How Terroir Impacts Cannabis

What Makes Pilot, Pilot

How Terroir Impacts Cannabis

In the wine world, terroir is everything. Terroir (pronounced terˈwär) encompasses the natural environment in which a particular wine grape is produced—the soil, topography, temperature, climate, growing practices, and surrounding habitat. It’s not about “good terroir” and “bad terroir” as much as each terroir determining the unique qualities of each wine varietal. Some varietals really shine when the soil has a particular characteristic. It’s why a certain sparkling white wine comes from the Champagne region of France; why great Pinot Noirs comes from Burgundy, France, the Willamette Valley of Oregon, USA, and the Ahr Valley in Germany. 

With cannabis, the natural environment has the same effect on each strain. The microclimate of a cannabis plant’s natural environment impacts the development of its naturally-occurring compounds. As long as it’s grown outside in nature, that is—growing indoors/in a greenhouse does not allow you to embrace the uniqueness of the land and climate in the same way.

Terpenes—those aromatic compounds we consume when smelling plants like lavender or oranges, drinking coffee, sipping wine, or crunching a peppercorn—are hugely impacted by terroir. To us, terpenes contribute to a strain’s flavor, aroma, and effects. For a plant, terpenes are what helps it interact with its environment; how it attracts pollinators and defends against predators, pathogens, mold, and fungus. The more dynamic the environment, the more dynamic a plant’s terpene production.

Our Terroir at Pilot Farm

High Elevation

Our farm is located on the side of a mountain in Southern Oregon, perched between 3,800 and 4,500 ft in elevation. Hot days and cold nights keep the air on the dry side, which helps keep fungi, pests, and bacterial growth at bay, leaving the plants to focus their energy elsewhere. The high altitude exposes plants to higher solar intensity, which puts terpene and trichome production into overdrive. An ever-present mountain breeze strengthens our cannabis and provides additional natural forces against molds and bacteria. 

Rocky Soil

The farm sits across the canyon from Pilot Rock, our namesake and a remnant of an extinct volcano. It’s a part of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument—the first U.S. National Monument set aside solely for the preservation of biological diversity. The minerally-rich, boulder-y soil of this area is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems found in the vast Cascade Range stretching from Southern Canada to Northern California. Our plants grow in loamy soil that contains an ideal balance of clay, sand, and humus—an organic plant material developed over millions of years.

Mild, Dry Summers

While Oregon is known for its long, rainy winters, this region sees less rain than the rest of the state. It sits inland from the coast, with short but warm, dry summers. The winters are cold, snowy, and windy, but our plants are harvested by the time the first flakes fall.

Hands Off Approach

We believe in bio-dynamics, sustainability, and compassion; in working with rather than against nature. Although we get eyes on every single plant throughout every growth stage, we add nutrients sparingly, only when necessary. The goal is to intervene as little as possible and allow nature to run its course, letting the plants adapt to the elements on their own in most cases. We believe it results in stronger, hardier plants and often stronger, more robust terpene profiles.