Event Recap: Hall of Flowers
I’ve been attending Hall of Flowers since Dani Diamond and Rama Mayo started it in California eight years ago, and I’ve watched the show evolve alongside the state’s cannabis industry. This year’s Sacramento show was particularly meaningful because Budist partnered with Hall of Flowers to produce the Craft Sungrown Showcase, a dedicated space celebrating California’s craft cannabis farmers.
On November 4 and 5 at Cal Expo, we brought together producers from Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, and Nevada counties. Retailers could meet the farmers, ask about the cultivars they brought to the show, and hear how growing conditions and choices on each farm shape the aromas and flavors of the flower. I wanted buyers to come away with details they could share back at their shops when someone asks what makes a particular flower worth trying.
More importantly, we wanted to show retailers that craft sungrown flower deserves a place on the premium shelf. When retailers can explain what makes a particular flower special, whether it’s rare genetics, the care that goes into growing it in small batches, or an aroma and flavor worth seeking out, they give customers a reason to pay more. That higher shelf price can support better margins for retailers and a more sustainable price for the farmers who grow it.
Why Craft Sungrown Deserves Attention
California has a rich history of cannabis cultivation, with generations of knowledge passed down through farming communities across the state. Many of these smaller farms helped establish California’s reputation for exceptional cannabis, yet today they’re navigating a challenging legal market marked by high operating costs, declining wholesale prices, and limited retail access.
Craft sungrown flower gives retailers something distinctive to put on the shelf. Like wine grapes, cannabis responds to where it’s grown. The same cultivar can express itself differently on a sunny hillside in Trinity County than on a coastal farm in Humboldt. That’s the idea behind terroir. The story also includes the people who grow it, the genetics they’ve kept in cultivation, and the practices they’ve developed over years of farming that land. Those details give buyers a reason to seek out particular farms and cultivars when deciding what to carry.
Budist designed the showcase to help retailers bring that story back to their stores. Buyers could hear directly from farmers, then see how we used shelf talkers to give shoppers a quick read on the flower through tasting notes, critic ratings, awards, and certifications. Those same details give retail teams a starting point for training budtenders. When someone asks why a jar costs more, a budtender can explain where it was grown, what makes the cultivar special, and what the customer might notice in its aroma and flavor. That gives customers a concrete reason to try it and helps retailers sell through at a price that reflects the work behind it.
Exploring California Cannabis Growing Regions
The Craft Sungrown Showcase brought together farmers from Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, and Nevada counties. Retailers could meet producers from each region and hear how local growing conditions and farming traditions shape what they grow.
Humboldt County’s cannabis farms span coastal valleys and mountain ridges. Briceland Forest Farm, Catch A Cloud, Moonmade Farms, Sunrise Mountain Farms, Talking Trees, and Whitethorn Valley Farm represented the county at the showcase.
Mendocino County has a long history of small-scale cannabis cultivation, with many farms emphasizing regenerative practices and stewardship of the land. Participating producers included Happy Day Farms, Sweet Sisters Family Farm, That Good Good, The Bohemian Chemist, Emerald Spirit Botanicals, Radicle Herbs, Woods Goods, and Henry’s Original.
In Nevada County and the Sierra Foothills, growers work with mountainous terrain and distinct seasonal conditions. The showcase featured Burr’s Place, Down Om Farm, Good Times Farm, High Hill Cannabis, Sanctuary Farms, GreenShock Farms, Wild Leaf Farms, and members of the Nevada County Cannabis Alliance.
Canyon Creek Family Farms, Mountain Cannabis, and Trinity Alps CannaCraft represented Trinity County, a part of the Emerald Triangle known for its rugged terrain and remote farms.
Garcia Hand Picked and 12 Jays of Xmas showcased flower from farms across the Emerald Triangle, including Emerald Queen Farms and Galactic Farms. Sun+Earth also joined us at the showcase.
Meeting several growers from the same county gave buyers a chance to hear how each farmer works with their land, from the cultivars they choose to the practices they’ve developed over time. Those conversations gave our Budist sommeliers a starting point for walking buyers through the flower on display.
Bringing Cannabis Appreciation To Life
Throughout the showcase, Budist sommeliers Alex Scherma, Caleb Chen, Christina Wong, Christina Cassidy, and Lori Hirsch worked alongside farmers to introduce retailers to their products. Much like wine sommeliers, our team helped buyers explore the differences between cultivars, from their genetics and growing regions to the characteristics that make each flower distinctive.
The quality of the flower was reflected in some exceptional reviews. Two products earned perfect 100-point Budist ratings: POET's Satsuma Sherbert, grown by Sol Spirit Farm, and That Good Good's LA Pop Rocks. Other top-rated products included Sweet Sisters' Marilyn Monroe (98), Emerald Spirit Botanicals' Blueberry Boost (95), Moonmade's Sunny V (94), Sunrise Mountain Farms' Cherry Lightsaber (94), and GreenShock Farms' Pineapple Skunk (93).
Many participating farms also had histories of competition wins and certifications, including ECCO, Sun+Earth, OCal, and DEM Pure. These distinctions offered additional insight into the farmers' achievements and cultivation practices, while tasting notes and product reviews helped illustrate the diversity of flower on display.
For retailers, meeting the growers and exploring their products firsthand offered a better understanding of what makes each farm unique. Those details can make all the difference when introducing a customer to an unfamiliar cultivar, explaining a higher price point, or helping someone discover a new favorite.
Lessons from Wine & Farm-Retail Partnership
At Hall of Flowers’ Tactical Talks, Claudio and I explored two questions that came up throughout the showcase. How do you help customers appreciate a product they’ve never tried? And what can farmers and retailers do together to give it a better chance on the shelf?
I joined two longtime friends from the wine world, Napa Valley vintner and Missing Thorn founder Stephanie Honig and sommelier, wine judge, and educator Chris Sawyer, to talk about how wine shops guide customers toward unfamiliar bottles. A growing region gives shoppers a place to start, and knowing the producer helps them understand what makes a particular bottle worth trying. A tasting note can give them an idea of what to expect, and a good sommelier asks what they already enjoy before making a recommendation. Cannabis retailers can do much the same thing by asking customers what aromas and flavors they gravitate toward and what kind of experience they’re looking for, then introducing them to a cultivar and the farm behind it.
In a separate Tactical Talk, Claudio and JP, founder of the Good PizzZa Podcast, each presented a case study on what makes a collaboration work. Claudio started with a challenge familiar to cannabis retailers. When the shops down the street carry many of the same brands, what gives a customer a reason to choose yours? He pointed to Solful’s relationship with Alpenglow Farms.
Working directly with Alpenglow Farms helps Solful build a selection that stands out from other dispensaries. The Alpenglow team visits each Solful store every month, giving shoppers a chance to meet the growers, get to know the family behind the farm, and learn firsthand how they grow their flower. When Alpenglow’s Jack Herer won gold at the MJBowl, Solful shared the win with customers, giving them a reason to explore the farm’s other cultivars and learn what goes into growing award-winning flower.
That’s where the two talks came together. When a customer asks what to try, a budtender who knows the farm can explain what makes the flower distinctive and help them decide if it’s right for them. That gives the customer more confidence in what they’re buying and a reason to come back for something they might not find elsewhere.
Looking Ahead
In eight years of attending Hall of Flowers, I’ve watched California’s cannabis industry grow and seen how difficult it can be for small farms to stay in business. What continues to inspire me is the knowledge, experience, and craftsmanship of the farmers who helped build California’s reputation for exceptional cannabis.
The Craft Sungrown Showcase reinforced why retail education matters. When budtenders can explain where a flower was grown, what makes the cultivar distinctive, and how the farmer brought out those qualities, customers have more to go on when deciding what to buy. They can find flower they’re excited to try and feel confident paying a price that reflects the work that went into growing it. That’s one way retailers and customers can help keep California’s craft farms in business.
Thank you to the farmers who shared their time and knowledge, the educators and Budist sommeliers who helped bring those stories to the show floor, and Dani Diamond, Rama Mayo, and the entire Hall of Flowers team for making room for craft sungrown at the show.