Meet Kyle Teves: Senior Cultivation Manager

1. How did you get involved with cannabis cultivation? 

 I developed a green thumb coming out of college.  I have a Biology degree from BU and previously worked as a teacher. Over summer vacations, I started growing vegetables and it was an instant realization of my passion for gardening.  As a recreational cannabis user and green thumb, I began growing my own cannabis for personal use when home growing became legal in MA.  This was around the time that companies such as Garden Remedies were just starting to pop up and cannabis cultivation seemed like a good fit for my passion and skill set. 

 2. What attracted you to Garden Remedies?  

 At the time I was hired there were only about a dozen legal cannabis cultivation facilities spread across the state.  The day I started looking for possible job opportunities in the industry, Garden Remedies had just posted for a grower position a few hours before; it was like fate. The fact that they were a soil-based company and seemed to have great company culture with a lot of potential for growth were the big attractors for me.

3. What is something unique about Garden Remedies cultivation practices?  

One unique aspect of our cultivation practices is that we use both soil and hydroponic mediums in the same building.  Our mothers and vegetative phase plants are all grown hydroponically, and we have both soil and hydroponic flower rooms.  As a grower, it is exciting to be able to bounce back and forth between each growing method daily.

 4. What do you think is people’s biggest misconception about quality cannabis and why? 

 I think that the biggest misconception about quality cannabis is that the best strains are those with the highest THC content.  I prefer a holistic approach when determining quality.  THC content is only a part of that equation.  Personally, if it looks good, smells good, tastes good, THC is an afterthought.

5. What do you see as the most critical factor in cultivating quality cannabis?

Strain selection is probably the most critical factor in growing quality cannabis.  You can have the best crew and state of the art grow rooms, but the quality of each cultivar is ultimately determined by its genetics and how well they compliment your specific grow style.  

6. What is your favorite strain of cannabis and why? 

As a cultivation manager responsible for producing high yields and cannabinoids to meet the endless demand, I would have to go with our workhorse Sour Kosher.  It has phenomenal structure, heavy yields, and produces a lot of frost.  A grower cannot ask for more!