MJBizMag August 2021 - 59

surface, " explained Sunshine Cereceda,
the owner of Sunboldt Grown, who has
been dry farming since 2016 on about
10,000 square feet along the Eel River in
Humboldt County, California.
Cereceda grows about five strains and
Having a location with a high water
currently sells to two dispensaries. She is
working on getting two more clients for
next year.
Proponents of dry farming
understand the skepticism it faces.
But having mastered the practice, they
say it's not only possible but yields a
superior product-one that is at least
as potent and more flavorful because
the plants can access soil nutrients that
haven't been watered down.
" At harvest, I don't have excess water
in my bud. It just dries and cures really
nicely, " Cereceda said, adding that water
dilutes cannabis flower. " The idea (of dry
farming) is that by having less interference
with the growing of the plant, you're going
to just get more terroir. You're going to get
more taste of the place and the genetics. "
Location Is Paramount
Dry farming is not for everyone, nor is
it possible everywhere. And Cereceda
credits part of her success to the location
of her farm.
" I'm in a unique region where it's most
likely a combination of geology and soil
texture, " Cereceda said. " The water table
can actually be quite deep. "
Sunboldt Grown Farms sits on a
floodplain near the Eel River atop a clay
silt loam-soil containing at least 70%
silt and clay and at least 20% sand-a
composition that is especially conducive
for allowing water to flow. Because
Sunboldt is on a floodplain close to the
Eel River, there is already a significant
amount of groundwater.
In addition, the Eel River floodplain
where Sunboldt is located sits on
flat ground at the bottom of a hill, so
rainwater and snowmelt naturally flow
down into the farmland, infusing the
soil with even more water.
" We're like a big rain catchment on
the flat, " Cereceda said. " And when I
Packaging for some Sunboldt Grown products
contain references to dry farming. Courtesy Photo
table and silt loam will encourage
successful dry farming, but dry farmers
should take other steps to stretch out
the water available to their plants, most
notably using a compost-based fertilizer,
which helps the plants absorb nutrients.
Dry Downside
Dry farming also has its negative
aspects, Cereceda said. One is that
there is nothing growing in between
the rows of marijuana plants, meaning
that soil is bare and more susceptible
to erosion. Also, the tilling-especially
rototilling-required to open up the soil
capillaries destroys the soil structure
and soil biome, Cereceda said.
" There are some issues with dry
dug the hole (while considering dry
farming), I felt that it wasn't wet, but it
was moist. "
Water Through the Soil
One advantage of dry farming, Cereceda
said, is that it's easy to begin a crop.
" I can take clone cuttings right out of
the clone tray and put them right into
the ground and water them once or
twice and then just go to dry farming.
It's really efficient to be able to do that, "
she said.
Cereceda likes to plant in June, after
she's had an opportunity to till the soil.
Tilling the surface-she goes well over a
foot deep-opens up " the soil capillaries "
and allows groundwater to reach where
cannabis roots can absorb it, she said.
" You scrape the soil, and then it wicks
the water up to the surface on the hottest
days, " Cereceda explained. " When the
ground is getting the hottest, there's
more moisture in the soil. It's a little
counterintuitive. It's not a top-down
thing. It's a bottom-up thing.
" It's probably done by evaporation. The
ground gets hot and there's water evaporating
(and moving toward the surface).
As it evaporates, it cools more, " she said.
farming. Yes, it's great not to use water.
But are we compromising our soil?
What's more important, not using water
or conserving soil? I'm kind of leaning
towards preserving soil, " she said. " So
I'm looking for ways to dry farm where
I won't have so much bare soil and I also
can be lighter on the tilling and yet still
have water and move up the soil profile. "
One change she's made that's offering
promise is switching from a rototiller
to a roto-spader. The difference is that a
rototiller " pulverizes " the soil, damaging
the soil structure, Cereceda said, while a
roto-spader does a better job of " maintaining
the soil aggregates, " which are
" the glue that holds the soil together. "
She also is considering spreading
woodchips over the barren areas between
rows with the hope that it will combat
soil erosion while keeping the soil
capillaries open.
Despite dry farming's challenges,
Cereceda believes she can make
adjustments that will help her maintain
soil quality while continuing to dry farm.
" Traditionally, cannabis growing takes
so much water. It takes a lot of water
to grow big plants. And so, for me, I'm
making a choice to grow lower yields and
use less water. Cannabis being grown
with really intensive agriculture, I think,
is just not necessary, " she said.
August 2021 | mjbizdaily.com 59
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MJBizMag August 2021

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