East Fork Cultivars is a standard-setting craft hemp farm located in Southern Oregon’s Illinois River Valley. They use regenerative, sun-grown farming methods to improve their soils and breed genetically diverse hemp cultivars and a wide range of ready-to-consume products that are available in 350+ retail locations and on East Fork's vibrant e-commerce storefront. East Fork’s wholesale and manufacturing business also delivers organic hemp ingredients and products to dozens of trusted brands, including Dr. Bronner’s, Gaia Herbs, and Rogue Ales.
In addition to operating an extensive in-house plant breeding program that represents one of the most chemically-diverse genetic libraries of low-THC hemp plants in the world, East Fork also oversees the Organic Hemp Farm Network, offers a full catalog of wholesale products, licenses its intellectual property, and employs 25 fairly-paid workers between its multiple Oregon locations.
Meet the Farmers
Nathan and Aaron Howard founded East Fork Cultivars in order to grow plant-based products that could provide a means of relief and healing for their oldest brother Wesley’s medical conditions. That guiding vision now connects individuals across the country to East Fork’s cannabinoid-rich offerings. Nathan and Aaron are now joined by co-owners Mason Walker, Tricia Chin, and Katie Stem — who each have deep professional and relational connections to East Fork’s mission and vision. East Fork’s talented team continues to grow along with their diverse range of supporting business ventures and products. Click here to learn more about the individuals behind the brand.
Regenerative & Sustainable Practices
Founders Nathan and Aaron Howard started East Fork as a means to provide relief and healing for their oldest brother Wesley’s medical conditions. At every level, a commitment to health, social justice, and regeneration continues to guide the design and management of the farm and its many businesses:
- The East Fork Cultivars farm is certified USDA Organic and Sun+Earth certified, which evaluates production based on earth care, human empowerment, and community engagement.
- Soil inputs are generated on-farm as much as possible, drawing from Korean Natural Farming methods to produce biologically rich soil amendments out of local plant and crop debris.
- Some crop residue is transformed into biochar to feed soil microbes and improve soil water retention.
- The farm serves as a “living laboratory” where experiments are conducted in partnership with research universities like UC Berkeley and Oregon State University to monitor the ecological benefits of no-till management and dry farming.
- Native plants are actively cultivated on the farm so the seed can be used in restoration efforts. This work is done in partnership with The Understory Initiative and federal natural resource agencies.
- All staff members are paid living wages, and currently, the highest-earning executive at East Fork earns less than 2x the wage of the most entry-level employee.
- All employees have access to East Fork’s professional development program and year-round, full-time employment with benefits is prioritized as much as possible—a rarity in agricultural systems that typically rely on seasonal labor.
