Sun+Earth Certified
Regenerative Organic Certification for Cannabis, Sun+Earth Certified, Forms First Partnership on East Coast with Renowned Farm 'Rebel Grown' in Vermont
Half-Acre Farm in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom Aims to Be World-Class Model for Cannabis Breeding and Regenerative Organic Agriculture
CRAFTSBURY, VT – Sun+Earth Certified, a nonprofit third-party certification for regenerative organic cannabis, has just certified its first farm on the East Coast, in the State of Vermont. Nestled among the mountains of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, Rebel Grown is a half-acre cannabis farm on a 200-acre permaculture sanctuary in the Town of Craftsbury. The farm and brand known today as Rebel Grown has produced hemp in Vermont since 2018 and, in 2022, received a license to grow cannabis for adult use.
"Cannabis grown regeneratively, under the sun and in the soil, without toxic chemicals, is not only high quality, but also the best for the earth," said Rebel Grown owner Dan Pomerantz. "We capture carbon through our plants, and sequester it in the ground where it can be recycled through our living soils," continued Pomerantz. "Rebel Grown became Sun+Earth Certified to bring high-quality, healthy, ethically-farmed cannabis to the people of Vermont, and to become a model for regenerative organic agriculture everywhere."
Some of Rebel Grown's regenerative organic farming practices include cover cropping with rye grass and clover, mulching with organic alfalfa, and using wood ash and manure from chickens, ducks, geese, steers, goats, sheep, and horses. Rebel Grown generates its own compost, and also inoculates its soil with numerous species of microbes, enzymes, fungi, and beneficial bacteria in order to continually balance the microbiology of its living soil and plants' root zones. Made from trees on the farm, Rebel Grown uses maple syrup as an ingredient in its compost teas. To learn more about Rebel Grown, go to: rebelgrown.com.
Sun+Earth was founded in 2019 by cannabis industry leaders, experts, and advocates with a common commitment to the pillars of regenerative organic agriculture, farmer and farmworker protections, and community engagement. Currently, Sun+Earth has certified more than 60 cannabis farms and manufacturers in five states: California, Michigan, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. To learn more about Sun+Earth Certified, go to: sunandearth.org.
Cannabis certified by Sun+Earth must be sungrown and cultivated on farms that strengthen habitats and build living soil. No chemical fertilizers or toxic pesticides are used to grow cannabis certified by Sun+Earth, whose standards go beyond the USDA Organic Regime. These rigorous standards encourage the planting of cannabis alongside food crops, and the strategic use of cover crops, composting, and reduced soil tillage. Such practices help sequester carbon from the atmosphere, further reducing a farm's carbon footprint.
"The expansion of Sun+Earth into Vermont and the East Coast, with the certification of Rebel Grown, shows that quality sungrown cannabis can be produced across the entire continent," said Heather Dunbar of Sun+Earth Certified. "Indeed, the cannabis industry has the knowledge of how to shrink its large carbon footprint, and the wherewithal to prioritize regenerative organic farming," continued Dunbar. "Investing in cleaner, healthier, and more ethical cannabis just makes sense."
Rebel Grown, which has its roots in the Palo Verde Appellation of Southern Humboldt in the heart of The Emerald Triangle, is one of the only independently-owned, craft legacy brands now available on the East Coast. With an expertise in breeding and genetics, Rebel Grown's Pomerantz has developed dozens of proprietary cannabis varieties covering a broad spectrum of cannabis diversity. His genetics have won dozens of awards dating back to 2011, most notably The Emerald Cup's coveted Breeders Cup award in 2023, 2022, and 2018. Last year, Rebel Grown also won first place in the "sungrown" category. Rather than keep his skills and expertise close to his chest, Pomerantz has for years freely shared his knowledge through a variety of cultivation classes and educational workshops, as well as trade media articles.
Vermont passed a statewide medical cannabis law in 2004, followed by an adult-use cannabis law in 2018. But it wasn't until 2020 that Vermont implemented a tax-and-regulate system which, as of 2022, allows for retail sales of both medical and adult-use cannabis. In Vermont, growers cannot sell their cannabis products in dispensaries until approved by the state's Cannabis Control Board, which recently gave Rebel Grown the green light to sell its products at retail outlets throughout the state. Rebel Grown's cannabis products are now available at more than 20 Vermont dispensaries and endorsed by the Cannabis Retailers Association of Vermont.
"The Cannabis Retailers Association of Vermont applauds Rebel Grown, as the state's first regenerative organic cannabis farm certified by Sun+Earth," said Colleen McQuade, board chair of the Cannabis Retailers Association of Vermont, or CRAV. "We are excited to see Rebel Grown's Sun+Earth Certified products on the shelves of cannabis retailers throughout Vermont, now made available to thousands of adult cannabis users and medical cannabis patients who are seeking healthy, environmentally friendly products."
