GENETICALLY VERIFIED SEEDS:

It all began with our early days at Old Orchard Farm, our Naturally-Grown Certified produce farm located in the Animas River Valley. When you set out to be agrarians with a handful of your best friends in your early 20’s, you ask yourselves how are we different? Our passion began in the soil, and we carried our desire to learn into the academic realm of agriculture studying soil science at CSU. In our early years we grew our cannabis symbiotically alongside 60+ variations of vegetables. It was important for us to learn the relationship between growing both organisms side by side. Once we began growing our own food we realized all the labels such as “organic” or “naturally grown” are inherently marketing terms. We believe there is simply a “right” and “wrong” way to grow.

Our use of heirloom seeds for our produce only reaffirmed our choice for reputable cannabis genetics as the path we wanted to take. Cannabis is the most genetically diverse plant in the world, and the most hybridized. This means that most of what you see in the North American market is so diffused from its origins, that a strain might the mark for your intended and sought after experience. At Durango Cannabis Company we employ our, “Formalized Strain Selection Process” to ensure this doesn't happen. This systematic procedure allows us to apply around twenty criteria that help us determine which cannabis genetics should be sourced. This vetting process is the result of years of trial and error in growing. Our lessons have allowed to us to create relationships with reputable breeders around the world, and continue to explore the globe for rare cannabis genetics.

Reputable genetics are out there, but where does the verified portion come into play? That’s where our great friends at Phylos BioScience come to our aid. Once we have vetted a genetic we then acquire plant tissue samples from our young vegetative plants and send them into Phylos for genetic mapping. Upon test completion we receive a digital genetic report that gives us a comprehensive profile of that tissue, including closest relatives, clonal relationships, a uniqueness score, population origin, variation and distant cultivars. This data allows us to verify that the seeds acquired from our reputable breeders are in fact what they were sold as, while also providing an additional level of credibility and protection to said breeders. Why is this so important? We believe in the medicinal power of cannabis, and understand the value of consistent medicine. When a veteran travels to Colorado in search of strain to help with his/her PTSD, they shouldn’t have to question if the medicine they purchased was falsely re-named. Growing cannabis begins with genetic integrity. Put trust in growers that verify their strains, it allows for the safest, most consistent and predictable cannabis experience.

100% LIVE SOIL:

Our roots began their growth in the Animas River Valley nearly a decade ago. We are true green thumbs here at Durango Cannabis Company. We are elevating the tradition of agriculture by applying our craft in an ultra-efficient, state-of-the-art facility. We spent years toiling in the soil from dawn to dusk in every weather condition imaginable, and we took our lessons from the fields and applied them to our company in the most pure form. Just as it is important to select reputable genetics, we believe you must start with high-quality organic live soil. Many commercial grows have begun to employ hydroponic systems to eliminate soil purchases and increase utility of their businesses. As farmers we simply believe that replicating the natural environment in which we found cannabis growing is the first step. We value the natural nutrients and biosphere that live soil creates for cannabis. Our nightstands often have a soil science books among the pile of nightly reads. We truly care about the plant from the soil on up. After a plant has completed it’s grow cycle, we re-use our soil in cooperation with local farmers. We are able to create solid business relationships with our friends around us which is why we are able to run an efficient recycling soil program.

NATURAL NUTRIENTS AND ZERO PESTICIDES:  

Our plants receive a hand-tailored nutrient blend that Owner Nic Borst and Master Grower Billy Miller honed and refined over years of R&D. The long days at the farm built the values of our grow process; all natural, all the way, all the time. Though the cannabis industry is not regulated by the FDA, we treat cannabis as a consumable, ensuring there are no harmful synthetic PGR’s used in our grow process. We value your health over artificially increased yields and potencies, and urge fellow growers in the state to adhere to the same principals.

The delivery of our nutrient blend is a perfect example of how automation has been applied to the cannabis industry. Compared to traditionally hand mixed and hand measured nutrient delivery, we employ the Dosatron system. Dosatron allows for accurate measurements and blending of our nutrients. This maximizes our efficiency in both waste management and manpower. Our Dosatron adjusts the pH of our recycled water, then incrementally adds our nutrients, and delivers our nutrients to our plants through a drip-line. Our growers can now spend more of their time directly analyzing the needs of the plant, rather than watering for half their day. Control is key in cannabis cultivation and Dosatron allows for the most control we have found yet!

TRADITION AND TECHNOLOGY:

There is a strong sense of tradition when you talk to cannabis growers in Durango. There has been a cannabis culture here long before the days of legalization, and it continues to thrive with the presence of licensed growers. We believe in elevating the tradition of growing cannabis through the use of efficient and sustainable technologies. We built our 8,000 sq ft facility from the ground up in Durango, Colorado for a reason. The floorplan of this facility was specifically designed for growing cannabis, unlike the vast majority of modified indoor grows throughout the state of Colorado. This means our facility is clean and controlled from day one, eliminating worries like mold in the walls or having too short of ceilings.

To properly heat and cool this facility, we turned to the engineers at Surna. Surna provides a cultivation environment of unmatched expertise, with application-specific climate control. As a result we adjust the environment in accordance with a strains needs and thus produce greater yields, terpene production, cannabinoid development, and ultimately greater energy efficiency. So, how is Surna different than traditional HVAC? Surna helped us create a closed-loop chiller system in our facility which included but in dehumidification that is 30% more efficient than traditional HVAC systems, and systematically controls both temperature and humidity. Not only do we capitalize on plant humidity to cool our facility, we recycle 99% of our water and feed it directly back into our Dosatron system. The reclaimed condensate comes out pure and has effectively cut our water bill by 90% every month.

We currently run our 1000watt HPS lights in off-peak hours to offset our impact on the local power-grid. We specifically placed and designed our building to capture solar energy, and plan on starting this phase of construction in 2018. It is our duty to implement the most responsible and efficient technologies in the cannabis industry, and we strive to stay one step ahead of the curve to continue to bring the community mountain grown cannabis.

GLASS CURED:

Curing is an essential step often overlooked or rushed in the cannabis industry. Common practices have turned away from traditional glass curing methods and replaced it with 5 gallon plastics buckets. In order to keep up with demand, bud is often pulled early in its cure and results in a harsher smoke. The goal of curing is to allow chlorophyll and sugars to break down in an effort to heighten aroma, flavor and potency of a dried flower. At Durango Cannabis Company we've kept true to our roots by curing in glass, and we only release our cannabis to the market at the peak of its cure. It is equally important to replicate a clean and consistent environment in our drying and curing room, just as we do in each of our individual grow rooms. The combination of a clean controlled environment, glass curing containers, and patience create the smoothest smoke you will ever experience.