Program Offers Flow Kana and Select Dispensary Partner Employees
Sustainably-Cultivated Produce From Small Independent Farms
REDWOOD VALLEY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSA?src=hash” target=”_blank”gt;#CSAlt;/agt;–Flow Kana, the leading sustainable supply chain company and distributor
of sungrown cannabis products and services and number
one flower brand in California, today announced the next
manifestation of their mission to provide scale to decentralized
producers with a commitment to community supported agriculture (CSA).
Within six months of initiating their FlowCSA employee perk program,
Flow Kana became one of the largest purchasers of produce grown on small
farms in Mendocino and Lake counties through the MendoLake Food Hub.
Since June 2018, Flow Kana has offered their California employees a
monthly CSA box of fruits and vegetables grown locally in Mendocino,
Humboldt and Lake Counties, as continued support of small food farmers,
decentralized food systems and the local communities where the company
operates. Flow Kana is expanding its program in 2019, by offering a
similar benefit to select dispensary partners and other supply chain
collaborators for their employees.
The FlowCSA initiative has been an evolving vision between Casey and
Amber O’Neill of HappyDay Farms and Flow Kana founders Michael Steinmetz
and Flavia Cassani since the company’s inception.
“The quality of the cannabis and vegetables produced in small batches
with the love and intention of a family farm are incomparable, and we
want to see a world where this type of agriculture thrives and
prevails,” said Michael Steinmetz, Flow Kana CEO. “The cannabis industry
has an opportunity to build infrastructure that supports all kinds of
localized, decentralized, supply networks, ushering in diversified and
regenerative farming practices that promote environmentally responsible
agriculture. We can offer a real alternative to the big industrial
agriculture models we see so prevalent in our world today, and slowly
encroaching on our amazing existing cannabis community in California.”
To encourage farmers to adopt more regenerative practices, Flow Kana
also funds the newly created Local Food Systems Development Program in
partnership with the MendoLake Food Hub. The program is designed, in
phase 1, to offer support to cannabis farmers who want to diversify
their crop portfolios by providing a guaranteed purchaser of their
produce via the FlowCSA program through the MendoLake FoodHub. Local
produce through the Emerald Triangle and Northern California areas are
welcomed from all farmers in the area, whether or not they also
cultivate cannabis.
“By encouraging a decentralized production model, we can support small,
diversified producers who utilize regenerative land-use practices and
have the time and resources to develop beneficial methodologies,” said
HappyDay Farms’ Casey O’Neill, a third generation diversified cannabis
and vegetable farmer. “These farmers are uniquely suited to address
climate change and feed the planet in the process. The Flow CSA and the
Local Food Systems Development Program offers an opportunity and
platform to do just that.”
Currently, Flow Kana provides monthly seasonal produce boxes to the
company’s now more than 245 employees throughout California. Since June
of 2018, more than 2,500 boxes have been purchased and distributed from
the MendoLake Food Hub and HappyDay Farms.
“Flow Kana has become one of our largest wholesale buyers, and we are
grateful for their continued work in supporting small farms in our
community,” said Caroline Radice, Executive Director of the MendoLake
Food Hub. “The MendoLake Food Hub has seen substantial growth over the
past year which would not have been possible without supportive,
committed partners. We are happy to be working with Flow Kana to provide
year-round fresh produce for their employee CSA, and we are excited to
see them continue developing this program.”
Flow Kana is a driving force in the cannabis movement to not only honor
these communities and these environmental and social values, but to make
this decentralized model of agriculture the gold standard for others to
follow across cannabis and beyond. The company believes there is great
power in coming together with careful collaboration across many
operators, distributors, retailers, and brands working in tandem to
preserve, protect and evolve our industry and world. You can read more
on this movement here: Never
doubt that a group of dedicated small cannabis farmers can change the
world.
About Flow Kana
Flow Kana is a pioneer in the cannabis industry, creating the first
sustainable, sungrown cannabis brand that embraces California values and
the small independent farm ecosystem. Flow Kana partners with and gives
scale to craft farmers in Northern California, who focus on beyond
organic farming practices. With any Flow Kana or “Powered by Flow Kana”
product, customers can trust that, regardless of form factor, the
cannabis inside is sungrown and cultivated organically by independent
craft farms. The company offers a range of distribution and white label
services to a variety of licensed cannabis companies who share the
company’s values to provide consumers with clean, compliant and
sustainable products through delivery to licensed retail operators
throughout California. For more information, please visit www.flowkana.com,
www.flowcannabisinstitute.com,
and connect with us on Facebook,
Twitter
and Instagram.
About HappyDay Farms
HappyDay Farms is a small, diversified family farm located in the hills
of Northern Mendocino County, California. At 3,000 feet on a southwest
slope, their terraced gardens produce year-round. In addition to
medicinal sungrown cannabis, HappyDay Farms grows produce and flowers
for their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and local
farmers’ markets. Their unique terroir and microclimate produces
small-batch, craft medicinal cannabis products from artisanal,
seed-stock varietals. You can learn more here.
About MendoLake Food Hub
The MendoLake Food Hub’s mission is to increase the availability of
local food and the viability of local farms by connecting growers and
buyers through an easy-to-use network. The Food Hub aggregates and
distributes produce from small farms around Northern California by
providing farmers access to a shared sales and distribution network
which serves wholesale buyers such as grocery stores, schools, and
restaurants. The MendoLake Food Hub is one of a network of food hubs
across California working to build a vibrant, diverse new food system
where small farms thrive and the freshest, local produce is easily
accessible to the community. Learn more about the MendoLake Food Hub here
and connect with them on Facebook
and Instagram.
Contacts
Cate Powers
Press@flowkana.com