Spoils of the Soil: A Taste of Sustainability

This past May, Michigan hashmaker Terp Wizard and Third Coast Herbal Collective held the first ever Taste the Soil event at the Yellow Moon Yurt in Cement City, MI. A celebration of regenerative farming and bomb-ass resin, the gathering attracted heads from all over the Midwest and beyond (shout out to @Terpenetherapypodcast) to partake in the melty festivities. Complete with locally raised and foraged food, the day was soaked in sunshine, giving people a prime opportunity to connect with one another and with some of the region’s finest organic farmers. With the second installment approaching on July 29th, here are a few of the hash treasures I took home from the first.

Shmelty, shmelty goodness

Back Porch Cherry 90-149u by Strangely Rooted

Way across the state from cherry capital Traverse City in Mount Morris, MI, Strangely Rooted grows both edible and smokable crops, taking multiple awards in the last year for this very cut, literally left on the back porch by an OG with no identifying information. An Instagram post from November 2022 reads,

“Grown full term outdoor under an open ended hoop house in a 4 year hugel bed. Anaerobic teas and lots of organic matter. This category was open to both indoor and outdoor growers...harsh conditions bring unique terps. Shout-out to @fullspectrumseeds for taking my entry to the cup, they have some of the best genetics in the game. This strain also took first place peoples choice flower @countryrootsltd danksgiving.”

This Cherry really pops

This intensely tart cherry-forward melt had a deep burgundy color to match. Nearly washed away in a blast of cherry juice, notes of blood orange and rice vinegar underscored the acidic terp profile while a septic skunkiness lurked bashfully underneath. That stink became even more subtle from nose to palate, transforming from funk to furniture with the impression of gnawing on an old oak desk. The effects of the hash were thought-suppressing and calming with a mild euphoria, making this a highly medicinal strain for anxiety and PTSD as well as a great companion for a lazy day.

Guava Masque 70-149u by Great Lakes Grease

Another serious produce grower, Great Lakes Grease aka Great Lakes Sustainable Harvest deals in more varieties of tomatoes, gourds, fermented hot sauces, and crazy giant watermelons than I ever knew existed. Rarely pictured wearing a shirt or shoes, it’s hard to imagine GLG needing any service with the diverse and colorful bounty he reaps. I was torn between this cultivar and the Red Pakistani at his table at Taste The Soil, but the Guava Masque’s sweet musk, somewhere between a papaya and a durian, sold it.

Masque on...fuck it, Masque off

Like the Back Porch Cherry, Guava Masque’s unique flavor and powerful punch were largely owed to happy plants thriving in the sun with plenty of love and microbial amendments. The dressed-down jar, free of any logo or branding, placed the resin front and center, and ahead of the farmer. The strain's ancestry is full of old favorites, crossing Gas Masque [Headband x Kosher Kush x MAC] with Guava Jelly [Forbidden Fruit x White '91].

Equatorial fruit, Christmas spices and cologne dominated the taste of this 4.5-star air dried melt (well worth the extra swabs), amplified significantly in a hash-specific dry pipe compared to a dab rig. While smaller rips activated the senses and libido, larger ones left me in a pleasantly disorienting daze, and the fairly broad spectrum of trichomes collected ensured a thorough body buzz.

10/10 Would build a sand castle with this

“Sour City” 90u by Meltwaukee

As the only fully indoor brand represented at Taste the Soil, Meltwaukee certainly earned its exception. Using living soil beds under LED lighting, the Wisconsin-based operation runs genetics that range from the nostalgic, like Amnesia Haze and Alaska Thunderfuck, to more in-vogue fare like Red Pop and Project Z. Crowd-pleasing as candy flavors are, Meltwaukee’s gas offerings blew me away, and none more so than Sour City, a cross of Original NYC Diesel and Sour Dawg bred by Top Dawg Seeds. This turned out to be a slight mislabel, as the hashmaker confirmed it was actually his selection of [Sour City x Amnesia Haze] from PUA Extractions.

Take a 'wauk on the sour side

An aroma of diesel seared my nostrils, with dank Chem and bright, floral Haze pulling the overall profile of the melt in two directions. Delectably noxious gas blanketed the palate as a dab swirled around the banger, channeling the unmistakable essence of the Eastern Seaboard. The gold-colored hash, greased down to soft, sticky fragments of beach glass, was stimulating to both the mind and the appetite, enabling focus and creativity once munchies had been satiated.

6-piece golden hash nuggets

Off to See the Wizard

I couldn’t leave without a few souvenirs from the day’s host, Terp Wizard, which included three grams of his excellent cold-cured 73-159u rosin. Each flavor was more vibrant than the last, with Lemans bringing race track glory with strong fuel and burnt rubber notes. Guava Yogurt 2, on the other hand, was sweet as can be, tasting of namesake guava, rose, and pineapple bubblegum while bearing a light doughiness as well. When cracking the Melon Dough 2, however, all descriptive ability went out the window.

A wizard's hat trick

Soapy gas only begins to approach the truly exotic and mind-boggling terp tapestry with threads of honeydew, mango and lychee. It was like making a smoothie out of an entire Sephora hair and skincare section. Yet, skewering through it all was a sharply pungent dankness driving the initial cosmic slap that a dab delivered.

Safe to say the soil tastes sweet, my friends. Hope to see you at the next one!

@Medsforheads