Cultivation experience is valuable. Turning more than three decades of knowledge into repeatable systems that support hundreds of lights, multiple rooms, and an entire team is something else entirely.

That idea sits at the center of this episode of the GroShow Podcast, as the conversation explores how Culture Farms combines hands-on experience with a structured, modern approach to producing premium cannabis at scale.

In this episode, Riley is joined by Ken Woodward, COO and Director of Cultivation at Culture Farms, alongside Grodan Retail and Commercial Account Manager Andrew Wilmerding, for a conversation about facility design, crop steering, substrate selection, automation, and post-harvest management.

Kenny shares how his cultivation journey began in Texas before eventually bringing him to Oregon, where he became part of the state’s early medical cannabis community. After years of working across different facilities and production models, he joined Culture Farms and helped develop the operation into a roughly 750-light facility with three nurseries and nine flowering rooms.

The discussion covers centralized nutrient mixing, automated workflows, room resets, plant spacing, and canopy management. Kenny also explains how Culture Farms approaches drybacks, root-zone monitoring, irrigation strategy, and growing media selection based on vegetative time, plant size, room layout, and cultivar requirements.

Drawing from his experience working in fine dining, Kenny compares cultivation to preparing a memorable meal. In both cases, quality ingredients are only the starting point. The final result depends on preparation, timing, teamwork, and how well every detail is executed.

Kenny and Andrew also discuss Culture Farms’ transition to Grodan Improved stone wool and how accurate root-zone data has helped Kenny evaluate irrigation timing and dryback strategies with greater confidence. Rather than treating technology as a replacement for grower experience, he uses data alongside plant observation and decades of practical knowledge to refine his approach.

The conversation also explores harvest scheduling, sanitation, drying and curing, bag appeal, cultivar selection, and the steps Culture Farms takes to protect quality after harvest.

For cultivators interested in facility design, crop steering, root-zone management, workflow automation, and post-harvest strategy, this episode offers a practical look inside Culture Farms’ approach to premium cannabis production.

Listen to the full episode below: