"I believe 2% of cannabis growers in the US grow in deep water culture," says Terry Leright, CEO and founder of Excel Farms. In other words, it sounds as if this mode of production isn't very widespread – at least in the US. This generalization, even if loosely grounded, can actually be quite accurate, as Terry and Excel Farms had to overcome significant challenges to set up a deep water culture cannabis grow.
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Deep water culture and cannabis
Based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, the company is fully focused on growing cannabis – a wholesaler, in other words. "We wanted to build as advanced a cultivation facility as possible from the ground up," he says. It took them around four years to get through it all – from acquiring the necessary permits and land to building the facility. The last 12 months have been spent fine-tuning the grow and getting all the equipment to perform as intended.
Deep water culture, or DWC, is a fancy way to describe plants growing with no substrate, their roots immersed in water at all times. "Back in the day, one of my hobbies was building rockets," Terry recounts. "A friend of mine told me I should get a hobby that pays for itself – and that hobby became growing cannabis as a caregiver. However, I didn't like the idea of sticking my hands in dirt. I did some research and immediately dove into something you're usually told not to do. But I didn't want to listen, went through a bit of a learning curve, and eventually understood the ins and outs of DWC."
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Since there's no substrate and everything grows directly in water, it goes without saying that cleanliness and sterility are of the utmost importance. "There are a lot of processes and treatments before we use the water. First, we run it through ozone, then we filter it with a couple of canisters with carbon filters. After that, it goes through a reverse osmosis system, and then the water is collected in a tank. On top of that, we have a new technology that uses cold plasma treatment to kill bacteria. That's the piece of equipment that excites me the most. It gives us very clean, sterile water."
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By growing this way, Terry and Excel Farms don't have to buy expensive media or deal with the cost of disposing of it. "Roots are just hanging in the water. As they need nutrients, they take up exactly what they need. This gives them explosive growth. I can finish a cycle 10% sooner than your average cultivator."
As complicated as it sounds
However, it doesn't just sound complicated – it actually is. "We grow in buckets of water connected by pipes. In other words, the plants share the same water. If there's any infection, it can spread everywhere," Terry points out. That's the main reason he went to great lengths to select the most innovative – and sometimes expensive – equipment to keep the water as sterile and clean as possible.
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Cleanliness – and cleaning – are foundational parts of daily operations at Excel Farms. That's also why Terry is very aware of the importance of highlighting this when hiring new employees. "It's more of a janitorial type of job," he says with a chuckle. "When we headhunt, we explain that there's a lot of cleaning involved. We clean and sanitize over 500 buckets every month, and we do that after every cycle. On top of that, we clean all the equipment with an electrostatic sprayer and sanitize every wall. We do a lot to keep the space clean. We've had growers and state inspectors visit us, and they were caught off guard by how immaculate this place looks."
Getting DWC cannabis right is all about understanding what the right equipment is and where it's necessary to invest that extra dollar. At the same time, having the right genetics is also essential. "At the beginning, we hired a company to provide us with clones. Considering all the buckets are tied together, we run one cultivar per room. That's how we hunt for a particular strain we want to grow – we start our mothers, take cuttings, and propagate them in our aero cloners. In addition to that, we're also working on our own genetics, and I hope to soon develop a few signature strains that allow us to always be locked in on the next big thing in the market."
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That's another crucial aspect, as price compression is particularly challenging for Michigan growers. "We've seen many large facilities where a lot of money was invested go under. It's tough out there. The market is oversaturated, and it looks like even more licenses are coming online in the near future. However, demand for high quality is always there, and that premium segment is exactly what we're targeting."
For more information:
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Excel Farms
1253 W North Territorial Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 239-9101
info@excel-farms.com
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