Keeping the Fire Alive: Voices of the Grow Up Generation

One reason we keep coming back to Grow Up is to remember why we started. Whether it’s microbes in the rhizosphere or the macrosystems of legacy and innovation, the fire stays lit through intention. The culture endures because of connection, and this industry thrives on storytelling and shared craftsmanship.

For us deep in the space, Grow Up has become a familiar rhythm – inhale, exhale, expand, adapt. Seven years in, and the show still brings fresh energy. Newcomers continue to show up for their first large-scale industry event, which this one was an excellent example of – the iconic expo hosted by Randy Rowe back in his home province.

“It was the best Grow Up yet; twice as big as any I’ve seen,” said President of Garden Culture Magazine, Eric Coulombe, who’s been in this game long enough to know. That’s high praise! 

For Tom Devost, GM of micro-producer Golden Peak Cannabis, it was his first. 

“I showed up with a cultivation issue,” he said. “I left with solutions from people who really know what they’re doing.” 

Devost cited the great community willing to help each other out. Welcome to the Grow Up learning curve!

Annual Awards 

For the second year in a row, Garden Culture Magazine took home Cannabis Publication of the Year.

Among the other winners:

CANNA – Best Nutrients
Pro-Mix – Best Growing Media
Segra – Best Nursery
Fluence – Best Lighting
Good 2 Grow – Best Packaging
Rob Baldwin – Grower of the Year
Rubicon Organics – Standard LP of the Year

Editor’s note: Garden Culture now ships directly to over 500 Canadian LPs. Want copies for your facility? Reach out.

A new honour debuted this year: the Grow Up Luminary Torch Award, presented to Matthew Don-Carolis of Segra. To be called a “luminary” means carrying a flame lit by tradition. He said: 

“This recognition means the world to me – not only for what it symbolizes but for the intention behind it. A heartfelt thank you to Randy Rowe for creating such a thoughtful and visionary award and to the entire Grow Up team for elevating the cannabis industry with purpose. I’m grateful to share this moment with my team at Segra, whose dedication and innovation continue to inspire me daily. And to our CEO, Jamie Blundell – thank you for your leadership that makes everything we do possible.”

Minding Microbes 

The award show and gathering of leaders in cannabis is a meaningful opportunity for industry in terms of acknowledgement (and for a rowdy reunion). It can be seen from afar, splashing across social media feeds and into the signatures of award-winners. 

Recognition, however, is also for a far less suspecting class of winners: The microbes that comprise the foundation of the sector are small in size but mighty in their impact. 

A key panel in the Breeders Zone, moderated by Av Singh, tackled microbial bio-stimulants and the rhizomicrobiome, featuring Greg Patterson of A&L Labs and Jeff Hayward of MIIM Horticulture.

Hayward challenged the “sterile grow” mindset:

“Growers, a lot of them, think they’re “running sterile” because they’re using hypochlorous acid or hydrogen peroxide or some other oxidizer. 

“The truth is,” he continued, “they have microbes in the system. Microbes are ubiquitous in the environment. They are endophytic, living in your plants. When you’re using something like hypochlorous acid, you’re not eliminating the microbiome; you’re just changing the shape of it. So, whatever survives will thrive.”  

The message is clear: sterility is a myth. It’s time to lean into microbial dynamics, even in high-efficiency hydro systems.

Another proponent of living systems is Rebel Grown’s founder Dan Pomerantz, whose flower and growing methods Singh endorsed in conversation with me, calling his cannabis “phenomenal.” 

Pomerantz shed light on the importance of sun-grown cannabis and the spiritual and medicinal aspects captured in outdoor production. A natural fit for a gardening magazine that leverages sunshine as its greatest ally! 

Spirit of Sungrown

Pomerantz brought his passion for sun-grown cannabis to the panel “The Business of Sungrown,” again led by the inspiring Singh. 

“Sungrown isn’t always better than indoor,” Pomerantz admitted, “but the best sun-grown is.” 

Dan traveled from his 210-acre off-grid farm in Vermont to attend the Toronto event. He supplies Rebel Grown product and IP to the local market, with existing operations in California and upcoming launches in Ohio and Arizona. With more plans to expand, his independently scaled model offers a striking contrast to the corporate giants of the sector.   

On challenges, Marty Johnston of Lune Rise Farms summed up the outdoor hustle.

“How do you get the plants off the field without mold? And how do you irrigate all at once?”

Hard truths, but craft outcomes.

Pomerantz will tell you that even if outdoor is a hard sell, the quality is unmatched. Does that make it “craft”? In a keynote speech, Kevin Jodrey spoke of the fluid definition of the word, depending on who’s talking.   

Redefining Craft

Regarding terms like “premium” and “craft,” Jodrey offered a fresh take on the buzzwords that have become blurry, where the definition changes depending on a person’s background and beliefs.

The 60-year-old pioneer said, “What is right is defined by what’s best and right [for the grower]. Same issue with genetics.” 

Craft is not defined by scale. It’s not even defined by the producer. 

“Craft is an intent,” said Jodrey. “It has no boundaries. And no one group can control the IP.”  

Undoubtedly, cannabis as an industry is culturally unique, “and the conflict between the factions has to do with identity and belief.” 

He suggests losing the buzzwords and focusing on branding and deeper meaning instead. 

“Operate with craftsmanship. Do the best with what you have to work with,” Jodrey advised. Noting that “without margin, nothing is sustainable.” 

At the end of the day, he said, “You don’t need to turn cannabis into a circus; it has its own attraction.” A fitting reminder in an age of endless content and branding. 

The sideshow found most prominently on our screens has a simple yet impactful antidote: Touch grass. Better yet, put your hands in the dirt!