Cannabis farmers are the unsung heroes of the community. Without their hard work and passion, there wouldn’t be exquisite bud to enjoy.
Kurt Kinneman has turned his passion for the plant into his career. The owner of Kinnektion Products, Kinneman grows CBD-rich strains on his family’s farm in Wisconsin. As a horticultural engineer at AI Grow, he helps design and automate indoor and greenhouse grows for the commercial cannabis industry. Kinneman also shares his cultivation knowledge in GreenState’s “Budding Botanist” series, and at conferences around the country.
Kinneman answered GreenState’s Fast Five questions, shedding light on how he built his career, his preferred growing environments, and why he decided to create a pet treat line from his beloved crop.
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GS: How did your journey with cannabis start?
Kurt Kinneman: I started smoking cannabis with a pop can, and many other homemade devices, when I was in high school. When I was in college, I discovered growing the plant which was just a hobby until years later when I got the opportunity to move to Oregon to learn to grow the plant on a larger scale. While I was in Oregon, I truly fell in love with growing the plant and got to experience growing it indoors, outdoors, and in greenhouses.
GS: What is your favorite way to consume?
KK: Right now, flower and edibles are my choice, but I could never pass up a good concentrate. To me it all depends on the source material and how the plant was grown, it is just like going to the farmers market and understanding who the producers are and how the products are being made.
GS: You grow both hemp and high-THC cannabis. Is there a difference?
KK: Whether the plant’s flowers contain high amounts of THC, CBD, or any other cannabinoid, they all have similar growing traits and environmental needs. Just by looking at a plant, it would be next to impossible to tell what its cannabinoid profile is. It is just different varieties like growing various types of peppers. There are so many amazing genetics out there that have unique cannabinoid and terpene profiles.
GS: Do you prefer growing indoors, outdoors, or in greenhouses? Why?
KK: I love it all. There is nothing like growing a 20 foot tall plant outdoors but there is something to be said for a perfectly controlled grow room with the most even canopy you can imagine filled with nothing but flowers. I would say my least favorite method would be the greenhouse just because of the difficulty of maintaining growing conditions as the seasons change throughout the year.
GS: You create several finished goods with your cannabis, including a line of CBD dog treats. What inspired you to create a pet line?
KK: I wanted to create a healthy treat for pets first and foremost. Pets deserve a snack that contains good ingredients that can help with inflammation and even reduce anxiety—a calm body can help calm the mind.
I started my cannabis journey only knowing about THC but I have come to learn much more about the plant and all of the amazing compounds it can produce to help people and pets feel better.
Kurt Kinneman is a cannabis cultivator and owner of Kinnektion Products. He is a horticultural engineer at AI Grow, a provider of automation solutions for controlled environment agriculture. Kurt is also the founder of Bad Apple Pets, a CBD-infused pet care line.
The answers given by Q&A subjects do not necessarily reflect the opinions of GreenState. The subject is solely responsible for the views stated in this piece.
