Chilly, the Master Grower for Chilly’s Garden, has been growing his entire life. In 1999, he began growing for the Oregon medical marijuana community. In 2015, his family joined forces with Greg’s family to establish Chilly’s Garden to serve the newly created relational cannabis industry. Greg too has been a lifelong gardener, entering the industry to grow and make concentrates to assist his father who suffered from a rare blood disorder.
Greg states, “This crew is all old school Oregon hippie growers. We’re like the Ben & Jerry’s of weed.” He adds, “Chilly’s cultivation techniques aren’t focused on just the biggest numbers, but we look to build the biggest nose. The terpene profile is what makes that particular flower appeal to the individual.” As a testament to the quality of their cannabis, they have received two High Times Cannabis Cup medals, as well as a first place cup and runner up award at the 2016 Oregon Dope Cup.
Take for example, Oregon Pineapple, a well-known flower in the Pacific Northwest. Chilly’s Garden calls their particular strain Southern Oregon Pineapple because it’s been acclimatized to southern Oregon, and possesses a taste unique to this region.
As Chilly’s Garden moved from a medical to a recreational grow, they have transitioned their processes for higher density growth. The medical rules were based on plant count and now it’s square footage. Currently, they are experimenting with ways of maximizing this space without sacrificing the quality that has come to define Chilly’s Garden. And with their wholesale and processing licenses in place, they plan on expanding the menu beyond just their sought after flower.
Click here to visit their website, describing their growing process as “all-living, organic, closed-loop soil with a closed-loop irrigation system and worm castings on sight.” While Chilly cannot reveal the exact proprietary nature of their soil, he notes, “The soil is all living soil and fully organic. Everything is in the soil.” Even a simple additive like calcium is selected for its biological origin. Some organic nutrients, though accepted by many growers, Chilly’s has found to negatively impact the smell and flavor of the bud. There’s a philosophy behind each choice and it shows.
Moving forward, new OLCC club rules could allow turning their location into a club. They don’t want to compete with dispensaries but want to make this a destination place where people can come and chill and meet the folks on select days.
In addition to the high quality flower, Chilly’s is generous with artful stickers that have become much sought after collectible items among cannabis connoisseurs.
Currently, their flower can be found at dispensaries in Eugene, Springfield, Bend, Corvallis and select locations along the coast.
