The 4th annual GrowCast Cultivators Cup was held on April 12, 2025, at the beautiful Emerald Acres in Virgil, Illinois. This group of dedicated growers and cannabis enthusiasts are the heart and soul of the cannabis community. Cannabis Equipment News took the opportunity to talk to a number of growers and activists to discuss what makes this plant a passion.
Before I got the day started I thought I should get something in the stomach, so I checked out local Obscurity Brewing & Craft Mead for a bite to eat and a cold adult beverage. I was joined by @wiscogasstation [some attendees prefer to be identified by their social media handles], who is a cannabis advocate and knowledgeable resource for all things grown in the ground. He is an active member in GrowCast’s Discord group, an online collective of cannabis cultivation enthusiasts, and he was excited to meet up with his community in person—he even brought a number of vegetable seedlings to give to other members to help jumpstart their gardens.
Wiscogasstation’s cannabis use has changed over the years, from experimentation to overall wellness. From panic attacks, depression and even a bleeding ulcer, he has found comfort and relief with cannabis use. He is living proof that medicine doesn’t need to come from a pill; it can be something you grow, care for and harvest. At the end of our meal it was time to head to The Cup.
First, I want to acknowledge the leader and organizer of GrowCast and the Cultivators Cup, Jordan River. River joined us on the Cannabis Equipment News podcast last September, so make sure to take a listen.
River was the first to welcome us at the event. “Make yourself at home and enjoy my friends,” he said with a smile and an arm around my shoulder. Throughout the day almost every guest gravitated towards River for inspiration or just a piece of the excitement he exudes.
An Industry Event Unlike Any Other
As we moved through the festival, Wisco and I were greeted by everyone we passed. Unlike most industry events, you don’t see a lot of first names on name tags. Instead, you see Discord handles. This community has rallied around Discord as their way to communicate and share information. To be honest I’m a little unfamiliar with the platform, but for cannabis enthusiasts, it might just be the preferred platform. If you are a Discord user or become one, make sure to drop @cenmag a message.
The first table we stopped at was CannaCapable. CannaCapable was “founded as a way to connect cannabis cultivators gardening with a range of physical disabilities. A place to share helpful tips and tricks as well as growing and breeding knowledge. It is also a community of very supportive members facing similar struggles in everyday life.” The booth was packed and everyone wanted a chance to talk with CannaCapable founding member CrazyLegs. It’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement of this group of people, their passion to help those who have disabilities grow and enjoy the plant is inspiring. Make sure to check out CrazyLegs’ own episode on the Cannabis Equipment News podcast.
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All the booths were busy with people sharing gifts. From beautiful home grown flower, to new seeds, handmade gifts, veggies and more. Sharing is one of this group's core tenants—the others are education and knowledge.
Technical Presentations Delivered
Presentations started in the main tent and both Nik Nikolayev, CEO of Rooted Leaf Agritech and Kelly Burke, COO of Kifcure, delivered. Nikolayev broke down the entire process of what can make or break a cannabis grow, focusing on the importance of carbon based fertilizers. He looks at growing every plant with his “grilled cheese mentality.” You can’t separate the cheese from the sandwich after you make it—so know what’s going into your plant before you grow it. “Does a plant grow out of the ground into the air, or out of the air into the ground?” Nikolayev said that it’s kind of both. What goes on above and below the ground are equally important to the success and survival of your plant, he said.
Burke took the stage next, providing an education on hemp and offering predictions on the future of the hemp industry. She showcased a HempCrete product that is strong enough to build a home and also is flame retardant—a characteristic she demonstrated with a live fire exercise. We spend a great deal of time in our homes, she said, so shouldn’t they be made of something that is healthy? Burke also showcased hemp feed, seeds and other hemp fiber with an overarching message and goal to “revitalize regenerative agriculture and environmental stewardship through the cultivation and use of industrial hemp.”
I also had a chance to speak with @flowerpharm, a hemp grower and cannabis activist from Florida, who discussed everything from a hemp “cold press” oil that he uses for pain management, to the plant's agriculture possibilities for both humans and animals. Flowerpharm called hemp “the future of feed,” and praised it for its nutritional value.
He said hemp has a nutritional value higher than soy; a plant better for the soil, better for livestock, better for farmers as a rotational crop, better for everyone. He even showed me a digital walkthrough of a house completely made of hemp, from the floors to the ceilings. He also laughed at just how ridiculous hemp regulation has become, especially keeping the plant's THC levels at a completely arbitrary level with little or no research. He also spoke on the several attempts to completely remove THC from the plant, which only lead to the plant dying as THC is a natural defender of pests and infections to the plant. His passion and knowledge of the plant was incredible and sometimes intimidating—it was hard to keep up at times, but I didn’t want to interrupt his flow of thought and knowledge. Similar to the cannabis plant that flourishes when conditions are right, the conditions were ideal for him to share as much as possible. Much obliged my friend.
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Afterhours Nerd Out
As the event came to a close, we retired to our Airbnb and were greeted by the sounds of the goats that shared the property with us. Pickles the Goat had a lot on his mind throughout the evening. It might be a stretch but I think the goats were enjoying the aroma and food pleasantries being shared throughout the visit.
We shared a home with ten others who attended the show, and everyone exchanged highlights into the morning hours. For example, @dcgrowist joined me for a conversation in the barn amongst the goats. Throughout the day, I had asked several attendees about their thoughts on commercial cannabis and the state of the industry overall. Almost everyone greeted my questions with a look of disgust. Dcgrowist echoed similar sentiment, and said the commercial side of cannabis does a great job wrecking the quality of cannabis. He doesn’t visit dispensaries often, but when he does he is normally disappointed with the quality and the selection. “You’re trying to run a business around nature,” he stated. He doesn’t take the criticism lightly, and said he hasn’t seen anyone in the commercial space do it right.
As a representative of Cannabis Equipment News, I wanted to pick the growers’ brains about the equipment they use and which is the most critical. Most growers said a reliable light is key, but you don’t have to go overboard. Spider Farmer, Mars-Hydro, Growers Choice, Medic Grow, Grand Master, and HLG were the brands that I heard the most. For an all-in-one kit, AC Infinity was mentioned several times—about $700 dollars will get you up and running, and you can monitor it from your phone.
“And don’t forget air movement!” was another common phrase among growers. A simple inline fan can save plants and headaches. Controlling air movement and—more importantly—moisture will greatly help the quality and success of your grow. The entire group loved talking gear and grow setups. At several points it was more fun to take a step back and watch everyone laugh and “nerd out” about the latest and greatest tools, techniques, nutrients, and genetic strains—pictures of their personal best grows were shared like a group of parents sharing pictures of their kids. Instead of a cute smile on a toddler, it was a flower with purples, oranges and white trichomes so beautiful and lush that they look like they might jump through the phone.
Like many people in the broader cannabis industry, this is a group unafraid to share anything and everything on how to achieve a better grow. Strength of the community is key, and pride in any community is something that everyone could benefit from. There were no selfish people at the GrowCast Cultivators Cup in Illinois, I promise you that.
The commercial cannabis space has been tumultuous, from legalization to changing regulations and licensing issues, even the remaining negative stigma in the broader culture. But this group of growers is the heart of the cannabis plant. They embrace the plant's power to heal, bring people together, and encourage community—concepts and ideals that the commercial space might benefit from remembering from time to time.
When I asked Wiscogasstation what cannabis means to him, he said “It’s a lot to me. It's gardening, therapy, aromatherapy, social therapy, a social bonding mechanism. It's art, science and medicine all in one. Its community. I love this plant for reasons far beyond getting high at this point in my life.” Throughout my visit in Illinois, I heard the same passion from everyone.
Yes, cannabis is a drug, but it’s so much more than that to so many. Get your hands in the dirt. Plant, grow, nurture and harvest. Share your story. Join a community. Grow.
