Before starting the podcast, I wanted to share about an exciting new conference that we are hosting in conjunction with Collective Elevation in Bozeman, Montana. I’ve been talking to Suzanne Wainwright Evans about hosting a conference for years, and Adam at Collective graciously offered to open up his doors and let us host it on his property. The event is happening on September 5-7th, 2025 and I’m super excited. We are kicking it off with workshops from The Bug Lady Suzanne and Dr. Greenhouse, followed by a facility tour and then a bunch of excellent speakers and networking events over the next 2 days. Then on the 7th, the Montana Living Soil Alliance is hosting a tasting event that will be included in the price of the conference ticket. The tasting event will be a private event, with cannabis donated by the Living Soil Alliance, as a way to have an amazing sensory experience and see what premium quality Montana Living Soil has to offer. Tickets are limited to 200 spots, so be sure to grab a ticket if you’re interested. Tickets are now on sale at kisorganics.com and the conference is called the Cannabis Cultivation and Science Conference.

In honor of the conference, I wanted to do an interview series with some of the amazing folks at Collective Elevation to give a growers perspective and share some of what they’ve been able to accomplish. I’ve already had Adam Arnold on the podcast and you can also view a tour of their facility on the kisorganics youtube page.

My guest this week is Jared Ferguson, the Greenhouse Manager at Collective Elevation. He’s been working at Collective for over 4 years now, but prior to that he studied Environmental horticulture at Montama State University in bozeman. During which he worked for the universities greenhouse facility and research farm, where hje got his first experiences in mixing soil, amending plants, managing irrigation, and conducting IPM processes. Now on to the show!

Saul began his agriculture work in vineyard and winery operations on the Central California coast.  After deciding to focus his career on crop protection he moved north where he managed IPM programs at Monterey Mushroom Company and Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo.  This work led to a position as IPM Manager at Harborside Farms where he directed their bio-intensive greenhouse cannabis IPM program.  Saul now works as a Technical Sales Representative for BioBee USA.

Dr. Nadia Sabeh is the President and Founder of Dr. Greenhouse, Inc., an agricultural and mechanical engineering firm that specializes in the design of HVAC systems for indoor plant environments. Dr. Sabeh has her PhD in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) and is a licensed Mechanical Engineer in the State of California. For over 20 years, she has dedicated her education and career to helping farmers control their environments, allowing them to grow crops indoors, in greenhouses and in facilities that would otherwise be impossible or impractical to do so. 

Nadia has a free VPD app for both iPhone and Android as well as an amazing podcast called "The Doctor is in" that's available on all streaming platforms. https://www.doctorgreenhouse.com/podcast/tag/podcast

My guest this week is my good friend, Suzanne Wainwright-Evans also known by many as The Bug Lady. She is an Ornamental Entomologist specializing in integrated pest management.  Suzanne has been involved in the Green Industry for more than 25 years with a primary focus on biological control and using pesticides properly.  She is a graduate of the University of Florida with degrees in both Entomology and Environmental Horticulture. Suzanne has been on the podcast multiple times and I highly suggest folks go back and listen to some of her other podcasts if you haven’t already. Her website is bugladyconsulting.com where you can find links to other webinars, podcasts and information as well as how to contact her for direct consulting. Now on to the show!

My guest this week is my good friend, Suzanne Wainwright-Evans also known by many as The Bug Lady. She is an Ornamental Entomologist specializing in integrated pest management.  Suzanne has been involved in the Green Industry for more than 25 years with a primary focus on biological control and using pesticides properly.  She is a graduate of the University of Florida with degrees in both Entomology and Environmental Horticulture. Suzanne has been on the podcast multiple times and I highly suggest folks go back and listen to some of her other podcasts if you haven’t already. Her website is bugladyconsulting.com where you can find links to other webinars, podcasts and information as well as how to contact her for direct consulting. Now on to the show!

This was a fun podcast for me because I think there's a lot of misinformation around this topic and it was great to hear from an expert! Sphagnum Peat Moss is the gold standard for the horticulture industry. In N. America we use the majority of our peat for growing plants. Are there better options? What's the current research tell us about the sustainability of peat moss? In this episode we talk about why peat moss is such a popular choice for media as well as the pros and cons of the current substrates on the market. 

My guest this week is Christine DeJesus. Christine operates at the intersection of regenerative organic agriculture and social justice. For five years she’s been perfecting a highly efficient organic cultivation model while managing operations for Galenas Cannabis in Akron, Ohio. Prior she worked in food justice, ran a farm for Great Lakes Brewing Company, functioned as campaign coordinator for Marijuana Policy Project, and co-founded the Midwest CannaWomen. She was featured in the documentary “Polycultures: Food Where We Live,” with Michael Pollan, and at the “My Global Kitchen” exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Christine is a creative writer, a columnist for Cannabis Business Times magazine, and holds degrees from both Kent State and the University of Pittsburgh. In her current role, she focuses on keeping plants, processes, and people healthy and productive while delivering top-tier quality cannabis flower to Ohio consumers. Christine also works with home-growers to bring commercial-level success to their backyard gardens.

Christine Goedhart is an experienced educator and educational developer with a specialization in teaching undergraduate biology courses. Currently serving as a Science Education Specialist at the University of British Columbia, she supports faculty in making their courses more equitable and student-centered, and she recently developed and taught an undergraduate Biology of Cannabis course. Previously, Christine spent eight years as a full-time faculty member at Citrus College, where she taught a variety of biology courses for non-major students. With a strong commitment to student-centered and inclusive education, Christine has effectively implemented innovative pedagogical and assessment strategies to enhance student engagement and learning in biology courses, and she shares information, tips, and evidence-based best practices for teaching in her Tips for Teaching blog article series.

My guest this week is Matthew DeBacco. Matthew received his Bachelors degree in Pathology with a secondary degree in horticulture, then going on to receive a master’s degree in agronomy 2011 and a masters in education in 2014, both from the university of Connecticut. Then in 2020 he received his PhD from Ashford University. Matthew started the first cannabis course at a public university at the University of Connecticut. I first found out about Matthew from his research on powdery mildew with cucurbits using raw milk, as it was circulating around the giant pumpkin community. Matthew also enjoys growing giant pumpkins and has held the state record twice with the largest weighing 1,885.5 lbs. In this episode we talk about the similarities between the giant pumpkin community and the cannabis community and how we might be able to utilize some of the advancements across the cultivation of these very different plants. Now on to the show!

My guest this week is Dr. Adel Zarei. Dr. Zarei earned his Ph.D. degree from Leiden University in the Netherlands, specializing in molecular mechanisms governing defense and secondary metabolism in plants. Dr. Zarei spent a decade as a Research Associate at the University of Guelph, where his research focused on stress physiology in plants. His primary passion lies in the study of plant secondary metabolites, many of which possess pharmaceutical significance. In 2017, Adel transitioned to the Cannabis industry, serving as a Scientific Advisor and Cannabis Micropropagation Expert. He played a pivotal role in designing and establishing multiple Cannabis Micropropagation labs for Cannabis Production License Holders. His groundbreaking work in this field garnered multiple Government grants and led to the development of commercial-scale cannabis micropropagation techniques. The results of this research were published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant and Plants”. Throughout his scientific career, Adel has authored more than twenty-two peer-reviewed articles covering topics such as plant stress physiology, secondary metabolites, and plant pathology.

Dr. Zarei is an integral member of the PharmaCrop team, serving as the Chief Operating Officer at PharmaCrop Pty. Ltd. in Queensland, Australia. In this role, he oversees operations that encompass every stage of the process, from seed cultivation to the final production of medical-grade cannabis products. Dr. Zarei has successfully transferred his extensive knowledge and experience in the cultivation and processing of medical cannabis into Australia burgeoning industry. Now on to the show!