Nathaniel Pennington, a Californian businessman in 2001, drove to the Humboldt County Courthouse for a Business License. In 2001, he was scared to enter the courthouse because it was still “really early” for cannabis branding. Pennington, who had discovered that the name Humboldt Seed Company existed, was then asked about his job. What was his response? His response?
Pennington says the Humboldt Seed Company name (HSC), which is the company’s official brand, was inspired directly by Humboldt County. The county, over the years, has been considered the home of the highest quality cannabis. When I was growing up in East Coast America, it was widely known that the finest weed came from Humboldt County. “I went to school in Philadelphia, New York and was aware of a place called Humboldt on the opposite side of the nation.”
Pennington moved to California at the age of 18 and fell in love with Humboldt County. Although it was inevitable that he would end up with a cannabis farm, at the time, this wasn’t something a person could do full-time. If I’d yelled that from the rooftops, I probably would have been jailed,” says he.
Pennington, in addition to growing cannabis for a hobby and working on some of the largest river restoration projects ever undertaken by mankind, also worked as an environmentalist. HSC is rooted in the values of environmental and social injustice, which align with Pennington’s previous experience as a Salmon Biologist. He says, “I have always had a great interest in both.” “I learned so much from salmon science that I applied it to my breeding strategies. We received $100,000 for a genomics study, which was one of my last grant proposals. The goal was to determine the differences between spring and fall salmon. We found the difference, and spring salmon were added to the endangered species list—cool stuff.”
The Beginnings of Humble Beginnings
A year after Pennington’s move, California voted yes on Proposition 215—the medical marijuana Initiative known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. Pennington says that the crazy thing is, even in his early years, he had already become known for being the person people went to each year for seeds. People would contact me from December to February, asking “Hey can you compensate?” What are you asking for them?
Pennington was driven by a burning passion to grow and didn’t need any money. Pennington says that he would simply respond, “Bring a six-pack and let’s kick it.” He began accepting these payment offers after his girlfriend, at the time, pointed out that she didn’t think he needed any more alcohol. It was never his intention to create or profit from a business.
Pennington, who says modestly that he happened to be in the right spot at the right moment, also noticed careless breeding. This made him want to change things. In the first place, it was obvious that there would be a demand. At one time, most of the domestic weed in America came from Humboldt County.
The Pursuit of Consistent Cannabis Genetics
Pennington understood that people want consistency in genetics. “People were starting to say, ‘We want seeds that always turn out the same,'” he says. Many people breed cannabis in garages. And there’s nothing wrong with that—it’s how we’ve created our culture. The process of making seeds in this way is known as poly-hybrid crossings, and the results are not uniform. If you are growing plants in your own closet, it’s fine to have different-looking plants. “If you are working in a farm or you own a farming business, it is important to have uniformed plants.”
In 2005, OG Kush exploded onto the scene, sweeping the industry.
“It started as ‘We want ten pounds of OG Kush,'” Pennington says. A year later they are back with a request for 20 pounds. They asked for boxes a couple of years after that, and this is 100 pounds. It’s now packs, which equals a 1,000-pound weight.
HSC is the leading licensed cannabis seed supplier in California. They have been serving their local community for over two decades, and they are committed to maintaining quality. These seeds have been bred in-house by experts with years of experience, ensuring that they will grow to their full potential.
Humboldt Seed Company: A Global Company
Pennington said, “I’m very proud that I have provided a service for the Humboldt County industrial sector over a period of 25 years.” “It is a major achievement.” HSC is now 70 employees strong, with all of them being actively involved. Pennington emphasizes that “we’re totally self-funded. This is extremely rare.” Pennington says, “We have bootstrapped our entire business and we are self-capitalized. “I’ve never invested; I haven’t even needed to take any major loans.” The growth of our company has been 100% organic. Our brand of genetics became known throughout the country.
Humboldt Seed Company, a Californian company with a license-based system for seed sales, sells over ten million seeds per year. Pennington has a favorite strain, Blueberry Muffin. The strain was first created in 2009, and then officially released in 2010. It has since become one of the most popular around the world and is one Pennington describes as “very easy” to grow.
HSC also supplies seeds in Spain and Canada. They are sold to growers throughout the world, including South Africa.
HSC also provided the genetics to Ocean Grown Extracts Evidence, a brand co-founded and set up by Damian Marley (son of Bob Marley), in an old prison near Coalinga in California. Pennington said it was an “honor” to have been chosen to work with the project. This is a major partnership. He says, “we brought down 80,000 plants last year.”
Pennington, his team and 10,000 plants were the pioneers of large-scale phenotype searching in America in 2018, with an event that has now become an annual event. It’s all about going out in the field with diverse people looking for different plants. Our goal is to produce seeds with a high degree of uniformity if farms demand it. He says that diversity is key in discovering and developing new cannabis cultivars. We keep cuttings from every single plant. Every plant has a reference cut, which is a genetically-identical clone.
Humboldt Seed Company has established itself as a reliable source for top-tier cannabis seeds for discerning cultivators—both home growers and commercial operations.
Every time the amount of care and love that is put into seeds shows through. Yes, quality is what speaks for itself.
Strains
Blueberry Muffin
Breeder: Humboldt Seed Company
Type: Indica Hybrid
Genetics: Razzleberry and Purple Panty Dropper
Smell: Sweet, earthy and fruity
Taste: Sweet blueberry terps and freshly baked muffins
Appearance: Purple-colored Frosty Colas
Effects: Relaxed, happy, and creative
Flowering: Grown indoors, the 45-day period is approximately:
Poddy Mouth
Breeder: Humboldt Seed Company
Type: Hybrid
Genetics: Mountaintop Mint
Smell: The nose is fuel-like with a sweetness at the end
Taste: Sweet, earthy and gassy
Appearance: Massive bracts with high trichome yield
Affects: Enjoy a relaxing, euphoric high
Flowering: 8 Weeks
Blueberry Pancakes
Breeder: Humboldt Seed Company
Type: Sativa Hybrid
Genetics: Blueberry Pancakes x PPD x Slurricane
Smell: Sweet syrup
Taste: Blueberry
Appearance: Green with purple accents
Effects: Highs that are comforting, uplifting and joyful
Flowering: 8 Weeks
California Octane
Breeder: Humboldt Seed Company
Type: Indica hybrid
Genetics: Dream Queen x Papaya x I-369
Smell: Fruity and gassy blend of skunk
Taste: Overripe and gassy guava
Appearance: The buds are dense and resinous. They have a purple flaking with light brown hairs.
Effects: The body is lifted by a strong head-high. All-day smoking is good.
Flowering: 8 Weeks
Royal Highness
Breeder: Humboldt Seed Company
Type: Hybrid
Genetics: Royal Kush x Cali Dream x Trainwreck
Smell: Fruity and gassy blend of skunk
Taste: Orange, skunk, and pine
Appearance: Purple frosty
Effects: The potent and uplifting
Flowering: 8 Weeks