Purple weed sits high on the mountaintop, taking in the view of the expansive Lost Paradise Ridge. It was planted by Lost Paradise Organics’ co-founders, husband and wife team Yeins and Josh Chestnut. They bought the land their award-winning weed farm sits on now in Whitethorn, California, in 2012, and founded the brand in 2019.
The name Lost Paradise is a nod to its home, bordering the King’s Range National Conservation Area and the Pacific Lost Coast. “We fell in love with the Emerald Triangle culture and rural landscapes,” says Josh. It’s in an ideal growing climate right on the county line between Mendocino and Southern Humboldt, only 9 miles from the ocean.
Lost Paradise Organics centers a mission of regenerative agriculture. The Chestnuts cultivate full-sun grown cannabis on 5,000 square feet of living soil. The cannabis industry has taken notice. The brand won 1st Place in The Emerald Cup 2022 for its Gelonade cultivar in pre-roll form.
Lost Paradise farm is a place where they can live in tune with nature, the founders tell me. Flowers and other fruit grow abundantly in the farmstead alongside weed. “The name represents a dream faraway land, a perfect place. One that, as we live, we try to reconstruct constantly,” says Yeins.
Small farms have been going through a contraction in recent years. What promised to be a new cash crop for family-run farms has turned into an over-burdened and over-taxed marketplace. “We, above all, are survivors,” says Yeins. “It is no secret that the challenges for small craft cannabis cultivators in California have been endless to a point where sometimes there is no hope and no reason to continue. What has kept us going is our love for the plant, the land, the people, and the freedom and happiness found in doing what we believe in.”
Lost Paradise focuses on giving back to its community including funding various social non-profit equity programs that benefit people most impacted by the War on Drugs. “Our thoughts always have been that we must do something instead of sitting idle and in chosen ignorance,” says Yeins. “This plant has the power to contribute to the betterment of society.”
It’s the true definition of a mom and pop shop. Josh is originally from Mississippi and grew up in New Orleans. His path crossed with his partner and future business co-founder Yeins when he moved to Costa Rica, Yeins’ home country. The duo met on 4/20 in 1999 in a city called Heredia, Costa Rica. “My mother managed a hotel business at our beach hometown in the South Pacific,” says Yeins. “At that same time, Josh was visiting the area looking for surfing spots while renting a small house with friends.”
Josh didn’t speak any Spanish, and Yeins didn’t have much English under her belt by this point. “That day, the magic of love happened and it was just through eye contact,” she recalls. “I will never forget his first sign, a very basic one, asking if I smoked, and I did. The next thing he managed to ask was if I wanted to go to the beach and smoke, to which I said yes.” This began their love story and grew into Lost Paradise Organics homestead.
A glance at the lineup of cultivars from Lost Paradise shows that they’re exotic-obsessed. In-house bred strains include a deep purple Forbidden Muffin; Berry Tropicana, a genetic cross between Blueberry Muffin and Tropicana Punch; Northern Comfort, a cross between Forbidden Muffin and Haze; Hashsicle, an Afghani cross; Cookie Bread, a cross between Platinum Girl Scout and Lambs Bread, and more. Lost Paradise also boasts a lineup of artisanal and full-melt fresh frozen bubble hash, made using limited-edition cultivars.
Family-owned farms are among the most successful farms in the Emerald Triangle. “We work together and balance each other out, supporting the whole growing process, compliance and in general sharing responsibilities,” says Yeins. In the case of Lost Paradise, Josh mostly takes over the cultivation site and deliveries, while Yeins oversees compliance, regulations, sales, and logistics of managing the business. The duo also share other related duties and raise their family.
“Without a doubt, we couldn’t do this if we didn’t stay synchronized and recognize how equally important both of our inputs are,” says Yeins. “In the bigger spectrum of the cannabis landscape here in California, I think we are doing well when it comes to female representation.”
Yeins offers advice for other women founders in the cannabis space. “Believe in yourself and what you do. Be open-minded and receptive to change. Have a long-term plan, and be humble enough to accept modifications as needed.”
What really counts, next to the daily work put into the farm, says Yeins, is self-care. “Find space to take care of yourself,” she says. “Always keep a positive attitude, appreciating the good things in life: nature, health, family, and the strong community environment that I think we are fortunate to have.”
“Work hard and keep your standards high,” says the co-founder. “Never allow fear or doubt to take over your ideals and dreams, be compassionate and loving above all, and have the ability to say no to offerings that undervalue your efforts.” Yeins says that other women entrepreneurs can tap into a deep well of feminine intuition.
Lost Paradise offers up advice for survival in this challenging moment in history for other cannabis operators. “As one of the smallest tiers in the new regulated system, my main advice is to concentrate on quality over quantity first of all,” says Josh. “That will set your farm and brand apart right from the start and this goes along with how much effort you put into your yearly production to make it the best.” His tips for operators include tapping into sustainable management practices, working in harmony with the natural environment, and benefiting the consumer.
A cultivar grown by Lost Paradise.
Lost Paradise
For other small farms pursuing cannabis industry recognition, the Lost Paradise teams says be prepared to put in long hours of hard work. “Learn to multitask. Surround yourself with like-minded people that show respect for you and what you do. We are creating not just a new industry but a new world. One where Cannabis occupies an important position,” says Yeins. “Hopefully, one day sooner rather than later, it will be widely available.”
“The growers and makers are in a significant way the gatekeepers,” says Josh. He underlines the importance of strain diversification. Consumers seek products that display new flavors and tasty, unique cultivars. Working on limited-run drops with hash makers is one way they take advantage of this strategy. “Offering provisions to other established well-known brands with your quality and unique flower genetics can be also helpful,” he says.
“Join grassroots movements,” says Josh. He advises other farmers seek out their local cannabis association to help shape policy in the benefit of small, craft operators. “Be open to collaborating with other producers and other license holders across the chain. Attend community events and keep your communication fluent with your public. A good way to do this is using the different social media platforms.”
Yeins offers parting advice of her own, including how consumers can better support small-batch farmers. “Look for information that is reliable about the plant and its benefits,” she says. “Read scientific research regarding the compounds and how they interact with our systems. Always ask yourself, where does this product come from? Who made it? Who are they? What are their values in regard to health and the natural environment? How was this product made? Does it have synthetic inputs of any kind, either while in the growing and flowering stage or while being manufactured?”
For shoppers who want to put their money where their buying power is, Yeins says they should be mindful at the moment of purchase. “Choose local instead of corporate ghost brand names or glam and gleam, go beyond the nice shiny packaging, and research the producer’s experience with cannabis and what’s their main driven motive to sell it.”
A good way to know if what you are purchasing is good cannabis is if the producer is also a consumer. “Otherwise, how can they really assure the consumer that their product is the best when they have never even tried it themselves,” says Yeins. “This would be like a chef that doesn’t ingest his own creations.”
Lost Paradise will be at the Mendocino Craft Farmer’s Auction on June 17, 2023 at The Brambles, a unique bed and breakfast in the heart of wine and weed country.
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.