Kush Valley Farm & Extraction Center Tour
Nestled in the Goetz Valley, locally known as Kush Valley, is the grow and extract operation created by young entrepreneurs and friends.
Building all green houses, structures and walls by hand, this place has been literally constructed from sweat and hard work. There is heart here. Employees can take whatever days or weeks off that they like, as long as they put it in the calendar. Some people work two weeks on and two weeks off. They are flexible here, and want to make sure their employees are taken care of.
Arriving to the farm takes a few hours east of Seattle, following the forest to a dessert to the farming lands of Eastern Washington. Farmers have been making a living here for generations, harvesting produce and raising livestock; the cash crops of the past, some might say. Today, the next sleeping giant is cannabis.
Visiting the farm in the rain, I had some concerns for the beautiful buds still standing tall in their outdoor fields. “Some people might be freaking out right now, trying to harvest, but all of this is going to be extracted.” Said Josh Chase, one of the three founders of Kush Valley.
They aren’t worried because their buds will go through a lengthy extraction process using hydrocarbon (butane and propane) and then purging it in a vacuum oven. The produced product is a concentrated form of THC more commonly known as dabs.
Dabs are a concentrated form of THC, THCA CBD ,CBN and terpenes and cannabinoids. They come in a variety of textures and the names- shatter, wax, crumble, sugar, all describe the consistency of the product. While some think that it is temperature variances that change the product, the most important aspect is the input material, mainly flower and trim. Like they say, what you put into it is what you get out of it, same goes for cannabis production. Kush Valley changes the type of oil produced by using different blends of hydrocarbon gases and different purging techniques.
While exploring their processing and growing areas, I was able to meet a few of the staff and get to know their stories. Some have come as far as the east coast, to work with plants and start a new life, being a part of a community and industry that is not only just emerging but closely aligns with the beliefs and passions of these people.
Josh Chase hopes to grow this into an opportunity to provide his knowledge for others to learn from. Although still in the preliminary stages, he hopes to have classes in the future to pass on his passion to others wanting to be a part of the cannabis industry.
Kush Valley isn’t about a brand or its owners egos, its about the lifestyle.
The land, although out in the middle of nowhere, has a strong connection to its owners. Although the total acres they rest on are 25 K, they lease 1,900 for their farm, in exchange for rent, as long as they take care of the cattle living there for 6 months of the year. This really brings you back to a time when money was not valued as much as hard work, team work and a sense of family among farmers.
The individuals running the farm are a mixture of friends, family, farmers and locals. They are tight knit composed of only 19 employees.
What tobacco was to our great grandfathers, technology was to our fathers, cannabis is to us. The next sleeping giant is here, and Kush Valley is in the midst of it, pushing the market in the right direction.
Its not about them, its about the product. Its about that Kush.
Interview with Josh Chase, co-founder of Kush Valley
Tell us about your most memorable cannabis experience.
“Obtaining our license for i-502. We celebrated at the farm with a champagne dinner. After 12 months of construction; electrical, plumbing and building, it was a great feeling to get the acceptance we needed to get our first legal weed business.”
Why did you/ How did you get involved in the industry?
“I was already in the medical marijuana industry in California so it was a legal move to come to Washington. I went to college with my partners who are sixth generation farmers. With my weed experience and their industrial farming experience we formed a competitive i-502 company.”
Since starting this project, what have you learned?
“Obviously weed knowledge but most importantly I learned how to run a large LLC; from the day-to-day operations to employment taxes.”
What are some hardships you have faced in this industry?
“Completing construction with no construction experience. Initially entering the market with less money than the companies around us but still having to compete with them.”
Would you do anything different?
“No, because if I changed something the company might not be in the same position as it is right now and we are in a good place for expansion.”
What sets you apart from other companies processing cannabis into concentrate?
“We specialize in terpene profiles. Not only spending the extra money on the testing but posting the percentages on our packaging so consumers and budtenders can truly understand and experience terpenes. It’s not all about THC percents!”
How do you wish the market to grow and develop into the future?
“Taxation would be minimized and the equilibrium between retailers and producers would benefit both parties.”
What’s your company mission?
“To provide the state with quality hydrocarbon extracts and quality flower products.”
Hope for the future of legalization nationally? Internationally?
“Yes, Kush Valley is hoping and gearing up for the legalization of weed nationally.”
Written By: Masha Brown, Social Media Specialist
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