Farming Practices

Artizen™ Brand – Farming Practices

Artizen cultivators strive to use sustainable and organic farming practices whenever possible. We, the folks behind the Artizen brand, can appreciate that because we too have been growers most of our lives; so, we know a thing or two about cannabis. Especially how to grow with mindfulness, integrity, and organic products.

Our cultivation partners cannot legally say they are organic; hardly anyone can. Only “Certified Organic” farms approved by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) can legally use the word “organic.” WSDA does not recognized coco-coir as a primary growing medium and only allows it if there is documented iron deficiency. Cultivators growing Artizen™ branded products use coco-coir, harvested from the husks of coconuts, as their primary growing medium regardless of iron levels. The use of coco-coir acts as a blank slate allowing them to adjust the exact level of nutrients the plants get. This means they can get optimal growth and quality flower yields.

For now, our products are as close to “organic” as you can get without the certification. Cultivators licensing the Artizen™ practice “organic growing methods,” and use only safe, ethical, and legal products on all our crop production.

Allen Wrench

Perennial daisy plant, tanacetum cineariaefolium

What is a pesticide?

The Environmental Protection Agency defines pesticide as:

“…any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest; and, any substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant (drying agent).”

This list sounds like some technical jargon, but the simple take-home message is that the term “pesticide” is an umbrella term for thousands of materials, some totally natural like household soap or rosemary oil.

So yes, the homemade mixture your Great Aunt Eda likes to spray on her prize tomatoes, made up of crushed up garlic, cayenne pepper flakes, and vegetable oil, is most definitely and technically a pesticide. By definition, “pesticide” sounds scary at first, but educating yourself on what they really are used for in “organic growing methods” you will find that most are not scary at all. According to an article from Integrated
Pest Management
from the University of Missouri, Pyrethrum was first used over 2000 years ago during the Chinese Chou Dynasty. Pyrethrum oil from the perennial Daisy plant, Tanacetum cineariaefolium, was used to control lice, aphid, mites, and other pests.

What does it mean to be “pesticide-free?”

Pesticide-free has been seen across many brands in the cannabis industry, especially in the last couple of years, so we asked, “What does this term mean exactly?” The idea is that no pesticides were used during production. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the claim means that no pesticides residue would be present at consumption. The FDA does not require that the crops be produced without the use of pesticides at all during their life cycle. There is no certification or test required for these brands to make claims to be “pesticide-free.” What we found out is that the term “pesticide-free” has no governing agency to support or deny the claim that no pesticides were used during the entire life cycle of a plant. Without a regulatory definition, anyone can throw the term “pesticide-free” on their label if they believe that there would be no pesticide residue present. It is left up to interpretation whether the brand used any pesticides at any point during production, cultivation, processing, or storage of the product.

Artizen Crop Protection Products Guide

We want to make sure that all Artizen™ branded products are packaged and labeled with full transparency and not hide behind a “pesticide-free” label. All the products our cultivation partners use are approved by the Washington State Department of Agriculture for use on cannabis. Only safe, ethical, and used-as-needed products are used—ever.

OMRI: Organic Materials Review Institute

Soap:

Safer Spray

Safer Spray is an OMRI listed (Organic Materials Review Institute) certified for use on organic crops. This product consists of Potassium Salt of Fatty Acids, a soap salt made from plants and the
natural element sulfur. This spray acts as a contact killer for pests.

Natural Oils:

Tritek

Tritek is an OMRI listed horticultural oil certified for use on organic crops. Horticultural oil is another ancient and simple pest deterrent used in agriculture.

Pyganic

Pyganic is an OMRI listed pyrethrum certified for use in organic production. Pyganic is derived from natural chrysanthemum flowers, has no petroleum distillates, and is used to knockdown common garden
pests.

Ecotec

Ecotec is an OMRI listed pest repellant certified for used on organic crops. It utilizes a blend of natural botanical oils such as rosemary and peppermint.

Biologicals:

Venerate

Venerate is an OMRI listed product made from heat-killed Burkholderia, a natural and beneficial insect friendly microbe.

Growing Media:

Coir

Coir, or coconut fiber, is a natural fiber extracted from coconut husks. Coir is a hyper-renewable resource. One healthy coconut tree produces up to one batch per month of coir!

Clonex

Clonex Rooting Gel (IBA) is a safe root growth enhancer used to protect the cut ends of fresh cuttings to promote healthy root development.