Our Roots
Hoku Seed Company has its roots in the medical cannabis community of Washington State. We started out growing a few plants for ourselves, which eventually grew into supplying medicine for others at the local farmers market. This path took us from growing indoors, using Hydro Store bottled nutrients and bagged soil to recognizing the importance of sustainable agriculture and the pricelessness of clean medicine. We now grow in greenhouses as well as indoors and out. We utilize compost teas, rich living soil as well as dry mineral salts when applicable. While we are huge advocates of organic cultivation, we do not believe everything is black and white. As we’ve grown, we started to see the benefit of combining the best practices of large scale agriculture with the balance and soul of regenerative farming. And while I believe I am forever learning, it was after we honed our cultivation skills that we began to dive deep the vast pool of cannabis genetics and all they offer.
Initially, CBD strains were like unicorns. In many ways, they were what CBG and newer novel cannabinoid varieties are today. We had heard mention of this new cannabinoid that didn’t get you high, but offered a bunch of medical benefits. We began our search and eventually stumbled upon cuttings like AC/DC, Harlequin, Remedy, and a few others. These are considered the very first type III cannabis varieties available to the general public. It was from this point that we began our relationship with CBD. We really liked these new varieties and so did others. Although many in our community didn’t see the benefit of reducing the effects of THC, we thought it was amazing. We were now able to medicate all day long without the issue of accidentally over doing it or getting “too high.” This was a whole other side of cannabis that we’d never experienced before.
With our new type III cuttings, we started breeding. We crossed them to our favorite THC cannabis varieties and found out that you could create new varieties with different CBD:THC ratios. Anywhere from 1:1’s all the way to 30:1’s, or what we now consider Hemp today. Some were better for certain conditions than others and it was really the beginning of finding out what worked best for every individual. Many people enjoyed the 25:1 -30:1’s because they gave some of the same benefits of THC cannabis without the high. We soon realized a whole new group of people could access this plants healing qualities without any unwanted side effects. Essentially, those afraid or turned off by cannabis, were now showing interest in it because the fear of getting “too high” was out of the question. News coverage of CBD’s ability to mitigate seizures in children also helped propel it to the forefront.
Fast forward to today. We are now licensed Hemp growers in Washington state and operate 100% legally under the Farm Bill. This allows our reach to be world wide and not just our small community here in the Puget Sound. Although we sacrificed our opportunity to grow mixed THC:CBD varieties under the recreational cannabis industry, we see our ultimate goal as spreading this plant around the world. We are now at the beginning of unlocking this plants true potential and It is up to us and other small breeders to ensure that genetic diversity and open source genetics will always be available to the public.
Our seeds
We breed hemp for many reasons. To fill a gap in our genetic library, to create more resilient varieties, to acclimate genetics to our climate, to push the limits of potency, to find new flavors, to create custom cannabinoid ratios, and the list goes on. But to sum it all up, we breed to allow new possibilities and new potential to flow forth from this incredible plant. We simply enjoy seeing what this plant is capable of and it has never ceased to amaze us.
As breeders, we make selections. In doing so, we choose which parents to begin a breeding program with and we decide whether to move forward with the program and if so in what direction. Sometimes we just want to have fun and see what two plants might be capable of together. We might do large open pollinations and dive in to a multitude of phenotypes or cross an industrial fiber strain with a high resin CBD plant. We might do reproductions of a variety we really like, or work a high THC strain into a type III hemp variety. Theres really no direction we are afraid to head in.
However, at the end of the day, we really want to give everyone the opportunity to grow their own. Let the people decide for themselves what they want in a plant. Give them the opportunity to plant a seed, make more seed, find a cutting, and maybe, just maybe, one day hemp will be grown in every single home garden.
Yes, we need stable feminized F1’s in this industry, especially when producing hemp on acreage. Farmers need to be able to count on reliable seed so that they can do what they do best, which is grow. We are staunch supporters of seed suppliers like OregonCBD and value what they bring to the community. We don’t feel like we are competing against them and we don’t make claims about our seeds that we can’t substantiate. We are small time breeders, without the tools needed to crack this plants genetic code. But we do have our senses and we do know what good medicine is. We also see that there’s a need for mold-resistant varieties, autoflowers, dual and triple purpose varieties, non-feminized seeds, and most importantly genetic diversity.
For farmers looking to buy a million seeds, we’re not for you. If your looking for something unique, a new terpene profile, maybe an autoflower or mixed ratio, then let’s talk. We grow for the pheno-hunters, the creators, the ones who still believe this plant has a soul. I think more often than not breeders give themselves too much credit; it’s the plant we have to thank for her unlimited untapped potential. I’m just along for the ride.