Sustainable cannabis is growing in popularity among consumers as the public becomes educated on the environmental effects of old and wasteful farming methods. The same can be said about organic cultivation methods, though there isn't a recognized state-wide organic certification for cannabis at this time. Since the consumer base is shifting their decisions to buying products with responsible backgrounds, distributors must also shift their buying motivation to supply the retailers with what they truly need. They now need to look for cultivators who practice sustainable farming methods that align with their evolving consumer base. Cannabis cooperatives may be the answer.
Cooperatives are known for their sharing of resources. They buy their products in bulk and share the costs, lessening the transportation emissions and excess packaging that negatively affects our precious environment. While all cooperatives may not take the same measures as others, most make bulk purchases, reuse pots, and compost soil to save money and shrink their footprint. Consumers are looking for cultivators who aren't using excess water, throwing away thousands of plastic pots, and contributing to cross country transportation of soils and fertilizers on the regular. They want to buy from farms that are aware of their effects on the environment - farms that are managing their intake of resources and reusing where appropriate. Cooperatives are an attractive option when looking for farmers who follow these values.
Cooperatives also support the "Shop Local" and "Support Your Small Farmer" movement we see across the country. While these movements have most of their value in positive effects to our Mother Earth, these movements are also great marketing tools for distributors to get their products sold. When a consumer hears a small farmer grew those beautiful cannabis buds, they immediately think of not only the resulting environmental benefit but also the support they are providing to those families. Most people know that there are extra hurdles involved when growing sustainably and organically, and they respect that. People are also willing to pay a premium for these products - something distributors may find to be a bonus when purchasing from these suppliers.
As if that wasn't enough motivation for the relevant distributor to look into purchasing from a cooperative, there's also an upside in forming these long-term relationships. Due to the collaborative thinking that comes along with a cooperative environment, idea sharing is standard, giving the member cultivators a well-rounded outlook on growing methods. With this comes better cultivation practices, a decrease in the possibility of large-scale crop contamination, a consistent product harvest after harvest, and a relevant menu that keeps up with consumer demand. Also, because cooperatives market their products together, their bulk menu is usually extensive with many options to choose from, but with large enough batch sizes to make expensive regulatory testing worthwhile.
If a distributor hopes to make themselves stand out from the competition and keep up with the increasing wave of sustainability awareness, looking to California's cannabis cooperatives is an excellent place to start. While there may be a few independent farms that fully support these methods of growing cannabis, the vast majority of cooperatives already do. These farmers work together daily, so they know the value of teamwork, something that can be hard to find in an industry that sometimes looks like a dog-eat-dog world. Supporting a small farmer is the best way to reach your end consumer's heart. It's a collaborative effort worth supporting, and the public knows that.
If you are interested in learning more about Giving Tree Farms' products, please fill out a Wholesale Account form, and we will contact you very soon. We are a part of the Hive Mendocino Cooperative, so if we don't have the product you are looking for, our sister farms might. More information on our growing methods, vision, and values will give you an idea of how what we do differently is what makes our products exceptional.