Advertise on podcast: The Hobby Grow Podcast

This episode we are joined by Ricardo Baca, the Denver Post’s first-ever cannabis editor and founder of the PR and marketing agency Grasslands. Ricardo helped launch The Cannabist in 2013 to bring watchdog journalism to the world’s first regulated adult-use market. After leaving the Post, he built Grasslands into a PR agency serving cannabis, psychedelics, and wellness clients like High Times and Cookies. I asked Ricardo to join me today to talk about: * How one outdoor plant brought 13 Denver cops to his yard * Why home growers should have access to state-licensed testing labs * Why homegrow belongs in every legalization law, and where the MSO pushback comes from * Why supporting trade media like High Times and Marijuana Moment matters * As well as his advice to anyone thinking about growing their first plant. Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Katie Gordon, aka cannabliss_666, a California home grower and content creator. Katie started growing just over a year ago as a stay-at-home mom and went from posting her plants every day to creating homegrow content for Fat Nugs. In her first year, she has moved into living soil, landed brand partnerships, and toured legacy farms in Humboldt and the Emerald Triangle with the Tangled Roots team. I asked Katie to join me today to talk about: * Why she started growing as a stay-at-home mom * What independent cannabis media looks like at Fat Nugs * How she landed brand partnerships with a small following * Handling pushback online as a female grower * Chasing her first cannabis competition entry * As well as her advice to anyone thinking about starting their first grow. Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Brent of Kooosher, a New York hashmaker and solventless processor. Brent got his start making hash in a Rhode Island basement lab with a 5-gallon bubble machine, and has since built his own GMP-certified lab and is now moving into New York’s legal market. He also helped design the Rosin Smasher and co-founded the Hashmakers Guild, a free database where hashmakers share wash data by strain, breeder, and grower. I asked Brent to join me today to talk about: * Why genetics account for most of your wash results * How he vets material with jar tests and trichome checks * Building the Hashmakers Guild and what its wash data shows * Designing the Rosin Smasher for better cold cure rosin * Bringing affordable traditional hash to New York’s legal market * As well as his advice to anyone getting started making hash. Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Mitchell Peterson of Extracts Daily, a cannabis photographer and videographer who documents growers, hash makers, and competitions around the world. Mitchell started Extracts Daily in 2016 to show friends back in Minnesota what he was finding in Colorado. Once he started growing in 2018, taking macro shots of his own plants brought back his love for photography and turned the page into a career. I asked Mitchell to join me today to talk about: * How growing brought his passion for photography back * How shooting the first Smoking Jacket opened doors across the hash world * What macro photography shows about cleanliness in labs and gardens * Why hash color doesn’t always equal quality * How a composted herm turned him into an outdoor grower * Running micro pheno hunts and the breeders he trusts for hash * As well as his advice to hobby growers and hash makers. Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Bronson from Cyclone Gardens, a longtime home grower and breeder whose cannabis journey stretches from early closet grows in Texas to creating standout hash genetics in Colorado. Bronson has spent years refining his craft through trial and error, old-school forums like Overgrow, commercial nursery work, home breeding projects, and an obsession with finding unique terpene profiles that stand out. I asked Bronson to join me today to talk about: * Learning to grow on the Overgrow forums in the early 2000s * Working in Colorado’s early clone nursery scene * Why he ultimately left commercial cannabis behind * Home breeding projects and hunting through his own genetics * Creating standout strains like Rum Runner * The realities of getting raided as a grower in Texas & Colorado * As well as his advice to new growers looking to improve their craft Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Jarod Farina, aka Chef Roilty, a cannabis chef who went from making hash in Florida to building one of the most unique infused dining experiences in the country. Jarod’s journey runs through underground hash competitions, home grows in Colorado, and eventually into fine dining kitchens including time spent staging at Joël Robuchon Restaurant Las Vegas. I asked Chef Roilty to join me today to talk about: * How winning an underground hash competition launched his cannabis career * His evolution from BHO maker to home grower to full-on chef * How cannabis and culinary worlds overlap more than people think * Lessons from working inside a Michelin-level kitchen * How he automated his grow and left it for a full month * Why most edibles miss the mark and how to do them right * As well as his advice to home growers and cannabis creators looking to level up Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Fernando Lazcano Tortosa, better known as HedonistGrower. Fernando is a legacy grower with roots in Spain’s underground scene, scaling from guerrilla grows to 100-light operations supplying cannabis clubs, before stepping back and shifting into education, community, and a broader European perspective on cannabis. I asked Fernando to join me today to talk about: * His journey from early guerrilla grows to running large-scale operations in Spain * How the cannabis club model actually works in Spain vs. Germany * The reality of legalization in Europe and why it’s not what people think * The current state of homegrow, genetics, and hash culture across Europe * Where the European market is behind and where it’s catching up fast * As well as his advice for growers thinking about entering the industry Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Zac Ricciardi, National Cannabis Specialist for BioSafe Systems and my co-author on all things Clean Growing & Clean Growers. Zac and I met through his IPM work, and he has spent years helping growers prevent problems before they start. We dive into what that looks like for hobby growers trying to keep a clean, healthy garden without overcomplicating it. I asked Zac to join me today to talk about: * How hobby growers can build a simple, practical IPM routine * What to do before and after visiting other grows * Why clean habits matter more than most growers think * How to avoid bringing pests and disease back home * Why genetics can be one of your best IPM tools * How environment and plant selection affect pest pressure * As well as his advice to other growers. Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Terp Fountain Genetics. Terp Fountain is a grower, hash maker, and breeder focused on solventless-first genetics. We originally connected at Indo Expo through his solventless diamonds, and this conversation gets into how years of making hash shaped the way he hunts plants, makes selections, and now breeds for the traits he actually wants to smoke. I asked Terp Fountain to join me today to talk about: * How making hash first changed the way he hunts plants * Why he started breeding for hash instead of flower * What he looks for when phenos hit the wash * Why he culls hard, including runts and weak performers * How endgames differ as a grower, hash maker, and breeder * What makes a plant worth rerunning, keeping, or crossing * As well as his advice to other growers. Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Spencer Ploessl of DarkStar Cabins. Spencer is an outdoor home grower, brand builder, and cannabis beverage industry operator whose path into cultivation came through homebrewing, gardening, and a deep curiosity about how things are made. We originally met through LinkedIn through the cannabis beverage industry, and stayed in touch through conversations about growing, the industry, and the simple pull of working with plants. His perspective brings together outdoor cultivation, appreciation for the plant beyond consumption, and the value of slowing down and reconnecting with nature. I asked Spencer to join me today to talk about: * His path from homebrewing into cannabis cultivation * What outdoor growing teaches you about patience and observation * Managing land and working with nature instead of against it * What growing on raw land taught him about patience * What he has learned from simply starting and paying attention * Why stepping outside and disconnecting matters for everyone * As well as his advice to other growers. Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Nico of Trichome Science. Nico is a hashmaker, product developer, and former Michelin kitchen chef now working at the forefront of legal cannabis processing in the Netherlands. I first got introduced to his products in Amsterdam through Terps Army and later through The Fairy House events, and we stayed in touch through a shared interest in hash. His perspective is especially interesting because he bridges old-world cannabis culture, high-end culinary technique, and the fast-changing legal markets in Europe. I asked Nico to join me today to talk about: * Working in cannabis in Amsterdam and the Dutch legal experiment * How Michelin kitchens shaped his approach to hash and edibles * Why he sees flower as the start, not the finish * The difference between edible makers and real culinary execution * What Germany is getting right with home grow and clubs * Hunting hash plants, reading resin, and chasing unique profiles * As well as his advice to other growers. Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by grower and community voice Screwston Scarecrow of Breeder’s Syndicate. Screwston Scarecrow is a longtime home grower with deep experience in seed hunting, verified cuts, and dialing in flower. He’s also one of the mods of Breeder’s Syndicate, and member of the Cannaluminati. We met through The Hobby Grow Discord where he’s been active sharing a variety of grows. I asked Screwston Scarecrow to join me today to talk about: * His path from beginner to deeply experienced home grower * Why provenance matters when buying seeds or sharing cuts * How to choose better packs and hunt with intention * Why home growers should understand the cuts behind hybrids * Endgame decisions that shape drying, storage, and final smoke * Why watering and cloning level growers up faster * As well as his advice to other growers. Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by Colorado marketer and new outdoor grower Sandra Bergman. Sandra entered the cannabis industry in 2019 as a retail marketer for major Colorado MSOs. Now she is taking her industry background into the backyard, learning outdoor cultivation the hands-on way: growing her own! I asked Sandra to join me today to talk about: * How she moved from cannabis consumer and industry pro to home grower * Her first grow failure, and what it taught her * Pots vs in-ground, and what changed her results * What surprised her most about trimming and harvest work * Her advice for first-time growers without a green thumb Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by home grower Alex C. Alex got started growing like many of us, using salts. As he worked alongside others at licensed grows and interacted with other growers at the hydro shop, he learned more about ways to dial in his approach, and he’s now experimenting with organics, compost teas, and microbes to chase better flavor and a more dialed routine. I asked Alex to join me today to talk about: * His path as a hobby grower * Moving from salts to organics, and why he switched * How microbes impact plant health and resilience * The “baby seed” issue showing up in his recent cycles * As well as his advice to other growers Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe

This episode we are joined by hashish specialist, cultivator, and public speaker, The Dank Duchess. Duchess has long been a force in the global cannabis movement, carrying on the reins of legends like Frenchy Cannoli with hash education and advocacy, as well as her work forming the International Women’s Cannabis Conference. I asked Duchess to join me to talk about: * Her journey as a hobby grower * Her path from Florida business owner to global hash educator * Judging hash competitions around the world * Growing one plant, one cycle, from seed * As well as her advice to other growers and makers. Get full access to The Hobby Grow at benowens.substack.com/subscribe