Behind The Grow w/ Eric Coulombe

On this episode of Behind The Grow, we sit down with Ted Smith, one of Canada’s leading cannabis activists and the founder of the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club. Since opening VCBC in 1996, Ted has spent nearly 30 years helping medical cannabis patients access affordable, high-dose cannabis medicine, even while facing arrests, raids, and millions in fines. Ted shares the story behind VCBC’s ongoing...

In this episode of Behind the Grow, Eric Coulombe sits down with his good friend Jerin from New Millennium Nutrients for a deep, funny, and wide-ranging conversation about cannabis culture, cultivation, nutrients, lighting, and the evolution of the industry. Jerin shares his journey from the Midwest to New Mexico, Colorado, Way to Grow, Rambridge, and eventually New Millennium Nutrients, where he...

In this episode of Behind the Grow, Eric Coulombe sits down with Dave Lacovelli from Method Seven to talk about one of the most overlooked aspects of cultivation—eye protection in the grow room. From the early days of HPS lighting to today’s ultra-intense full-spectrum LEDs, this conversation dives into how lighting technology has evolved—and why growers NEED to protect their eyes now more than ev...

In this episode of Behind the Grow, Eric Coulombe sits down with longtime industry friend Luke Silverman for a wide-ranging conversation on cannabis culture, hydro history, brand building, and the future of cultivation. Luke shares his journey from legacy growing and working in a hydro shop to helping shape some of the biggest brands in the industry. They dig into the early days when hydro and can...

What if the secret to bigger yields and better flower isn’t more nutrients… but microbes? In this episode of Behind the Grow, Eric Coulombe sits down with Colin W. Bell, PhD — the scientist behind Mammoth P — to break down the real science of microbial cultivation and how it’s changing the way growers think about feeding plants. They dive into how beneficial microbes unlock phosphorus, improve nut...

In Part 2 of Behind the Grow, Eric Coulombe sits down with Colin W. Bell, PhD, the scientist behind Mammoth P, for a deep dive into root zone biology, phosphorus cycling, microbial function, and what really drives better plant performance. This episode explores how Colin’s research background led to the development of Mammoth P, how microbial selection works, why root zone management matters, and...

In this episode of Behind the Grow, Eric sits down with AC Moon Cameron — a 25+ year veteran of the cannabis world whose story spans legacy cultivation, medical-era activism, education, consulting, and invention. This is a wide-ranging, no-fluff conversation that goes far beyond growing. AC Moon breaks down the difference between rescheduling vs descheduling, why corporate interests shape policy,...

In this episode of Behind the Grow, Eric sits down with Alexandre Gauthier, VP of R&D at Origin Nature, for an honest, deeply technical, and refreshingly open conversation about commercial cultivation, leadership, and what actually makes a grow operation successful. Alex shares the real story behind his early growing days, how hands-on experience shaped his approach, and why transparency and t...

Industry pioneer Jair Velleman joins Behind the Grow for a raw and insightful conversation about ambition, burnout, reinvention, and the evolution of professional grow lighting. Jair opens up about:• His early hustle importing equipment • Building Mammoth Tents and Gavita from the ground up • Selling his company for life-changing money — and the depression that followed • Rediscovering purpose thr...

In Episode 7 of Behind the Grow, Eric sits down with cultivation expert Shane Hutto for a deep dive into the science behind modern growing. From managing 160,000 sq. ft. of canopy at Cresco Labs to consulting across the country and now working with Profile Products, Shane brings decades of hands-on experience to this conversation. We cover:• The truth about “over-watering” and why it’s really an o...

Eric sits down with Tate Dooley (Key to Life; Backyard Farming Supply) for a deep-dive on clean inputs, synganic (synthetic + organic) strategies, IPM that actually works, and how to turn a suburban yard into a high-yield, automated food system. We cover the origin of Key to Life from compost tea brewers to today’s powdered nutrient line, why sulfur supercharges terpene expression, and the “one–tw...

Episode 5 dives into organic growing that actually scales. Eric Coulombe sits down with John Ramsey of BioBizz to unpack how to build living, microbe-rich media; dial organic liquids for soil and coco; and keep consistency without chasing numbers. They cover real-world feeding schedules, pH strategy for organics, when (and when not) to measure EC, and simple tweaks that boost vigor, aroma, and res...

From shop floors to global stages, Hydrofarm’s Paul Gonzalez (21+ years in the game) joins Eric to unpack what actually moves growers forward. They compare Spannabis vs. Mary Jane Berlin, why Germany’s living-soil crowd is surging, and how genetics booths supercharge real buyer conversations. Paul breaks down Gaia Green (EcoCert dry amendments: All Purpose 4-4-4, Power Bloom, worm castings) and Gr...

No pumps, no timers, no electricity, just a gravity-fed system that keeps plants consistently fed while you’re away. In this Behind the Grow episode, AutoPot USA’s Manny Pelaez joins Eric Coulombe to break down how a tiny team scaled in a down market, why passive “constant feed” works, and the simple feeding/substrate tweaks that prevent overfeeding and stabilize reservoirs. What you’ll learn: • H...

In Episode 2 of Behind the Grow, I sit down with Justin Cooper, co-founder of Green Planet Nutrients and creator of Growing Exposed. We’ve been running in the same circles for over 20 years, and this convo covers everything from legacy market days to helping veterans find purpose through flower. We talk about: • How Justin helped launch Green Planet Nutrients • The origin story behind Growing Expo...

In the very first episode of Behind the Grow, I sit down with my longtime friend and cannabis industry OG, Jason Stanley. We go way back—same school bus, same football team, and decades in the trenches of the grow industry together. Jason shares how he got started selling hydro gear in the late ’90s, why a bank manager had to write him an apology letter, and how the industry transformed post-legal...