Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/599676
f a l l / w i n t e r 2 0 1 5 | 1 0 1 But which strain would win? Though Fuel dominates the market, the strain that took home the bronze and ceramic Golden Tarp Award trophy was from the Floral category, defying expectations: Diesel Berry, grown by Jonathan Gilbert of Emerald Family Farms. The Mateel crowd erupted with applause and cheers as Gilbert approached the stage with a proud, though somewhat surprised, expression. "I love cannabis," he said after receiving the trophy. "Re- ally, I want to inspire everyone to deliver people a clean product. It should be a fundamental right . . . that when they put a lighter to it, it's going to be clean. That's a large part of my motivation and I love to see the plants healthy when I'm cultivating them. It's an honor. The significance of winning this award in Humboldt County isn't lost on me, and I really appreciate it." The warmth and appreciation for what these farmers do was palatable dur- ing the awards. Tucked amidst vibrant natural resources from the mountainous redwoods to the ocean beaches, the greater Humboldt community has more growth and change in its future if it is to claim its place in the legitimate canna- bis industry. As California prepares to effectively regulate the medical market and potentially legalize adult-use consumption, the small farmers of Humboldt have a short timeframe to establish their place in the regulated market while protecting their heritage. The Ganjier Award, designed to honor those in the cannabis industry who do the hard work behind the scenes and often go unrecognized, was awarded to Terrance Alan, co-founder of California Cannabis Voice, a political action committee designed to engage California in sensible cannabis reform that protects farmers and patients. A series of educational panels included topics such as "Serving the Connoisseur Market," where panelists discussed what today's cannabis consumer is looking for: flavor, consistency, aromatics, and visual appeal. Here, Swami Chaitanya, the Swami of Pot, is joined by hashishier Frenchy Cannoli and cultivator and chef Holden Burkons. PHOTO: JOSE QUEZADA FOR THE GANJIER PHOTO: JOHN BIRCHARD PHOTO: JOSE QUEZADA FOR THE GANJIER Emerald Family Farms' Diesel Berry strain took home top honors. Here, grower Jonathan Gilbert accepts the award. HOW ENTRIES IN THE GOLDEN TARP AWARD ARE JUDGED Each entry is entered into one flavor category: Floral, Fuel, Earth, or Fruity. • Entries are tested for cannabinoid totals and terpene profiles, as well as mold, pesticides, fungicides, and chemical growth regulators. • Any entries that test positive for mold, pesticides, fungicides, or chemical growth regulators are immediately disqualified. • Of the clean entries, the top four in each flavor category with the highest cannabinoid total are entered into the Top 16. • On the day of the awards, 20 judges evaluate the top 16 entries. A majority of these judges are selected randomly from people who come to the event and try their luck at a lottery machine. A hand- ful are selected by The Ganjier team. • The 20 judges go to the Judge's Hall and evaluate all Top 16 with- out knowing what each strain is named or who submitted it. • Each judge chooses their top 3 after evaluating all 16. From those top 3 lists, an overall winner is tabulated based on a point system. ■cr