A company that nourishes its plants with spring water from the Bernese Alps, installs a solar system to help power its operations and harvests three times a month to keep Europe flush with high-quality CBD flower is visionary. Considering that company is a mere three years old, let’s add ambitious to its description.
Grünkraft was founded in 2017, in Bern, Switzerland, by three future-thinking friends—Simon Anneler, Philipp Eltz and Tiano Thomas.
The trio launched Grünkraft in a single-family house. Since the house would soon undergo a complete renovation, an indoor grow would not damage the structure. (Therefore, big kids, do not try this at home.) They filled rooms with plants and taught themselves how to grow, harvest and process CBD flower.
After harvesting, drying and curing the buds to a perfect level of humidity, Grünkraft had to keep them there or risk destroying their valuable yields. An ordinary humidity pack couldn’t do the job.
Saving Terpenes in CBD Flower
Grünkraft required a pack with 2-way humidity control that achieved and maintained a precise relative humidity (RH) post-cure to:
· Stop terpenes from evaporating in storage.
· Preserve the high quality they painstakingly cultivated.
· Adhere to Switzerland’s strict cannabis safety standards.
So the innovators reached out to Boveda, the global leader in 2-way humidity control. Using Boveda, Grünkraft could keep its flower within the range of between 55% and 65% RH, which is the standard recommended by ASTM International. And create a monolayer of purified water around the hemp trichomes and shield them from evaporation. The terpene shield they created with Boveda, preserves the aroma, flavor and effect of Grünkraft’s hemp.
Fast forward to today, Grünkraft produces about 1,200 kilograms/month. Twenty four hours a day, the company fulfills wholesale orders for its top shelf CBD flower headed throughout the European Union (EU). To maintain the quality of the CBD-intensive flower in back-end storage and in transport, Grünkraft uses Boveda, the original terpene shield™.
Eco-Friendly and Prolific CBD Flower Grower
While it produces a lot of flower, Grünkraft is also nature minded. The Swiss cultivator fertilizes plants only with organic nutrients. Battles bugs with bugs, using beneficial insects to protect its CBD-intensive flower against harmful pests. Before they’re packaged, harvested flowers are gently fermented, sorted and sifted again to remove impurities, such as small flowers and leaves.
To keep up with constant demand for fresh buds, the company harvests three times a month. Then transports flower, CBD, oil, isolates, distillates and much more to 27 other countries.
“We tend to have all our wholesale strains on stock 365 days a year—every strain in an indoor, greenhouse and outdoor version and quality,” Philipp said. Rich terpene profiles are a hallmark of the 12 strains that span Grünkraft’s three dozen offerings.
Check out the terpene profiles of Grünkraft’s flower in its current catalog here.
All buds—even yields expected to have a quick turnaround—are stored with Boveda. Without the terpene shield Boveda creates, terpenes would begin to evaporate immediately. Without protection, terpenes would keep evaporating. And once those terps are gone, it’s a permanent loss.
“Many cultivators process a limited few cultivars at a time, sell through what they have and then release the next strain,” explained Kate Holste, an international account manager at Boveda. “What Grünkraft does is amazing—inventorying three varieties of 12 cultivars all year.”
“Many of our clients ask us how we keep up the quality of our flowers whilst they travel all over Europe. The answer is simple: @bovedacannabis”
Protecting CBD Flower In-House and Beyond
Scalability is why Grünkraft relies on the original terpene shield. The company uses Boveda to protect its huge inventory of flower as it moves from the facility to distribution and delivery.
Saving terps throughout the supply chain makes sure consumers enjoy a full terpene experience from Grünkraft’s flower.
“It takes a huge effort in logistics, coordination and quality management to supply clients across the continent,” Philipp added. “Therefore, we need partners like Boveda to support us in a technical way.”
Preserving EU THC%
Each country, or in the EU’s case, a coalition of countries, can establish the percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) it permits in cannabis/hemp products. (THC is a cannabinoid in the plant that produces psychoactive effects.)
As of October 2020, the European Parliament voted to increase the allowable THC in hemp plants and products to 0.3%. (That matches the national THC% for U.S.-grown hemp set by 2018 Hemp Farming Act.)
Because Switzerland is not in the European Union, that country set its own THC limit of 1%. Nonetheless, Grünkraft must adhere to the EU THC% for products it sells in the EU.
Using Boveda, Grünkraft is confident that its flower will always adhere to those THC limits. Only a saltwater solution like Boveda can maintain a precise RH. Storing flower at a precise RH, helps avoid deviations from THC% that could violate EU standards.
“Boveda keeps the Swiss-ness in Grünkraft buds on their journey across Europe.”
Philipp Eltz, Co-Founder of Grünkraft
Save the terps, win a major growing award!
Already the young company captured a 2019/20 CannaSwissCup award for its new outdoor cultivar, Harlequin CBD. Preventing terpene evaporation with the original terpene shield helped Grünkraft preserve the award-winning Harlequin CBD’s sweetly sour aroma, distinctive taste and vibrant spring green look.
Save the Terps with Grünkraft and Boveda
Find out more about Boveda, the original terpene shield, and its wholesale opportunities: email info@bovedainc.com or click here. Learn more about Grünkraft and its CBD flower here. And follow Grünkraft on social media @gruenkraft.
