Episode 3: Bringing Fresh Greens into Detroit with Vertical Farming

Summary:

Meg Burritt is the Leader of Business Development and Kai Misner is the Leader of Hydroponic Technology at Planted Detroit, a beyond-organic farm that grows nutrient-packed greens and micros in a sustainable & controlled environment. Today, Meg and Kai join the show to discuss the vertical farming industry, food supply chain, and Planted Detroit’s mission to make farming more efficient so communities can source fresh produce locally, on a year-round basis. They detail the journey from seed to sale, share how they are fostering a compelling culture, and elaborate on the importance of biosecurity.

Key Takeaways

00:33 – Michael introduces today’s guests, Meg Burritt and Kai Misner who join the show to share the vision of Planted Detroit and the opportunities they see in the vertical farming industry

08:17 – Meg and Kai speculate on the future of Planted Detroit

12:54 – The journey from seed to sale

19:07 – Building and fostering a great team and a compelling culture

25:33 – Kaizen & Toyota

29:56 – The typical food supply chain system, explained

34:28 – Working with white tablecloth restaurants and ‘community fridges’

37:48 – Meg and Kai elaborate on their biosecurity infrastructure and practices and how they sourcing and validate their seeds

49:40 – Meg and Kai break down what goes into their salads

53:17 – Michael thanks Meg and Kai for joining the show and lets listeners know where can learn more about Planted Detroit

Shareable Quotes

“We love this city and we want to be able to continue to contribute this sort of new technology as well as great jobs and good food for local markets. And then the goal is just to grow beyond that. Our founder Tom’s vision is to feed the world and absolutely views what we’re doing as
additive to the food system.” (08:55) (Meg)

“I think there was a lot to learn there as far as what are the requirements in the controlled
environment. So, I think there were some benefits that we got as far as economy and capital
investing initially, but also have some challenges around controlling the climate in the hottest parts
of the year.” (15:33) (Kai)

“It’s really fascinating to see the quality and the flavor of food in California. And then, as you progressively go East, the decline is significant, especially with leafy greens.”
(32:05) (Kai)

“We just are forever that Kaizen approach of how can we be more and more safe, both for our
employees and our customers, but also for our company.”
(40:21) (Meg)

“Like most growers, we have had to source seeds from a lot of different people and kind of suss
out which seed providers are really giving us the best quality seed, the cleanest seed. So, to
kind of bridge the gap between seed and security, we do require good manufacturing and good agricultural practices from our seed providers.”
(41:44) (Kai)

“And from a sustainability perspective, it’s not just about that head of lettuce and how much
pesticide it has on it, but how much is being absorbed into the soil and integrated into the
ecosystem. And that impact may be a net negative.”
(48:28) (Meg)

Resources

Planted Detroit – https://planteddetroit.com/

Planted Detroit Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/planted.detroit

Planted Detroit Twitter – https://twitter.com/planteddetroit

Planted Detroit Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/planted.detroit/

Planted Detroit LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/planted-detroit/

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Episode 2: Craft Cannabis and Audio Terps with the Founders of Indico Colorado

October 26, 2022

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Episode 2: Craft Cannabis and Audio Terps with the Founders of Indico Colorado

Summary:

Owners of Indico, Josh Foley and Owen Miller are known as some of the best craft cannabis growers in Colorado. Their old-school approach to cultivation allows them to give every plant the close attention it needs, and has resulted in them producing top-shelf cannabis that features potent aromas and flavors. Today, they join the show to discuss their grow process, the critical role that music plays in their operation, and the inspiration behind some of the strains they have cultivated, including their award-winning Mandarin Sunset flower.

Key Takeaways

00:01 – Michael welcomes to the show Josh Foley & Owen Miller who share the incredible origin story of their company, Indico
05:53 – How Josh and Owen first met and connected
09:26 – Bumps in the road along the entrepreneurial journey
15:51 – Buying trends among consumers in the marketplace
18:44 – Marijuana and music
23:28 – Advice Josh and Owen would give to traditional growers
31:42 – The inspiration behind some of the strains Josh and Owen have cultivated
36:03 – Washing and solventless hash production explained
37:20 – Josh and Owen speak to their partnership with Dialed In Gummies
44:06 – Where listeners can find products by Indico and how the cannabis market has shifted
51:41 – Josh and Owen speculate on what the future holds for Indico
56:16 – Michael thanks Josh and Owen for joining the show

Shareable Quotes

“When people see that first plant that’s just perfectly formed, it’s awe-inspiring and it gets them hooked like that.” (11:41)
“What’s better than getting super blazed on your favorite strain and listening to your favorite music? It goes hand in hand.” (18:44)
“The one thing that is blatantly apparent is that the plants are living things, and the mood and the environment around the plants affects the plant growth itself. And so, by playing music, we’re trying to create this positive energy and vibe in the garden that then translates to the plants being happier.” (20:27)
“It’s probably the number one thing that we’ve noticed that growers overlook when we go into their facilities is that a lot of times their rooms are just way too dry to start out and the plants are not flourishing.” (28:12)
“Well, it basically comes down to one of two different types of cultivators. You’re either cultivating for high-end flower, or you’re cultivating for extraction.” (49:19)

Resources

Indico Colorado – https://indicocolorado.com/ (https://indicocolorado.com/)
Dialed In Gummies – https://www.dialedingummies.com/ (https://www.dialedingummies.com/)
Indico Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/indicocoloradoinc/ (https://www.instagram.com/indicocoloradoinc/)
Josh’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jfoley0711/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/jfoley0711/) Show LinksPipp Horticulture Website - https://pipphorticulture.com/ Pipp Horticulture YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4nNnNCiwS5k5GX7BaXIrbA Pipp Horticulture - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pipphorticulture Pipp Horticulture Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pipphorticulture/ Pipp Horticulture LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/18333737/ Pipp Horticulture Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/pipphorticulture/
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy https://www.instagram.com/mayflowerfarms/

Sirona Cultivated – https://sironacultivated.com/

The Perfect Elevation – https://www.theperfectelevation.com/

The Perfect Elevation Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/summit_theperfectelevation/

Dozuki – https://www.dozuki.com/

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Episode 1: Converting Single-Tier Legacy Cannabis Cultivation to a State-of-the-Art Multi-Tier Operation with Daniel Craveiro

October 4, 2022

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Episode 1: Converting Single-Tier Legacy Cannabis Cultivation to a State-of-the-Art Multi-Tier Operation with Daniel Craveiro

About Daniel:

Daniel Craveiro entered the regulated Cannabis industry in 2009 while pursuing a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Since 2009, Daniel has had ample experience in Cultivation and Manufacturing facility design and build, equipment and methodology selection and implementation and facility commissioning and training. He has contributed to the design and build of multiple ground-up and retrofit facilities across multiple states including Colorado, Michigan and California. Daniel has contributed to the development of the DAGDA Fertigation System, which is a state-of-the-art suite of automated plant irrigation solutions for cultivators that uses real-time plant data to make irrigation decisions. This system allows cultivators to make data-driven decisions that contribute to consistent, reproducible crop outcomes. Daniel has also conducted research in the field of Cannabis plant sciences and manufacturing techniques and has collaborated on research with prominent companies and institutions in the field of Cannabis sciences and product development. Daniel has been a part of award-winning teams, including being a recipient of awards from High Times magazine, the THC Classic Cup and The 710 Showdown.

Key Takeaways

00:01 – Daniel joins the show to share his origin story, cannabis cultivation, and transdermal patches

06:36 – Revolutionizing the world of cannabis sales

08:29 – Multi-State Operators (MSO), explained

13:00 – Fertigation systems

18:59 – Daniel describes some of the infrastructure he has in place at Mayflower Farms

22:38 – The difference between solventless and solvent-based extracts

31:02 – Transitioning from traditional cultivation methods to multi-tiered setups

34:50 – Daniel speaks to some of the innovations they are working on at Mayflower Farms

42:05 – Initiatives to be environmentally friendly and to continuously improve

45:07 – Tips for building a great culture

46:39 – Advice Daniel would give to those considering shifting from single to multi-tier

48:52 – Michael thanks Daniel for joining the show

Shareable Quotes

“We don’t see this being an industry that has a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, which is the perception that a lot of people have. Our perception of the industry is that it’s just like any other, but we have an opportunity to be in it a bit ahead and a bit early.” (09:24)

“We looked at the existing fertigation systems that were in the market and we saw some of the deficits they had in terms of being applicable to cannabis specifically. So, we decided to jump full on into that endeavor. What we’ve done since is basically develop a set of systems for fertilizer mixing, fertilizer delivery to the plant - so irrigation - and then also substrate monitoring.” (14:56)

“It’s very unique how you find these groups or families of strains that share characteristics…I think there’s a very big world of complements that can occur in cannabis that people aren’t exploring as much. And we’re curious about it so we’re playing around with it.” (30:35)

“One of the biggest challenges in cannabis right now is accounting. It’s a very complex business to do this and there’s a lot of different components to it. A lot of growers actually don’t know how much it costs them to grow a pound of product.” (40:55)

“We try to adopt the concept of continuous improvement in our company. You could say it’s a cliche thing, but when you get it into the heads of every team member out there and you walk the floor, you notice that people are looking around for ways to make their lives better.” (43:39)