Introducing CAN…
a think tank, research hub, community organizer, and cooperative business developer working to transform the economy for craft cannabis farmers in the Emerald Triangle.
Our Purpose
The purpose of the Cooperative Agriculture Network is to to unite local stakeholders in the Emerald Triangle cannabis sector to develop and implement community-driven cooperative solutions that promote equitable resource distribution, local reinvestment, multigenerational land stewardship, and the prosperity of our rural communities.
CAN Academy
The Cooperative Agriculture Network runs an annual Cooperative Academy to provide you with training, resources and mentorship for effective cooperation, whether you’re cooperating with your neighbors, starting a multi-farm co-op, or contributing to the industry-wide initiative.
The third annual Cooperative Academy concluded April 2, 2024. Our next Academy will take place in the spring of 2025.
Stay involved by attending our Pizza with CAN workshops the second Monday of every month.
Cooperation for environmental compliance
With funding from the Resource Legacy Fund’s Land-Sea Connection Program, the Cooperative Agriculture Network (CAN) works to support programs to advance the cooperative development of water quality best management practices by small North Coast cannabis growers. CAN has launched a multi-month investigation into the ways that cooperatives can make environmental compliance easier. Research will be published February, 2024.
Economic Democracy
Democratizing our businesses by developing a co-op sector within the cannabis industry will lead to long-term business viability and ecological sustainability for many of the small independent farms and build on the values established by our predecessors.
Issues such as terroir and appellation can be addressed and solved together with this newfound federated power of regional cooperatives.
To accomplish our mission, CAN is doing the following:
CAN Academy - a five week cooperative development training program
CAN Accelerator - an ongoing mentoring program to help cooperative projects succeed
Cooperative Cannabis Think Tank - a visionary multi-stakeholder group exploring the possibilities, with the big picture in mind
Research and Policy Development - for a future that includes Federal legalization and a strong federation of cannabis cooperatives
Technical Assistance
If you’re working on a cooperative project and you want to sit down with a CAN advisor who will support you every step of the way, email us for a connection.
What Co-ops CAN Do For You
Our Research
SURVEY 2023-4
The research analysis revealed a broad consensus on the benefits of cooperative efforts, concerns about redundant, expensive, and complex regulations, and a common theme advocating for streamlined, consolidated regulations, cooperative incentives for water conservation, improved trust between farmers and agencies, enhanced inter-agency collaboration, and the equitable treatment of cannabis as any other agricultural crop.
SURVEY 2021-2
From August 6 to September 12, 2021 we conducted a survey to cannabis cultivators on the North Coast of California. A significant 82 responses from cannabis operators came in, allowing for robust data to analyze. Compiled by the Center for the Study of Cannabis and Social Policy (CASP) a federal 501c3 education nonprofit, the survey findings represent the first phase of a research project studying the efforts of Cooperation Humboldt to understand what services would be of value to cannabis farmers. READ OUR REPORT HERE.
INTERVIEWS
In Phase 2, twenty-eight participants were contacted for follow-up discussions. What comes out of this study is that cannabis on the North Coast is about much more than just farming an agricultural product, it’s also a way of life: sharing genetics and resources, participating in the community and growing food and vegetables along with cannabis. The research shows that this is an essential factor for success. READ OUR FINDINGS HERE.
Cooperative Solutions for Small Legacy Cannabis Growers in Humboldt, California: A Policy Report by Emma Karnes
This report is prepared for the Cooperative Cannabis Economy Group (CCEG), a joint project of Cooperation Humboldt and the Center for the Study of Cannabis and Social Policy (CASP). It addresses the problem that small, legacy cannabis growers in Humboldt California—growers who were cultivating cannabis in the region prior to the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2016 and who cultivate 10,000 square feet or less of land—are systematically disincentivized and disempowered from successfully entering and thriving in the developing legal market. READ THE REPORT HERE.
Our Blog
Meet Our Worker-Owners
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Shawn Cherry
Shawn is co-owner operator of Cherry Valley Farms and co-founder of the Salmon Creek Legacy Farms cooperative.
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Nicole Riggs
Nicole is the executive director of the Humboldt Area Peoples Archive, founder of Manifesto Synergies, Affiliate Researcher with the Center for the Study of Cannabis and Social Policy, and board director with the Humboldt Community Business Development Center.
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Indy Riggs
Indy is the owner of Galactic Farms in Stafford, CA.
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Tobin McKee
Tobin (they/them) is a Cooperative Business Developer, a member at Santa Rosa Creek Commons Limited Equity Housing Co-op, and a worker-owner at Full Cycle Compost and the Cooperative Agriculture Network.
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Geoff Churchill
Geoff is a cannabis farmer and wildland firefighter in Willow Creek.