Clean Green Certification™ & Sustainable Growing, by HiFi Farms Director of Operations Richard Vinal
HiFi Farms was built on the foundational principles of Craft, Quality, Community, and Sustainability. In working to achieve true sustainability, Hifi Farms cultivates cannabis using practices and methodologies that are environmentally friendly which ultimately help us grow the best product in Oregon. One important step for us in that effort toward sustainability is our commitment to the Clean Green Certification.What is Clean Green Certification?Clean Green Certification is the number one certifier nationwide for cannabis cultivated using natural, organically-based and biodynamic practices. Legally, cannabis cannot be called organic — no matter how environmentally friendly the cultivation practices used to grow it — because the term is federally regulated and the USDA does not recognize cannabis as a legitimate agricultural crop. The Clean Green Certified program was created in 2004 as a way to regulate legal cannabis — products that called themselves "organic." Consumers can rest assured when they buy a Clean Green Certified cannabis product that it has met all of the requirements of the rigorous program.
Modeled on national and international sustainability, organic and biodynamic program standards, the Clean Green program requires on-site inspections and third party lab testing. Much like third party certifications for traditional agricultural products, the whole life cycle of the plant is considered, from seed selection to harvesting and processing. In addition, soil, nutrients, pesticide use, mold treatment and dust control are analyzed. Clean Green Certified goes even further than the USDA Organic, requiring every operator to undergo annual pesticide testing. Additionally, each cannabis operation must put into place a carbon footprint reduction plan, water conservation measures and fair labor practices.
Why Should I Get Certified?There are many good reasons for cannabis growers to get a form of certification, whether that be Clean Green or another, because it functions as a spotlight, illuminating cultivation inputs and methodologies, and draws attention to the cultivators that are using the best practices to grow these extraordinary plants. No single certification is going to perfectly capture all of the great things a grower does. But opening your doors to a third party entity with complete transparency is a great way to build confidence from your consumers and ensure the efficacy of your methods.
Growing organically may appear more burdensome in the beginning, but it is actually less expensive in the long run — all while producing a richer, more quality flower. It’s been said that, "It is the laziest man who works the hardest." This is definitely applicable to the world of organic growing. With a little research and preparation, you can grow with soil that feeds and protects itself, while nurturing a vibrant ecosystem that is teeming with microbial life — a stark contrast to the "dead" soil environment that accompanies a salt-based nutrient regiment.
Why Should I Buy Clean Green Certified Cannabis?Your money is your vote. In using one's hard-earned dollar to support a certified grower, one is casting a vote for cultivation that is transparent, responsible and conscious.
As the industry evolves, we have the opportunity for a new class of producer — more environmentally minded and aware — to create and begin a new path focused on more socially responsible practices. As the old saying goes, "you are what you eat."
You are what you smoke as well.
Cannabis consumers have a choice of what they purchase, put into their bodies, and which farms they choose to support. Certifications such as Clean Green provide them with the tools they need to better make these important decisions.
-Richard Vinal Director of Operations Hifi Farms
