We The Growers

Michigan grower Mitten Gardens has built a cultivation style around simplicity, consistency, and knowing when not to follow the crowd. In Episode 47, we talk about growing in one of the most competitive cannabis markets in the country, keeping a smaller operation profitable, and why good product and the right scale still matter. Inside the grow, Mitten breaks down Toad Venom, why the cultivar performed better under significantly lower PPFD, HPS vs LED, checkerboard lighting, under-canopy lighting, three-gallon coco, once-a-day irrigation, runoff, and why he still prefers reading the plant over chasing sensors and complicated crop steering strategies. We also get into pheno hunting, genetics, Michigan’s caregiver roots, the shift from the traditional market to licensed cultivation, building a team, staying disciplined with money, and why doing more is not always the answer. This one is about keeping cultivation simple, learning what each genetic actually wants, and building a business that can survive when the market gets tighter. Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGb... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Follow Mitten:

@mittencannaco

@mittengardens Produced by the Athena Ag Team. We The Growers Podcast: @wethegrowerspodcast

Athena Ag: @athena.ag Visit our website: https://www.athenaag.com #WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture

Steve Kado of LegaSea Farms: Michigan Cannabis, Cultivation & Building a Brand | E.46

Michigan is one of the toughest cannabis markets in the country, and Steve Kado has been through nearly every version of it.

From the legacy market to commercial cultivation, white labeling, and building LegaSea Farms into a brand carried in 150+ stores, Steve has learned that growing great flower is only part of the equation.

In Episode 46, we talk about surviving market compression, building relationships that move product, and finding the balance between culture and business.

Inside the grow, Steve breaks down under-canopy lighting, HPS vs LED, Rockwool, crop steering, substrate monitoring, and why yield has become one of the biggest levers for staying competitive.

We also get into THC and terpene testing, blind smoke tests, rosin, consumer education, and a question the industry keeps coming back to: are we measuring quality the right way?

This one is about adapting without losing what got you into the game in the first place.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGbAE9JYn3I0Vo8zSy https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-growers/id1620427747

Follow Steve Kado and LegaSea Farms: https://www.instagram.com/legasea_farms/

Produced by the Athena Ag Team.

We The Growers Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/wethegrowerspodcast/ Athena Ag: https://www.instagram.com/athena.ag/

Visit our website: https://www.athenaag.com

#WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture

Terp Mansion is one of the fastest scaling Youtube channels in the cultivation space. Located in the Emerald Triangle he has expanded from a homestead to a 75,000+ square feet of canopy operation while living onsite with his family.

Join Luke as he sits down with We The Growers Podcast and Roach from Jungle Boys to break down what it actually takes to run a cultivation brand growers respect — greenhouse production, LED vs HPS lighting, cannabis genetics, IPM, and scaling a brand from the bench to 80+ retail doors.

We get into Terp Mansion and Jungle Boys time in Athena's Crowdsourced R&D program, including a lower-nitrogen feed strategy built to push smoke quality — nutrient timing, EC adjustments, foliar applications, and side-by-side trials that settle arguments theory never can. Cultivation moves forward when growers share what they learn.

Then we go straight at the debate every grower has an opinion on: LED vs HPS. Terp Mansion lays out why LEDs have taken over greenhouse production for consistency and yield — and why HPS-grown flower still holds the edge for hash and rosin thanks to bigger trichome heads.

On genetics, we talk Gorilla Glue, SFV OG, and why the old-school OG cultivars keep outgrowing the hype-strain cycle year after year.

Whether you're a home grower, commercial cultivator, hash maker, breeder, retailer, or cannabis entrepreneur — this one's full of dirt-under-the-nails insight from someone actually building, testing, and growing at scale.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts:https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGbAE9JYn3I0Vo8zSy?si=3832d93785d14a5fhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-growers/id1620427747

Follow Luke from Terp Mansion on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/terp.mansion

Subscribe to his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@terpmansion

/Produced by the Athena Ag Team.We The Growers Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethegrowerspodcast/Athena Ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena.ag/Visit our Website: https://www.athenaag.com#WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture

This episode dives into the future of cannabis R&D through real-world, crowdsourced product testing.

Chris from Ghostbudsters joins us to talk about running Athena Pro Line at 3.0 EC, using Fade in the final 7–9 days, and testing new formulations through Athena’s grower-led research program.

Alongside Jay from R&D, Chris has been evaluating new PK formulas, Smokeability-focused products, and upcoming releases with controlled, repeatable runs.

The testing showed serious gains: more yield, higher THC, increased terpene content, and overall flower quality that checked every box. More importantly, this conversation highlights what the industry needs more of: transparency, honesty, real data, and growers willing to share both wins and losses.

Crowdsourced R&D is helping us learn faster, improve products, and build the future of cultivation with the people actually running the rooms.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts:https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGbAE9JYn3I0Vo8zSy?si=3832d93785d14a5fhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-growers/id1620427747

Follow Chris on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ghostbudstersfarm

/Produced by the Athena Ag Team.We The Growers Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethegrowerspodcast/Athena Ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena.ag/Visit our Website: https://www.athenaag.com#WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture

We The Growers sits down with Joe Alcorn, IPM Specialist at Athena, and Jay Yokiel, Athena’s Director of Cultivation Science.In this episode, we dive deep into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and plant health mitigation strategies. We talk about the importance of scouting, beneficial pests and fungi, the risks that come with using certain products, and what types of questions Joe will ask you in one of his IPM consultations that we are offering to @athena.ag customers. Additionally, we discuss common irrigation strategy pitfalls and the latest research coming out of the Athena R&D Facility and our Crowdsourced R&D Program.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts:https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGbAE9JYn3I0Vo8zSy?si=3832d93785d14a5fhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-growers/id1620427747Follow Joe and Jay on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/athenajoe/__https://www.instagram.com/saltsandleds/Produced by the Athena Ag Team.We The Growers Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethegrowerspodcast/Athena Ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena.ag/Visit our Website: https://www.athenaag.com#WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture

We The Growers sits down with Roach from Jungle Boys, and Adam & Paul from Proper Smoke Network & Proper Doinks.

In this episode, we talk about the characteristics of high quality flower, how Adam & Paul came together to start their brand, and the upcoming partnership between Athena® R&D and Proper Doinks, who will be aiding in QC to help us figure out what inputs and variables really create the best flower on Earth.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGbAE9JYn3I0Vo8zSy?si=5fe5deab1b454569Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-growers/id1620427747

Follow Proper Doinks & Proper Smoke Network: https://www.instagram.com/propersmokeleague/ https://www.instagram.com/properdoinkstv/

Produced by the Athena Ag Team.

We The Growers Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethegrowerspodcast/

Athena Ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena.ag/

Visit our Website: https://www.athenaag.com

#WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture

We The Growers sits down with Chip Baker from Cultivate Supply, a chain of hydroponic stores in a few locations across the country.

In this episode, we talk about the story of Chip starting the Coco company that would become Royal Gold Coco, what it was like growing in Humboldt back in 1996, and we both share lessons we have learned after decades of entrepreneurship in the cannabis industry.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGbAE9JYn3I0Vo8zSy?si=5fe5deab1b454569Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-growers/id1620427747

Follow Chip and Cultivate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultivate_supply/ https://www.instagram.com/chip_baker_/

Produced by the Athena Ag Team.

We The Growers Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethegrowerspodcast/

Athena Ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena.ag/

Visit our Website: https://www.athenaag.com

#WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture

We The Growers sits down with Bill, aka Chocolate, and Tyler from Hytek Detroit. Recently, the guys won the Best Overall and Best Tasting categories at Zalympix Michigan 2025.

In this episode, Chocolate and Tyler talk about how they produce their cup winning flower. What media they are using, what Athena products they are using, and how they are running their facility as a whole. We also talk about both of their stories coming up in the Detroit Cannabis Industry.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGbAE9JYn3I0Vo8zSy?si=5fe5deab1b454569Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-growers/id1620427747

Follow Hytek Detroit: https://www.instagram.com/hytek.detroit?igsh=azFhb2F1bTNob3Zz

Produced by the Athena Ag Team. We The Growers Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethegrowerspodcast/ Athena Ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena.ag/ Visit our Website: https://www.athenaag.com

#WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture

We The Growers sits down with Tom and Seth from Growing Pains. Recently, the guys on the Proper Doinks Dessert Bracket with their cut of Honey Banana.

In this episode, Tom and Seth talk about how they produce their cup winning flower. What lights they use, what Athena products they use, Irrigation Strategy, how they dry and cure their product, and how they’re winning with their business in Michigan.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGbAE9JYn3I0Vo8zSy?si=5fe5deab1b454569Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-growers/id1620427747

Follow Growing Pains: https://www.instagram.com/growingpainsmi/

Produced by the Athena Ag Team. We The Growers Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethegrowerspodcast/ Athena Ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena.ag/ Visit our Website: https://www.athenaag.com

#WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture

We The Growers sits down with Chris Mayerson, a legacy cultivator and entrepreneur to talk about his journey in the Canadian Cannabis Industry.

In this episode, we talk about how he got started with Aurora Cannabis, how much he owned, and what he is up to now after launching a craft cannabis business called Black Rock. We also dive into what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur in this industry; overcoming challenges, hard lessons, and the personal philosophy it takes to win.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGbAE9JYn3I0Vo8zSy?si=5fe5deab1b454569 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-growers/id1620427747

Follow Chris: https://www.instagram.com/chrismayerson

Produced by the Athena Ag Team.

We The Growers Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethegrowerspodcast/

Athena Ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena.ag/

Visit our Website: https://www.athenaag.com

#WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture