My Transformative Visit to Raw Garden’s Cultivation

In April, I had the opportunity to visit Raw Garden’s farm and manufacturing facility. I expected to be impressed, but I walked away with completely changed views on cultivation—and cannabis in general.

Tony from Encore Labs and I have made several trips to various farms and manufacturers over the past few years. We do good business together. Encore has proven to be an ethical lab focused on accuracy. Tony is one of many at Encore who pride themselves on providing consumer safety through reliable results and community education.

He is also great company and knows the best spots to find a healthy bite to eat and some pretty fantastic people. Tony didn’t connect with Raw Garden at Hall of Flowers in March because their line was endlessly long. I became obsessed with learning more after Coley Glasgow of Glasgow Communications reached out and asked me to stop by their booth. A trip was decided before we left Ventura.

The Encounter that Inspired Me

Meeting Casey Birthsiel, Raw Garden's Vice President of Agriculture Operations and employee #1, at Hall of Flowers was one of the highlights of this year's show. Casey and Celeste Gamez, Raw Garden's Brand Manager, took their time sharing what makes their brand and product line unique. I got really excited about learning more—especially in person.

I was even more thrilled when I tried their All In One vape: a delicious PB Soufflé. The first thing that stood out was the shape of the vape. It's more compact than I am used to and feels great in my hand. Plus, it has a beautiful mix of clear and olive green that reflects the purity of the product inside. The simple white logo on one side adds to its elegance.

They gifted me a simple yet high-quality t-shirt (you can feel the difference), along with a beautiful tan bag and a matching tan corduroy hat. Everything they do is clean, classy, and of high quality.

Raw Garden All In One Vape

I’ve worked in this industry for years, focusing on community building, brand development, advocacy, and access. I’ve interviewed incredible people, built events that bring our ecosystem together, and helped share stories that matter. However, I’ll admit: when it comes to the actual growing side of cannabis, there’s still a lot I don’t know.

Raw Garden - Cultivation as Agriculture, Not Trend-Chasing

What stood out to me the most is how Raw Garden approaches cannabis as agriculture, not just product development or hype strains. This represents a long-term agricultural strategy.

They have over 30 million seeds in their genetic library and more than 25,000 unique varietals. Let that sink in for a moment. This isn’t merely growing weed. This is about stewardship. It involves seed preservation, genetic refinement, and a decades-long commitment to doing things right—not fast. Seeing their library, hearing about the care and study involved, and being able to trace back exactly which plant created the desired results for patients is what medicine should look like.

Their breeding process is not a guessing game. Every potential varietal goes through six or more generations of backcrossing and field trials before it’s deemed ready. They take all teams—marketing, cultivation, sales—around the flowering plants to evaluate which lines are worth continuing. This process is deeply collaborative and intentional.

They also perform in-house lab testing long before the finished product goes to an external lab. This ensures they don't waste time on products that don't meet their own standards.

Lessons I Didn’t Know I Needed, Maybe You Need Them Too

I’ve never claimed to be an expert in cultivation—I’ve even killed three money trees in the past six years despite working from home. Apartment life makes it hard for potted plants to survive. I often fluctuate between overwatering and not watering them enough. Right now, I have one sole survivor named Betty. I have no idea what she is, but she’s a survivor.

Twenty-four years ago, when I had my daughter, I enjoyed gardening in our yard. However, that was outdoors and instinctive for me. Now, being able to plant and harvest from the ground is something I miss and look forward to in my later years.

This visit to Raw Garden's farm opened my eyes to how much I’ve overlooked regarding where our medicine comes from and how it is produced. For instance:

• Seeds vs. Clones: I knew there were differences but didn’t realize how much more resilient and scalable seed-based farming can be—nor how long it takes to achieve stable results.

• Contamination Risk in Concentrates: A trace of pesticide from neighboring farms might pass in flower but can become a problem in oil. Raw Garden understands this and goes beyond required testing to ensure no drift or track from neighbors causes harm. They check for hundreds of pesticides instead of just the 66 mandated by the state. They perform these tests in-house so that their lab only sees products they are confident are clean and ready to pass. This blew my mind and earned my deep respect and appreciation.

• Solvent Recovery: Many producers vent solvents into the air or burn them off. Raw Garden recovers over 98% of solvents and invested in a thermal oxidizer that incinerates trace emissions at 1500°C to eliminate greenhouse gases. This not only means they are producing a clean product but also shows a commitment to sustainability. Honestly, this should be a requirement for all businesses and industries.

• Hardware Testing: When they noticed that high-terpene oils were degrading their plastic cartridges, they scrapped over $1 million in inventory to protect consumers. They then collaborated with manufacturers to develop a better solution. The result? Delicious terps with every smooth hit.

  
  

Did you know that one butterfly can lay eggs across dozens of plants, and each caterpillar can destroy an entire bud from the inside out? Or that ground squirrels can pull whole plants underground—along with their METRC tags (yes, that’s a real compliance headache)? The soil is rigorously tested. The inputs are tested. The entire process is meticulous.

This is agriculture. This is science. This is dedication on a level most people never see. It makes you wonder why we don't see more of it. The plant is so much more than just recreational; it is medicine for many battling chronic and terminal illnesses. It’s the foundation of our legal industry, and sometimes the things I see on the market make me more scared for patients than relieved.

Farming with the Pollinators in Mind

One of the most quietly beautiful aspects of my visit was learning how much thought goes into protecting not just the plants, but also the pollinators.

Raw Garden isn’t just growing cannabis—they’re growing with nature.

They’ve planted a beneficial wildflower mix across the property specifically to support seraphid flies, which prey on aphid nymphs and help control pest populations biologically. It’s a smart, organic solution that reduces the need for sprays. This example shows how much intentionality goes into their agricultural decisions.

What impressed me even more were the beehives on the property. Yes—they maintain beehives, and they’re not just for show. Bees need reliable forage, and while these hives previously traveled over two miles to find food (to places like the nearby lavender farm), Raw Garden is working to make their own land more inviting. They’ve seeded native wildflowers to create a more “homey vibe” for their bees to stay and thrive.

This small action has a considerable ripple effect. Supporting bees doesn’t just enhance pollination; it also obligates neighboring farms to notify them before spraying pesticides, thereby protecting the entire ecosystem.

In a full-circle moment, the hay used last season was repurposed and given to employees and neighbors with horses and cattle. Nothing is wasted, and everything is considered.

Protecting the Land (and the Neighbors)

Some companies claim to care about sustainability. Raw Garden lives it.

Early on, the team realized that conventional farming on neighboring land—especially pesticide use—could threaten their clean crop. Upon spotting a helicopter preparing to spray a neighboring Swiss chard crop, they took action.

Instead of ignoring or confronting the situation, the founders themselves intervened. They explained the legal liability of pesticide drift to the third-party sprayer, who wisely backed off. But the real shift came next.

Raw Garden didn’t just block the issue—they solved it.

They offered to lease the neighboring 240-acre farm themselves. For three years, they paid to keep it chemical-free, allowing the landowner to grow hay for personal use. This agreement enabled the land to be certified organic. After those three years, Raw Garden helped connect the farm with Sunrise, a like-minded cultivator. This move didn’t just protect their own product; it expanded clean farming practices and built long-term trust with their neighbors.

Protecting your farm doesn’t always mean building a fence. Sometimes it means investing in your neighbor’s success too.

Why You Don’t See Their Flower—but You’ve Smoked It

Raw Garden doesn’t sell dry flower.

All flower is frozen immediately for concentrate use. This process is cleaner, more consistent, and allows them to bypass the hyper-regulated, often unreliable drying process. Their pre-rolls? Made with real flower—not trim. Yes, you can taste the difference.

They don’t just process what they grow—they only process what meets their high standards. Because they control the entire vertical, they know exactly what's in their product from soil to shelf.

Insights from Manufacturing

While the farm tour showcased Raw Garden’s agricultural philosophy, visiting their manufacturing facility brought everything into even clearer perspective. The same commitment to intentionality, safety, and environmental stewardship is woven into every production step post-harvest.

Solvent Recovery & Air Purification

Raw Garden recovers over 98% of the solvent used during extraction, a number that’s not just impressive, but unheard of in most of the industry. The tiny remaining portion doesn’t get vented. They installed a thermal oxidizer that incinerates any residual emissions at over 1500°C, breaking them down into environmental-safe base components.

The entire system took over a year and a half to custom design and build, creating a new bar for other producers in Santa Barbara County. As they put it: “Don’t tell us it can’t be done. We’ve proved it can.”

Clean Hardware & Product Integrity

One detail that stuck with me: when they first began using all-in-one vape hardware, they discovered that their high-terpene oils broke down the plastic tanks. This created cloudiness and contamination that most consumers would never know about. Instead of ignoring this issue, they scrapped over a million dollars of inventory. They collaborated with suppliers to create a safer material and didn’t release anything until they were confident in its cleanliness.

This is why their hardware looks and feels different—it’s specifically designed to hold real cannabis oils without degradation.

Nothing Added, Nothing Fake

When you hear “live resin,” you might assume everyone’s process is the same. But Raw Garden’s refinement rooms are on another level. They distill their solvents before and after every run. Their team utilizes heat and vacuum—not additives—to remove residual butane down to below measurable parts per million.

All the flavor in their vapes comes exclusively from cannabis terpenes derived from the original plant material—never botanical or artificial flavoring. This is quite rare. And you can taste the difference.

Raw Garden Concentrate

Archiving History for the Future

A unique part of the tour was exploring their terpene library. Every batch of extracted oil—going back over five years—has been archived in glass jars. This allows them to study, reference, and continuously improve their processes.

When you consider all the hype brands that focus only on short-term trends, seeing this level of care in preserving genetics and chemical profiles was genuinely moving.

Community

What I appreciate most is their discreet approach. Raw Garden doesn’t post daily videos showcasing their work. They focus on research, putting in the effort, and quietly building a legacy.

Raw Garden doesn’t just protect their land; they also invest in the community. They’ve funded a community garden and are now helping create a children’s museum. These aren’t flashy PR moves; they are earnest acts of goodwill that help normalize cannabis as part of local agriculture and culture. They protect their neighbors, land, and people. Their team is cross-trained, loyal, and takes pride in being part of something so intentional.

This isn’t a hustle brand. This is a systems-based brand. And it shows.

Final Thoughts

I went into Raw Garden expecting to learn a few technical facts. I left with a newfound respect for cultivation, agriculture, and the kind of leadership this industry needs more of.

They’ve built systems not just for production but for preservation. They don’t just extract oil—they protect genetics, invest in future research, and hold themselves to a standard that honestly moved me. I feel relieved to witness such investments in our health, rather than solely in sales.

We often talk about what cannabis could be, but Raw Garden is showing us what it already is—if you’re willing to do it right.

I’m grateful for the visit and even more thankful that brands like this exist. Cannabis deserves it, and so do the patients.