul that smells sublime. With an aroma that practically claws at the senses, the expression features layers of sweet and savory spice with underlying hints of licorice, pumpkin bread and caramelized sugar.
Another exciting selection is Purple Wreck, a cross of Purple Urkel and Trainwreck. Originally popped from a seed pack over 15 years ago, the genetic comes via Reserva Privada, a U.S.-based subsidiary of DNA Genetics. Consisting of a terpinolene-heavy profile, the flower reeks of pine and sage. >>CONTINUES NEXT PAGE
Location: Cave Junction
Signature Strains: Jaeger, Dirty Zkittles
Farm Size:
40,000 square feet of outdoor canopy and 12,000 square feet of greenhouses
Employees: ~12 during harvest
RHEA & MATT MILLER
JAGER
millerville farms
STANDOUT SELECTIONS INCLUDE ELVIS, APE CHEESE, PLANET MARSHMALLOW, CHAMPAGNE DIESEL, GOLDEN LEMONS, GOOFIEZ, PINEAPPLE JAEGER, LEMON KUSH, MAUI TRUE BLOOD AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP.
The assortment of profiles is as varied as it is storied, with some legacy strains, like Elvis and Ape Cheese, going back half a century. With a location near the East Fork Illinois River, the ground is rockier than natural dirt. So, Rhea Miller works on fluffing the soil and creating loamier growing media by sourcing natural resources over time.
“This is actually a bunch of topsoil from the Illinois River riverbed out of Sauer’s Flat. And then we source local inputs, like cleaning out people’s barns, doing a bunch of natural compost. We get kelp and fish meal from Crescent City,” she stated. “Keeping inputs local is a winning factor for all the organic flavor.”
Rhea Miller utilizes EM1 microbial inoculant and fungi, including Trichoderma, to promote growth and help balance bacteria in the living soil. Using more beneficial microorganisms reduces the likelihood of foreign pathogens or diseases that can harm the plants.
In an effort to keep things as regenerative and native as possible, even the composted manure is derived from nearby organic dairy farms.
“It’s about having more good guys than bad guys at the party,” she explained. “We want that in the media, so we are complementing it. It’s like boosting the immune system.”
The proof is in the flower, resulting in a clean, flavorful smoke that’s smooth on the lungs.
Matt Miller works as a wildland firefighter during late summer and early fall each year. Given the annual threats of fire across the state, it’s a heroic side mission and a sacrifice in many ways.
“It’s a juggle being a sun-grown farm, with that being a seasonal process and then the seasonality of fires overlapping that. It’s definitely go time when it comes to summer for us. (In 2024,) Matt was gone until Oct. 20,” Rhea Miller noted.
Despite the challenges in running things without him during those instances, this isn’t her first rodeo.
“Rhea runs the whole farm. She’s the brains and heart, bro,” Matt Miller stated with a beaming smile.
Between the medical caregiving, the firefighting and the methods they use to grow, it’s very apparent that the Millers care about their community and the surrounding environment.
With a passion and dedication that shines through in every facet of their work, Millerville Farms continues to set the standard for southern Oregon Cannabis cultivators.
MAUI TRUE BLOOD
APE CHEESE
ANIMAL SHERBZERBERT
LEMON KUSH
fresh off the farm
ROGUE RIVER
CP3 is a “bushy indica with dense buds and bright orange hairs that finishes early October.” It features an “old-school skunky nose with heavy caryophyllene terps and a touch of limonene and humulene.”
CULTIVAR: CP3 (AKA CHEESE PIE 3)
LINEAGE: BLUE CHEESE X CHERRY PIE
BREEDER: ANTHONY OTT & TRUECARE FARMS
GROW METHOD: ORGANIC SUN-GROWN
TEAM SIZE: SEVEN
FARM SIZE: 10 ACRES
TRUECAREFARMS.COM @TRUECAREFARMS
CHERRIES AND BANANAS
Cherries and Bananas is a “late finisher with a very large, dense bush structure. Powerful terpene expression with strong gas aroma, deep blue-purple coloration and exceptionally high frost coverage.”
CULTIVAR: CHERRIES AND BANANAS
LINEAGE: TROPICANA CHERRIES X BANANA CAKE
BREEDER: GROWN ROGUE
GROW METHOD: RAISED BEDS
TEAM SIZE: EIGHT
FARM SIZE: 8 ACRES
GROWNROGUE.COM
@GROWNROGUE
GRANTS PASS
LEFT COAST STANDARD
LUNCH MONEY #50
Lunch Money #50 “is a dense, blinged-out funk machine. Bad breath, motor oil, foul meaty grease describe the nose on her.”
CULTIVAR: LUNCH MONEY #50
LINEAGE: GARLIC ICING X MEATBREATH BREEDER: COLLABORATION BETWEEN DYNASTY MEDS AND FRESHCOAST GENETICS (PHENO HUNTED FROM MICROBE BROS)
GROW METHOD: LIVING-SOIL, ORGANIC AMENDMENTS, MICROBES, WATER AND SUN
TEAM SIZE: FIVE TO SEVEN CREW MEMBERS ON AVERAGE (IN ADDITION TO THE HEAD GROWER)
FARM SIZE: TIER II SUN-GROWN LICENSE WITH “ROUGHLY 2,000 PLANTS EACH SEASON OVER THE SPACE OF AN ACRE OF CANOPY.”
