An agrotech research company in Ontario is looking for up to five cannabis producers to partner with to develop custom procedures and policies, focusing on optimizing yearly marketable flower production.

Trichome Hills, a cannabis nursery in Milton, Ontario, has been licensed since 2023. Founded in 2020, the company began with a focus on agrotech, lighting, and controlled environment agriculture (CEA). It operated as a vertical farm, cultivating a variety of crops, including microgreens, citrus, and berries.

By 2021, the company’s co-founder, David Phillips, received permission from the town of Milton to research and grow cannabis at the facility under a personal medical licence. This led Phillips to pursue a commercial Health Canada nursery licence to expand Trichome Hill’s research potential. The company now focuses on cannabis and custom-built nursery services.

Phillips says the move to a nursery licence helped them identify industry needs and develop novel cannabis genetics. A primary goal was to better understand how different cannabis cultivars grow under various conditions at their facility. He hopes to find several growers, ideally in Ontario, who are interested in working closely with the nursery to capitalize on these unique differences.

“The project I’m now working on requires five licensed Canadian cannabis producers looking to work with a full-service nursery to help develop custom procedures focused on optimizing yearly marketable flower production,” explains Phillips.

“It’s about healthy plants. One challenge in this industry is the lack of clean, healthy plants. If you start with a clean plant and a healthy root ball, it makes a world of difference.”

Since receiving their nursery license, Phillips says his team at Trichome Hills has been busy growing out some of the nearly 70,000 seeds they brought in at the time of licensing from around 70 different proprietary varieties. Genetically, the focus is on locating those with the right combination of yield, active ingredient content, bag appeal and disease resistance, especially to powdery mildew.

Mackenzie Hunse, the head of genetics at Trichome Hills, highlights this even more.

“When selecting cannabis genetics for breeding, understanding generational interaction and trait stabilization is key. Breeders should choose parents based on rare chemotypes, terpene profiles, pest resilience, and cleanliness from viruses like HLVd.  Useful methods include filial crossing to stabilize traits over generations, while backcrossing refines specific attributes. Selfing locks in homozygosity for commercial consistency, while outcrossing and polyhybridization introduce new diversity.”

Phillips adds that the propagation of clean mother stock enhances scalability while preserving genetic integrity.

“As the cannabis market matures, structured and creative breeding programs with a balance of stability, adaptability, and innovation will define long-term success in the ever-expanding market.”

One example of a cultivar they have been developing at Trichome Hills is something Phillips calls Donny OG, or The D.O.G., a cross between the popular Donny Burger (GMO Cookies Bx) strain and the Canadian legacy cultivar Lindsay OG.

“It’s not about reinventing the wheel. It’s about finding what works and combining it with something interesting that can make it a stronger, more unique option,” says Phillips.

Phillips added that the full-service cannabis nursery provides more than just clones. It also offers services such as pheno-hunting, technology and nutrient trials, as well as custom breeding services.

“We want to work together to optimize production.”

Ideally, he says Trichome Hills Nursery Services is looking for a mixture of indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse growers. Each grower must be willing to work hand-in-hand with the Trichome Hills team and provide access to the facility or site to document how the genetics are responding in each unique production site. All partner information will be kept secure and treated with confidentiality.

The end goal could mean much more successful yearly harvests for their grow partners while helping Trichome Hills conduct its research. It could also be a reliable backup source of clean plant material. Phillips says he only wants five unique production partners because he will personally work with them, giving each partnership the specialized attention to detail it requires. Partners will receive plant material at near cost for the duration of the year-long project.

Beyond providing healthy starting material and plants trained and ready to flower, Phillips adds that the nursery can provide services specifically developed for each client.

“Trichome Hills wants to work closely with our clients to develop the right products and the right services for them to succeed. Each producer has unique challenges and unique strengths that need to be leaned into. I really believe the bare minimum a nursery can provide is a healthy start, and from what I have heard, it seems this has not necessarily always been the case.” 

“To us, finding the right partnerships are key. We need to have trust and build a long-term relationship. I think, most importantly, it’s the combination of products, services and understanding that creates this kind of partnership.”

“I really believe full service nurseries can help producers in so many ways.”

If you’re interested in Trichome Hills Nursery Services and can commit to bi-monthly orders of 500–1,000 plants, please reach out and include your production site details at [email protected].

Content sponsored by Trichome Hills Corporation