Chemdawg from Grass Valley with Down Om Farms

As part of our Local Stories, Legendary Strains series, Lindsay MaHarry visits Down OM Farms in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada Foothills to see how their vintage cultivars flourish in true living soil.

The term living soil is thrown around a lot these days, but it means more than burying some earthworms in a pot of coco peat and calling it a day. Real living soil squirms, crawls, and breathes. It’s a microscopic universe humming in your garden, nourishing the plants.

Down OM Farms, one of the smallest licensed farms in California, works hard to foster as much life as possible above and below ground to create soil that’s truly alive.

Leafly’s Lindsay MaHarry visited the alpaca-powered farm near Grass Valley to see how their regenerative practices create microbially rich soil where vintage cultivars like Chemdawg thrive.

Chemdawg, or Chemdog, has garnered widespread acclaim for its potent and balanced effects, which can range from euphoric and uplifting to relaxing and sedating. Many praise its ability to alleviate anxiety, stress, and chronic pain, while also promoting creativity, focus, and relaxation. The strain’s distinct diesel-like aroma and flavor are often noted, with some describing it as pungent and earthy, and its unique terpene profile is frequently commended.

Vintage cultivars love living soil

Deep in the Sierra foothills above the mighty Yuba River is Down OM Farms. The family growers at Down OM believe in crafting the highest quality cannabis by fostering as much life as possible, from microscopic microbes to curious alpacas. 

Down OM treats their soil like a beloved pet. This soil is a living organism made up of microorganisms like fungi and bacteria, and larger organisms like centipedes, nematodes, and pill bugs that work together to feed the plants. 

The core of a living soil garden begins with its ingredients. Using only organic inputs, like compost teas and fish emulsions, is vital for microbe and human health. Compost and worm castings should be plentiful to provide water-holding capacity and safe harbor for microbes. Biochar is a great choice as well.

This kind of soil must never dry out, or bake in the sun uncovered with mulch or covercrop. It also can’t be disturbed. Practicing no-till keeps fungal strands intact, as the good bugs that eat bad pests remain in place. 

While modern indoor strains can struggle in this microbe-rich environment, as they matriculated in an environment of synthetic salts, and thus never developed a relationship with soil biology, vintage cultivars that were bred outdoors thrive in the organic complexity. 

That’s why this microfarm is chock full of vintage cultivars like GG4, OG Kush, Granddaddy Purple, Sour Diesel, and their beautiful “ChemD” cut of Chemdog, which was given the smoke of approval by Chemdog Greg, the father of Chemdog, himself.

Chemdawg: A legend born of a Grateful Dead show

Chemdawg is one of the most influential cannabis strains of all time. Its lore is deep, and its crosses unknown. In 1991, Greg “Chemdog” Krzanowski bought a bag of buds called Dogbud in the lot of a Grateful Dead show and found thirteen magical beans inside.

One of those seeds became Chem 91, a cultivar so gassy, so potent, it changed the game of modern cannabis forever.

Chemdawg, officially named “Chemdog,” is a hybrid marijuana strain grown and spread by the breeder Chemdog since 1991. In a Leafly interview, Chemdog relates how Chemdog came from what was thought to be Northern California bag seed, via a Colorado Grateful Dead concert. Chem 91, Chem 4, and Chem Sis are all variations on Chemdog. The original name Chemdog came from two names for the same bud “Chem” and “Dog bud.” Chemdog evolved into the variation ‘Chemdawg’ over time and distance as other growers and breeders propagated it, with the latter name becoming more dominant.

The Chemdawg experience

Down OM’s ChemD cut of Chemdog is super hard-hitting with a thick gas profile that moves seamlessly from nose to taste. It’s coated in a crystalline veil of trichomes that dances like diamonds in the sunlight. Their perfect rendition of this beloved classic has a heavy body high with a clear, uplifted head high that makes you feel happy and alive. 

Flower this fantastic reminds us that prioritizing small farms who are actually putting in the work to nurture real living soil is imperative. The family at Down OM prides themselves on maintaining a high level of land stewardship. They plant fruit trees, perennial herbs, cover crops, and food crops right alongside their cannabis. Their alpacas and chickens create manure that feeds their compost system and worm farms. Everything is organic, sun-grown, soil-grown, and connected to the native earth. 

In the age of greenwashing, stay skeptical. If you see chemical salts, a lack of biodiversity, or a lack of transparency, that’s not living soil, it’s marketing.

If you’re in California, you can pick up Chemdawg flower from Down OM through Farm Cut. If you’re outside of California, there are cultivators nationwide doing great work with Chemdawg; hit the link below to find the legendary strain near you.