The Sisters of the Valley Bless Their Oregon Expansion
The unexpected invitation that led Stoner Magazine to an intimate, two-day ceremonial blessing with the world-famous “weed nuns.”
It all started back in late June when Stoner Magazine was sponsoring the Oregon Hempfest. We were approached by Mike Beene, a man intimately familiar with the Oregon dispensary market, who dropped an intriguing piece of news: the legendary Sisters of the Valley were coming to a local farm for a special land and crop blessing.
A week later, I received an email from Ryan Burns of Infinite Tree inviting us out to the farm to witness it firsthand. I was honored to accept.
The Origins of the Sisterhood
For the uninitiated, the Sisters of the Valley are an enclave of activist, non-religious, New Age nuns. The Sisterhood was born out of the Occupy movement in the fall of 2011, when Sister Kate officially declared herself a nun and launched her activism.
Their way of life is inspired by the Beguines, a medieval order of women who lived collectively, organized early nursing efforts, and operated pre-Christianity.
The Sisters are renowned for their plant-based medicines, particularly CBD, which are meticulously crafted in harmony with the moon cycles. They are guided by a mission to heal the world, honor Mother Earth, and empower women toward economic independence.
The Meeting in Grants Pass
My journey began at Diamond Cannabis, a bustling dispensary in downtown Grants Pass, Oregon. It happened to be “Lemonade Day,” and the streets were alive with vendors, live bands, and eager crowds.
There, I met Ryan Burns and his wife Emily Gogol, the brilliant minds behind Grow It From Home and owners of the farm known as Infinite Tree. I also reconnected with Mike Beene and finally met the Sisters themselves
Why Oregon?
The Sisters’ arrival at Infinite Tree isn’t just a ceremonial visit, rather it’s a strategic expansion.
For over a decade, they have cultivated hemp in California’s Central Valley. But with looming federal restrictions threatening to target the total amount of THC in hemp products, the Sisterhood realized they needed a backup plan to survive shifting regulations.
The Perfect Partnership
The Sisters originally met Emily when she lectured at UC Merced, leading to many visits and a deep friendship.
Ryan & Emily’s farm, Infinite Tree, is licensed to cultivate both hemp and high-THC cannabis for Oregon’s regulated adult-use market.
This allows the Sisters to maintain their traditional agricultural practices and strict “Kosher Cannabis” standards, which require virgin land, sun-grown cultivation, scientific testing, and ceremonial blessings while continuing their vital work without federal interference.
Sunset: The Farm & Land Blessing
We headed out to the farm for the first event: the Sunset Land Blessing on August 8th. Before the ceremony, Emily treated us to an incredible farm dinner featuring BBQ beef, chicken, and a vibrant salad made from organic produce grown on the property and hand-picked by the Sisters.
At 8:30 pm, the Sunset Land Blessing commenced. As the Sisters have noted, these ceremonies aren’t about bestowing grace upon the soil; rather, they are a show of deep appreciation for the land itself, which is already pure and provides for them. Following the beautiful twilight ceremony, Ryan served up a fantastic Pinot Noir from his extensive wine collection, capping off a perfect evening.
The Documentaries
The entire experience was being captured by Andrew Feinstein, a talented documentary filmmaker from Los Angeles, whose crew filmed the Sisters’ every move for an upcoming documentary feature.
A previous documentary by Robert Ryan (entitled Breaking Habits) was filmed about the Sisters in 2018 featuring Sister Kate’s challenges and successes in her founding the Sisters of the Valley.
Sunrise: The Blessing of the Crops
After driving 15 miles back to my hotel and attempting to catch up on some late-night work, my alarm jolted me awake at 4:00 am. I was out the door shortly after to make it back to Infinite Tree for the Sunrise Blessing of the crop at 5:30 am.
Watching the first light hit the cannabis canopy as the Sisters moved through the fields was nothing short of magical.
Following the morning blessing, Emily served a hearty farm breakfast, fueling us up for a live podcast broadcast right there on the farm at 10:00 am.
A New Chapter
The Sisters of the Valley’s expansion into Oregon is a testament to their resilience and their unwavering commitment to plant-based healing.
By putting down roots at Infinite Tree for Oregon distribution, they are ensuring that their medicine and their message will continue to reach those in need, no matter what federal hurdles arise.
It’s truly a blessed venture!
Note to our readers: Keep an eye out for an upcoming Stoner Magazine spotlight feature where we will dive deeper into the incredible works of Ryan Burns and Emily Gogol.
