Due to technical difficulties, I was finally able to recover this old project of when I was visiting friends out in Asbury Park, NJ helping with their Vertical Indoor Microgreen farm. These two young entrepreneur brothers started this operation with some interesting innovations toward harvesting their incredible yields by finding a niche in the commercial market and need for the tasty miniature plants.
A bunch of LED lights over a bed of drip fed hydroponic set up makes farming your own microgreens fun and exciting for a commercial scale.
The farm does everything from seed to sale and distributed out between New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York markets. These nutrient packed tiny plants are some of the tastiest additions you can add to any meal…
Experiences like these are reasons I have always enjoyed the positive use of Social Media. I was informed about a mushroom farm looking for volunteers to help harvest some vegan based Cordyceps militaris. Needless to say, I was interested because the only Cordyceps I was truly aware of was the Cordyceps sinensis, which is a mind controlling fungus that infects a caterpillar and has it move to just below the soils surface, so the fungus can later breach out of the caterpillars head and through the soil to release its spores to start the cycle over again… one DM later- I was on the road to head up to Massachusetts for my first time to check out my first commercial mushroom farm. Safe to say I had no idea what I was truly walking into and holy crap was I amazed!
I took the drive up and upon walking in I was greeted by some of the nicest people on the East Coast tucked away in a countryside town of Massachusetts. I walked in and recognized Alex from previous post and introduced myself. Immediately, we walked through the facility (they weren’t kidding when they said “Transparency”) I was shocked at how fast everything flowed and all I could think of was “shit… I wish I got that all on film.” I was so intrigued by what was going on and seeing the other employees and volunteers working, I wanted to jump right into it. I was introduced to a co-worker (who has to be one of the most passionate fungi enthusiast this world is lucky to have) to get started on the volunteering with the tail-end of mixing some tinctures. Once the tincture portion was done I moved forward with one of my best mediation practices… helping wash some dishes and equipment, after that, I was then introduced to the rest of the days team to help with the harvesting.
This was my first times in an actual licensed indoor commercial (soon to be certified organic) mushroom facility. As a plant-based gardener it was really cool to see an indoor operation that was similar in a many ways. Instead of a vegetative room there was a incubation room, instead of a flowering room they had a fruiting room… the Number one difference is the keyword “STERILE” as most mushroom growers know it is super critical to have an extremely clean working environment to minimize the possibility of any unwanted contamination at all stages. In most cases, Plant growers believe this… Mushroom growers practice this. Everything from the pyrex glass, the plastic utensils, the stainless steel kitchen grade tables and everything was and had to be sprayed with at least 70% isopropyl alcohol to make sure that bacteria and all unwanted contaminates had less of a chance of ruining the Love and hard work that was being put into the operation of growing these amazing Beings.
Having a great time harvesting and connecting with like-minded and like-hearted individuals was one of the best moments and not even feeling like work or pressured to do anything other than to enjoy each others company. So much so, that I barely even had my camera out to film anything because I was enjoying the present moment of fully immersing myself into this culture… truly. Honestly, I felt so welcomed that I decided to make another run back up to help for a couple extra days and to get some actual footage.
Like most harvest party settings, we talked about many different topics. I learned a lot about Cordyceps militaris in particular. I learned that this variety of Cordyceps was one found here in the Americas, along with other parts of the world. The great thing about this farm is that all the strains are wild harvested from other people that go out and find them and then Alex and his crew will take spores and grow them on a mass scale. Since the culture degrade, the constant need for new genetics and pheno-hunting is what makes the journey so wide spread and exciting.
Cordyceps militaris has a bunch of research and test done with this variety of mushroom that can be found all over the internet with the ability to help with a wide array of aliments that makes it a great medicinal mushroom to have with you.
The main active compound found in Cordyceps militaris is cordycepin. Cordycepin has been shown to:
“An entomopathogenic fungus, Cordyceps sp. has been known to have numerous pharmacological and therapeutic implications, especially, in terms of human health making it a suitable candidate for ethno-pharmacological use. Main constituent of the extract derived from this fungus comprises a novel bio-metabolite called as Cordycepin (3′deoxyadenosine) which has a very potent anti-cancer, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The current review discusses about the broad spectrum potential of Cordycepin including biological and pharmacological actions in immunological, hepatic, renal, cardiovascular systems as well as an anti-cancer agent. The article also reviews the current efforts to delineate the mechanism of action of Cordycepin in various bio-molecular processes. The study will certainly draw the attention of scientific community to improve the bioactivity and production of Cordycepin for its commercial use in pharmacological and medical fields.” (source: Pharmacological and therapeutic potential of Cordyceps with special reference to Cordycepinhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3909570/ )
As I am still learning and brushing up on the amazing benefits of this creature I will be continuing to help do my part to spread the information. As this post is primarily about the cultivation facility at Mushroom Revival. Alex also has start up his own YouTube channel that goes a bit further in depth about his operation. I recommend going to check out both by clicking on the links provided.
This was something I just had to share with everyone. I thought this was one of the greatest life hacks for a farm or your own personal home garden. Here we show how to make your own tonic of Willow Water that will be sure to help stimulate root growth for clones and/or mature plants!
This is an issue that I have been dealing with for a while, but it all boils down to nature. After spending a few weeks roaming around Colorado all I can say is… The Future of America is going to be AWESOME and honestly happy!
Colorado and Washington were the first two States to Re-legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2014 and is now being followed by Alaska, Oregon, Guam and (ready for the kicker)… Washington DC! Yet, it is still deemed illegal in most of the country. Colorado for example, predicted to make $99 million dollars in tax revenue alone from the industry, and they surpassed that by a long shot within the first couple of months in the beginning of the year. 80% of the money goes back into the education system.
All I ask is a little common sense in this world. It’s a plant and it has been used and proven to treat medical aliments for thousands of years. Every time people try to find something wrong with this plant, they come back with more supporting evidence of why it should be legalized. Why does it work so well? We literally have cannabis encoded into our DNA. The “Lock and Key” is our Endocannabinoid System (ECS). All humans have it and so do animals. So yes, this plant can help save our furry little friends also.
“The endogenous cannabinoid system, named after the plant that led to its discovery, is perhaps the most important physiologic system involved in establishing and maintaining human health. Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found throughout the body: in the brain, organs, connective tissues, glands, and immune cells. In each tissue, the cannabinoid system performs different tasks, but the goal is always the same: homeostasis, the maintenance of a stable internal environment despite fluctuations in the external environment.”
-NORML
That being said I shouldn’t have to choose what State I want to live in amongst the “Land of the Free.” In particular New Jersey being one of the WORST States to even be considered a Medicinal Marijuana State, which is an entire nightmare on its own. We have more than enough patients in need for this whole plant medicine and enough people looking for work. We have people that care, but we are still being held back.
One of the reasons we are being held back is because although NJ is a “Medical State,” it is still not mainstream and people still have fear of even just mentioning it. This is where the problem begins. We are allowing fear control our lives…. even though mentioning it to the right person could potentially save their life.
What is the Call to Action?
I would like to see the ECS being taught in all medical fields. I want people to come out of the Cannabis Closet, stand up and talk about it. Every time you choose to remain silent on the topic, you are part of the problem instead of the solution. Share the facts, not the fear propaganda you have been force fed since Reefer Madness and the D.A.R.E program (which is now going to need to be revised).
There is nothing worse than hearing someone in the medical field say, “I support it ….but I can’t because of my job.” Well, tell that directly to a person who is suffering and knows that it is working for other people in the legal States with better access. Seriously, look the other human directly in the eyes and say, “No, I can’t talk about it, because I will lose my job.” That to me is one of the most selfish acts anyone can do. You are allowing someone else to suffer, yet they swore an oath to help heal people. I am not saying cannabis is the number one answer to all the medical aliments in the world, but I would like to know our doctors have the proper knowledge to use every tool in the toolbox.
Again, this comes down to education. I can’t really blame people for thinking in such a way, because we have been lied to for over 80 years that this plant is so dangerous it was put on the Controlled Substance list and listed as a Schedule 1 (even though it IS being recognized for its medicinal value).
I would like to see cannabis all over this nation, just like Big-Pharma drugs and alcohol advertisements. I want to see more local events based around the plant. Have workshops and viewings of educational documentaries for people to watch. Get LOUD and be proud that you are speaking for a plant that is only helping to heal the world… literally. The amount of jobs to be created and made available is bigger than ever imagined. Think about it…. everyone can be involved. Building/construction, real estate, electricians, plumbers, farmers, scientist, artists, new ways of making food more healthy and beneficial, etc..
It is going to be re-legalized on a global scale in the future anyways, why can’t we just sign it in to “law” now and actually focus our energy and positive intentions on bigger problems in this world. Luckily, legalization of Cannabis can help with most of those issues. Let’s start working together.
“Together we can grow a better future.”
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I have come to conclusion that I have a [slight] addiction… to traveling. It’s one of those things that takes you through an unforgettable experience that always leaves you with a lesson learned. The best way to do this is not by the visiting different countries and staying within the safe, comfort zone of a 5-star resort, but to go out on a unguided, random adventure into the real parts of the country and fully immersing yourself into their culture. This is frowned upon by many, but I can guarantee you that you will always have a crazy memory to fall back on to, be it “good or bad.”
This last trip was a definition of “going with the flow.”
I started the trip with one of my best friends who has stuck with me on some of the craziest adventures I can recall and is always down to paddle out in the cold winter surf in New Jersey, even if it only a little bump in the ocean. He had the chance to come down to Tamarindo, Costa Rica for about 2 weeks and it was one of those surf trips you could just sit on your board and daze off into the horizon and just appreciate life for what it is.
This will be a series of stories covering my adventures.
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While shooting this video we had an awesome day! We got to work on a farm and show some cool High School teachers from the local school a little tour….bringing gardening classes to the school system is working…too bad I am leaving in a couple of weeks. At least the foundation is set and couldn’t have asked for better people to help put this all together. Now on to the next step and trying to get clearance from the School Board and all…forward motion
This was something I just had to share with everyone. I thought this was one of the greatest life hacks for a farm or your own personal home garden. Here we show how to make your own tonic of Willow Water that will be sure to help stimulate root growth for clones and/or mature plants!
Good news is I may have avoided a run in with the law, bad news is it makes my head hurt more.
As most of you may know I am an advocate for all Alternative (Tradition) means of medication and living. However, this does not mean I am selling anything that is deemed illegal.
I made a video roughly a year ago about the Japanese Knotweed plant and how people can control the highly invasive plant that grows all over the USA by simply harvesting and eating it. Japanese Knotweed contains anti-inflammatory properties to help with arthritis and Lyme Disease.
Someone reached out and wanted to know if I would be willing to send them some seeds. At first I was excited that someone watched my video and wanted to grow some for themselves for either food or to ease some of the issue it could help with. I sent them a message asking for an address to ship them to and then it dawned on me that some States have plant/seed restrictions, so I decided to check just in case. Turns out because Japanese Knotweed is highly invasive and grows basically all over North America, so some States have made it illegal to purchase, trade or sell certain plants. As I did a little more research I found out why.
“Invasive species are problematic, and their introductions into natural systems can be intentional or unintentional. Invasive species can be animals, plants, fungi and even microbes. Billions of dollars are spent each year in the United States to control invasive species. It has been estimated that $45 million per year is spent on control of the invasive Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) on federal lands. That’s a lot of cash!”
(Source: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Habitat/WildAcres/wabadplants.asp)
Although, I can agree that these plants are difficult to control, it leads me to why I started getting annoyed again at the fact that WE need to all work WITH nature, instead of against it. The United States spends BILLIONS of dollars to control these plants by spraying noxious chemicals on them …even though they keep coming back each year. I am just guessing the chemicals cannot be good for people or the environment when you drive down the road that has signs posted informing people to roll their windows up because they spray the area. The Japanese Knotweed not only has beneficial properties, it also taste like and can be a substitute for rhubarb. Most if not all of that money could be used towards something more positive…like the education of the plants around us.
I have met people that have claimed they were approached by “agents” about certain seeds of basically harmless plants before and had to hand them over. I could only imagine getting a knock on the door from the police to be arrested on a charge of supplying the seeds for an invasive plant that isn’t on the DEA Schedule Drug list. With all the “conspiracies” and trolls out there on the interweb I felt it was smarter to cut my loses and opt out of sending them anything from the plant.
Although, I believe it was a real person who just wanted to try and grow the plants for themselves I still had to decline. I felt bad, but informed the person that this plant grows in their area and should look around water runoffs either on the side of the streets (try to use plants about 100ft away from roads) or down by river beds.
I just thought I would throw it out there that we all have to be careful of such things. I am not saying planting invasive plants in new places won’t “ruin” the Eco-system. I am not saying there aren’t people out there that will take precautions on limiting the growth of such plants. I am just saying the chemicals being used to spray and control them are probably much worse.
As long as Nature is Illegal we are not FREE. Learn to live WITH nature not against it. Together We can grow a better future.
My short response to the “DC leaders continue discussion at marijuana hearing,” without completely losing it since we have thousands of years of recorded use with the Cannabis plant.
$100 fine and “drug education”
a) We shouldn’t be fined for a plant deemed harmless for THOUSANDS of years!
b) Most people like myself could probably teach the TRUTH about these plants and the compounds they possess vs the real DRUGS the FDA pushes doctors to sell.
“It’s illegal, keep it that way”
a) Slavery was once legal, do you think we should go back to that?
b) Women used to be considered Second-class citizens and was illegal for them to vote, do you think we should go back to that?
“Marijuana is a Health risk…” Yes, that’s why there has been ZERO deaths from the direct consumption of Cannabis…EVER. Why are most States recognizing it as a Medicinal Plant to HELP patients?
We shouldn’t be limited to growing a certain number of plants, while Datura (Jimsonweed, TOP photo) grows everywhere from deep in the woods to the dunes at the beaches and Castor Oil plants (Castor Beans to make Ricin, BOTTOM photo) that can be purchased at your local plant nursery when they are known to be DEADLY with misuse. Examples like these make people, like myself, believe that they only care about Profit over People, by not letting people use a plant that could actually help them.
Prohibition does NOT work and it will NEVER work. We all just want to be FREE, TRULY FREE!
I am working on a full write up about these PLANTS.
Have you ever heard of Smoke Down Prohibition? Well, for those that live under a rock in the North Eastern Part of America, Smoke Down Prohibition is a Pro-active/Inter-active Civil Disobedience Protest for the full Re-legalization of ALL cannabis (including industrial hemp, medicinal and social use of marijuana), thus making it one of the most important events to happen each month (since December 2012). They have been currently held at Independence Mall in Philadelphia right next to where the Liberty Bell is showcased and it is being to talked about around the nation. The event is sponsored by The Panic Hour and Philly NORML, links listed below. Once the rally date is announced (usually the 3rd or 4th Saturday of each month) it starts at 3:30pm rain or shine, where everyone listens to a few activists, local politicians and comedians. The goal is to educate and spread awareness while having a good time…and of course there is a countdown to 4:20pm, where people who choose to fully participate will light up a joint to make their stand. WARNING: Some people WILL get taken to the “Freedom Cage” to receive a citation for $175, but the goal of Civil Disobedience is not to get cited…so mingle.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0asGeY-g4qs
We all know the “War on Drugs” and the “Just Say No” approach has done nothing, except waste billions of dollars each year fighting against something the Government will never win. Although, for some reason they will continue to try. The act of indoctrinating people to grow up thinking they need to fear a plant that actually has THOUSANDS of years of recorded medicinal use is the highest level of ignorance. What could be more confusing than that? The US Government has a patent on the two main compounds, Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which are found NATURALLY in the plant.
Patent: Noun- a government authority or license conferring a right or title for a set period, esp. the sole right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an INVENTION.
U.S Patent6630507 issued October 7, 2003:
“Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidoil, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention…”
Source: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6630507.PN.&OS=PN/6630507&RS=PN/6630507
Call me crazy, but there are claims that Cannabis was used first as medicine in Chinese pharmacopoeia as far back as 2727 BC and America declared independence from Britain on July 4, 1776 AD… you do the math… then in the 1970’s Cannabis was listed as a Schedule Class 1 “drug.” By the way…how did they invent something that comes from nature?
“Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.”
Source: http://www.justice.gov/dea/druginfo/ds.shtml
Sorry, I will be doing a more in depth blog about how absurd it is to place cannabis in that class of “drugs,” but on a simple note I have 3 words to debunk that…. Medicinal Marijuana States. These are States that recognize that this PLANT has multiple medicinal uses, so it would be nice if the Federal level would look at their research again to realize the least they can do is to reschedule the plant.
My friend Vanessa wrote a post about the situation of what is going on with our good friend N.A. Poe.
“Today, one of my best friends, N.a. Poe goes to court to fight fascist pre-trial release conditions
in which the US attorney is asking that he be banned from ever going to National Historic Park
to protest anything and that he not have contact with any Smoke Down event organizers…
which means me, his girlfriend and all of his closest friends. Pretty insane penalties for someone
who was arrested for smoking a joint at Independence Mall. What happened to 1st amendment
rights in this country…freedom of speech and freedom to associate with others? This is not about
cannabis, this is about suppressing social movements and using threats and intimidation to stop people from organizing. Well, I don’t care what that judge says, no one is going to stop me from talking to my friend. And with or without N.A. Poe, these smoke downs will continue. And these oppressive laws WILL get changed! Much love and good luck to ya, my friend!! Justice will prevail.”
That to me is the definition of an insane corrupt government. Seriously, N.A. Poe (along with everyone else that comes out to support these Smoke Down Prohibitions) are some of the NICEST people you will ever meet. This just goes to show if THEY are going to step it up, WE should step it up! Let’s merge the 1960-70’s Counter Culture Movement of marching in the streets mixed with our New Age technology of social networking to set up more places to meet. “We cannot take the foot off the pedal,” lets not make the same mistakes they did in the past. Let’s get this Re-legalized! There are far more important issues than literally a HARMLESS PLANT that actually heals. I will stand by anyone’s side that feels as strongly for a positive future.
WE the PEOPLE do not wish to fight with the Local and/or Federal Officers over using or growing a plant. The amount of manpower, which was counted up to 50 officers to babysit and harass a peaceful gathering of protesters were taken off the streets or were called in for overtime instead of going after REAL criminals. Now, think about how much money was spent to have those officers there…it could be $6,000 dollars (or up to $21,000 reported back in June to support a full riot geared strike force) for an HOUR. We know that they [officers] know there are more important things they can be doing than watching a bunch of potheads burn a flower.
Do you want to come to the next Smoke Down Prohibition in Philly and stand next to those that share the same interest that this plant should be re-legalized?
Who comes out?
Surprising to some that it is not just a bunch of young potheads that come out. It is a group of PEOPLE who fall within a wide variety of ages, patients, politicians, races, and religions.
What to Bring:
See you all out there! Don’t forget to spread the awareness, and tell everyone since we are standing up for everyone!
Nomadic MedHunter 