Budtenders are not just employees but crucial ambassadors of a cannabis brand. Their role is integral and highly valued in our industry. They influence purchase decisions, encourage new product selections, curate shopping experiences, and educate their communities on the myriad benefits of each cannabis product.
As the cannabis industry continues to evolve alongside advances in science and legislation, the value of an educated, loyal budtender becomes immeasurable.
At Coastal Sun, we cultivate this connection through direct, hands-on experience with our brand. One way we achieve this is by featuring our Coastal Moon Organic Blueberry Jam, a non-infused treat that reveals through taste how living, nutrient-rich soil influences flavor.
Introducing our flavorful jam into our training sessions transforms discussions about organic cannabis into a unique and engaging sensory journey. This correlation between flavor and learning not only stimulates the taste buds but also embeds the benefits of sustainable farming into a long-lasting memory.
The Power of Regenerative Farming: Coastal Sun’s Commitment to Sustainability
Our dedication to education extends beyond just cannabis and blueberries—it’s deeply rooted in how we grow them.
We use sustainable farming techniques like cover cropping, companion planting, and animal grazing. These processes allow our fields to thrive while producing harvests with robust flavor profiles and beneficial compounds. The advantages of sustainable farming go well beyond just flavor and health. They foster a diverse ecosystem that regenerates the planet, enriches the soil, combats climate change, and contributes to the well-being of our communities.
When teaching budtenders about our story, products, and cultivation processes, we offer tastings of our Coastal Moon Organic Blueberry Jam. This jam is made from USDA-certified organic blueberries grown in custom-engineered horticultural structures on our 40-acre farm in Watsonville.
Many customers look forward to these organic, deliciously juicy treats every year. The public can seasonally purchase our Coastal Moon blueberries in stores like Whole Foods and Erwon. The jam, however, is not for sale. Instead, it’s specially made and shared only during private events and budtender educations, making it an experience only those closest to us enjoy.
Our jam gives budtenders a firsthand taste of regenerative farming, creating a memorable connection between flavor, effects, and the health benefits of sustainable agriculture. This simple snack empowers them with the confidence to effortlessly share our story and the benefits of organic cultivation with their communities, creating a ripple effect of health, learning, and sustainability.
From Blueberry Jam to Buds: Connecting Flavorful Experiences to Cannabis Cultivation
Sharing our sweet and tangy blueberry jam while discussing the benefits of regenerative farming makes the knowledge accessible through a sensory experience. Since the blueberries used to make the jam are grown similarly to our OCal-certified greenhouse cannabis, tasting it is the perfect introduction to a conversation about how organic farming methods influence the flavors of the plants we grow.
We then relate the jam's high-quality and robust flavors to the range of cannabis cultivars they will later discuss with customers, like Trainwreck. This sungrown cultivar reflects the benefits of full-spectrum sun exposure. It’s rich in the terpenes D-limonene, β-myrcene, and α-humulene and exudes rich piney, woody, peppery aromas.
By linking the rich flavors of our blueberry jam to our cannabis cultivars, we give budtenders the knowledge to further discuss with their customers how our cultivation methods directly affect each strain's flavors and effects.
Transparency and Consumer Education: Coastal Sun's Commitment to Quality and Integrity
Transparency and education are essential to building trust and fostering informed decisions. From meticulous cultivation methods to our carefully crafted blueberry jam, we communicate with budtenders how our process reflects our commitment to quality.
The tangible representation of our practices through the jam directly links to the benefits of organic farming. This tasty experience (often accompanied by crackers, cheese, and other healthy snacks) allows the budtender to ask their questions directly to our staff, creating an additional candid connection and learning opportunity.
We aim to connect with budtenders through open conversations beyond just informing them about our product. We strive to make them feel supported, valued, and part of our sustainability journey.
Expanding Horizons: Elevating Education with Immersive Sensory Learning
Building on the success of sharing our Coastal Moon Organic Blueberry Jam, we plan to continue integrating our education sessions with a broader range of sensory experiences. The goal is that these educations will empower budtenders and consumers to make confident and informed choices about their cannabis products.
Our Blazin’ Better Brunch event is one example. This budtender-only event has taken interactive education to the next level. Here, we create a safe space for budtenders to learn about OCal certification and our organic products while allowing them to sample them in a safe consumption space. We invite other brands with similar values to join us in educating the community about pure, clean, quality, potent cannabis.
Blazin’ Better Brunch featured a lavish bagel bar where we offered bagels infused with cannabutter. We filled the spread with quality toppings like smoked salmon, fresh veggies, vegan cream cheeses, and our Coastal Moon Blueberry Jam. Furthermore, a coffee station featured delicious hot and cold beverages from a locally owned shop, the sensory area provided a quiet space for coloring and mindful mental health tips, and our garden center was an opportunity to take home an organic cannabis plant.
Beyond just letting people enjoy our flower, integrating sensory experiences on large scales, like our brunch, or in more intimate ones, like jam-tasting at budtender training sessions, is another way we provide tangible samples of our commitment to sustainability, quality, and transparency.
Conclusion
Offering a taste of our Coastal Moon Organic Blueberry Jam at our training sessions provides a flavorful, educational, non-infused hands-on experience that furthers our budtender understanding of organic farming and the plants it yields.
Our dedication to regenerative agriculture and transparency ensures that every aspect of our cultivation process reflects our mission of redefining high-quality cannabis and pushing an emerging industry in a direction that benefits all.
We invite you to explore Coastal Sun’s products and join us in our journey toward a more informed, sustainable, and engaging cannabis community.