Alex Musser, Farm Manager/Master Grower for Native Sun Grown – Interview Series

Despite innovative indoor cultivation methods becoming the industry standard—especially in regions without ideal growing climates—some brands still leverage their natural environments to produce high-quality cannabis that thrives on everything nature provides. Particularly among Indigenous-owned brands, whose connection to the land stretches back generations, these cultivators are proving that outdoor-grown cannabis remains popular and in high demand.

By utilizing agricultural methods tailored to their climate and landscape, brands such as Native Sun Grown demonstrate the enduring benefits of sun-grown cannabis. For a closer look into outdoor cultivation, how outdoor strains compare to indoor-grown varieties, and the creativity driving Native-owned brands, MyCannabis.com spoke with Alex Musser, Farm Manager and Master Grower for Native Sun Grown.

When did your experience with cannabis first begin? When did you first notice the plant’s potential and the support it could provide?

My personal journey with cannabis started rather early in my life. Living with ADHD and struggling with the ability to focus, cannabis really helped me to slow down and organize my thoughts in a way I had never been able to before. After moving to Juneau in 2004, I found there was a medical program for cannabis and a great need in the community for care providers and that is where my journey really began. I always loved the cannabis plant and felt called to grow it.

What are your regular duties as Farm Manager/Master Grower at Native Sun Grown? What are some lesser-known duties of the job?

I oversee daily farm tasks and maintenance as well as helping our processing crew with any bumps along the road. A normal day for me changes throughout the year. From cloning to prepping the fields and planting in the spring, keeping the weeds down and the critters out in the summer, to guiding our crew through harvest and ultimately making sure we have a clean cured product we can bring to market. Farming being very cyclical in nature, we are always preparing for the future and dreaming up ways to be better than before, but most importantly I am an advocate for our team and the cannabis plant.

Within your role, how are you utilizing agricultural practices and traditions of the Squaxin Island Tribe to grow the best possible cannabis? Why are those agricultural practices successful with cannabis cultivation as well?

At Native Sun Grown we use fully organic inputs that are primarily made from recycled materials. A variety of dry amendments are distributed into the soil along with Manure sourced from a local Sheep and Llama farm. We are also able to locally source Oceanic Hydrolysate that is made by recycling invasive green crab and Salmon carcasses. Using these types of organic fertilizer allows us to build soil health year after year in the most sustainable way possible.

How does the usual natural environment and climate of where you are located give you an advantage in the health of your cannabis plants and harvests?

Nestled between two arms of Totten Inlet in the northwest corner of Washington State, our farm benefits from a uniquely balanced coastal climate. We receive steady daily sea breezes and cooler summers that cannabis naturally thrives in. Surrounded on all sides by dense forest, our environment is both protected and stable. By working with the native soil and fostering a rich, microbiome, we’re able to cultivate healthier plants that have the opportunity to express their full potential.

Throughout the years you’ve served in the Native Sun Grown garden, how have you improved and strengthened your cannabis cultivation skills? What do you feel were the best opportunities to grow those skills?

Native Sun Grown has really taught me that I’m not in control. I have learned to be patient and allow mother nature to guide my day to day. I see every day as an opportunity to learn something new, be present, and make changes for the better.

Simultaneously, how have the cannabis cultivation operations and overall success for Native Sun Grown evolved over the years of operation?

NSG started with a big idea that turned into a diamond in the rough. Over the years, we’ve worked hard to build and maintain strong relationships throughout the industry while consistently growing clean, potent, and affordable cannabis that our customers can trust and keep coming back for year after year.

As someone who oversees an outdoor cannabis farm, what benefits do outdoor grows have over greenhouses or indoor grows? Even with all the condition control that indoor growing allows for, why would you prefer outdoor growing?

Growing cannabis in any of those environments comes with its own challenges. I enjoy growing cannabis overall, no matter the setting. Personally, I believe cannabis grown outdoors under full sun in living soil can produce some of the most potent medicine and the most incredible flower expression.

In your words, why do you feel it’s an honor to work at the first tribal-owned cannabis farm in Washington State? How does Native Sun Grown and Elevation perfectly showcase the power of opportunities for tribal-owned cannabis businesses?

From day one, I felt very honored to have been given the opportunity to cultivate this medicine in a sacred space for the people who have been the stewards of this land for thousands of years.

Our companies being fully integrated has been a key factor in the success of both NSG and Elevation. As the only seed-to-shelf organization in Washington state, we’ve had the opportunity to build strong relationships with budtenders, store managers, and customers. Budtender education has allowed us to promote our products well in our stores, and the quality has kept customers coming back for more.

As the Farm Manager, what are you most excited about when it comes to the Harmony Farms acquisition? How do you plan on bringing the standards that Native Sun Grown is known for over to Harmony Farms?

There are a couple of things I’m most excited about. Harmony has been building a wonderful team over the last decade, and that’s something you can’t just buy or replace. I’m really looking forward to everyone getting our hands dirty together.

For the second part of the question, it won’t just be me. It’s going to take a lot of work from everyone on the team. Harmony Farms has really been the industry standard, but we can see that the industry standard isn’t cutting it anymore. We’re all looking forward to implementing more organic practices into the growing process, along with a new facility and living soil beds for indoor flower. We truly believe this is the future of indoor cannabis production. We’ll be growing for the highest quality and moving away from the quantity-over-quality model that much of the industry has adopted.

Thank you for joining us, Alex! For more information on Native Sun Grown, please visit its website.