Breeder 100% Made in France. Interview with Soft.Farm®: Weed Geneticist

Content originally appeared on Légalisation Douce.

It was several months ago now when we came across an Instagram account—that of Soft_Farm aka South of France Terpenes. A simple description:

No ego here, just seeds and love.

As we looked through the photos, we were drawn into his world, the world of breeding. The art of crossing strains to create a new one. All strains available on the market today are the result of crossbreeding. To name just a few: OG Kush (Chemdawg × Hindu Kush), Skunk (Afghani × Acapulco Gold × Colombian Gold), Jack Herer (Haze × Shiva Skunk × Northern Lights #5).

The breeder will select several strains to create the cross he wants. They will aim to «cross» at least two strains to create a new one. This cross will alter the following characteristics: flavor, plant structure, yield, cannabinoid content, and the plant’s resistance.

Hello Soft, Can you tell us a little more about yourself?

I’ve been a grower and enthusiast for over 20 years. Like many others, I started by growing outdoors using seeds given to me by friends or collected from buds obtained on the black market.

I often got good results, although I was never immune to ending up with a few hermaphrodite plants or 100% Sativa strains—which were completely unsuited to our climate. After a stay in the Netherlands in 1998–1999, I had THE revelation about «indoor» cultivation and the growing selection of strains developed by «real» seed breeders.

So I started stocking up on HPS lights, exhaust fans, and so on… through the few websites available at the time. I took a particular interest in hydroponics for many growing cycles, but eventually returned to soil-based cultivation, primarily for flavor reasons. I still managed to meet my personal needs through outdoor cultivation, because, let’s face it, my early days of indoor growing were pretty chaotic!

I’ve always tried to get involved in the French cannabis community, whether as a member of various organizations or as a moderator on a cannabis forum. Today, I work on my own, without any ties to any website or organization, for greater freedom and also to stay true to my guiding principle, which is:

• Availability for Farmers
• No misplaced ego
• Work hard on my selections and matchups without taking myself too seriously 🙂

Can you explain what a breeder does?

To start with, I don’t yet consider myself a breeder, but rather a small-scale grower, a farmer, or simply someone who has the opportunity to grow, test, and pollinate a plant. Thanks to the space I have available, the knowledge I’ve gained over the years as a grower, and the help of renowned breeders, I’m now fortunate enough to be able to work on crossing strains.

To me, a breeder is someone who tests, selects, and stabilizes their strains, and creates hybrids… Someone who experiments with their plants’ genes to get the best out of them. Someone who works over several generations to stabilize their strains, following Mendel’s laws, for example.

I could say I'm a breeder the day I start offering F9 and F10 strains that are certified as stable.

What was the first strain you grew?

The first seeds I bought—and whose genetics I was certain of—were Super Thai, Hindu Kush, and the legendary White Widow.

Where did you get the idea to start breeding?

The answer is similar to the one given a little earlier: the desire to share my creations while representing our country, which is so underrepresented given our repressive laws. My love for this plant and the desire to offer a product without misleading consumers!

What was the first genetic modification you implemented?

My first F1 hybrid, named PinklemonAiD, is a cross between Sensi’s Bud Purple and a LemonAiD OG male from Dank Genetics (hence the “AiD” in homage to Dank)—a cross that resulted from a selection process carried out in collaboration with several growers from the start! (Joshua, if you’re reading this 😜).

What's the best strain you've ever had the chance to grow?

There are so many! I loved the White Russian and the AK-47 from Serious Seeds. LemonAiD OG from Dank Genetics, which I use for some of my crosses; Skunk-based strains like Blue Cheese, which I’m a huge fan of; Kandy Kush from DNA Reserva Privada; and dozens more!

Are your seeds available only in France?

Yes and no—for now, I handle orders and shipping myself, but I work with customers from all over the world (the UK, Italy, Spain, the U.S., etc.).

I really didn't think the project would take on such a large scale, and I figured I'd be handling at most one or two shipments here and there, but word of mouth has really taken off, and I’m going to have to find partners here in France and abroad to help me out and distribute my catalog, which will be available sometime in 2017.

What phenotypes have you created so far?

I'm in the middle of pollinating some crosses based on LemonAID OG, OxXPuraVida, GorillaGlue#4, White Skunk, and other surprises to be revealed very soon.

Tell us your top 3 seed banks!

I wouldn't presume to name a top 3, but I'd just like to thank the following people once again for their approachability and positive attitude:

• Dank Genetics
• Devil’s Harvest
• Thomas from Serious Seeds

These are large, well-known banks, but they have that down-to-earth quality that I particularly appreciate. They’re also the creators of exceptional strains that need no introduction—strains growers can turn to with complete confidence. There are also names that have always inspired me, such as DjShort, the Grimm Brothers, SensiSeeds, Thseeds, and many more….

Are you waiting for full legalization before fully expanding your business?

A big YES—I’m keeping my fingers crossed because this will allow me to keep working, always striving for the best working conditions and a «less underground» profile. Even though I originally wanted my business to be more or less low-key… Well, that plan’s gone out the window. On the other hand, I’m thrilled about it, since it’s all happened through word of mouth and the great publicity the growers have given me 🙏🏻

Where can we find your seeds?

For now, through my Instagram account, Soft_Farm, and soon in grow shops, followed by a website.

What are your plans for 2017?

Working with landrace varieties from India, Réunion Island, and other regions far from our lovely country—varieties I acquired during my travels and through exchanges with fellow enthusiasts.

Without all this sharing and mutual support, none of this would be possible. 🙏🏻 👊🏻💚

Is that your final word?

No, first of all, I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks to Kerala from the late Tiki Seeds Bank for all her help. Dank Genetics, who agreed to answer some of my questions and has been a loyal supporter from the very beginning. Devil’s Harvest—same goes for them; they’re great guys who were always there to help whenever I had questions. Also, the professional growers in the United States whom I’m lucky to count as friends and who have always supported me in this project.

«Gruenepharm,» which operates a farm in California, where it develops its own strains and does an exceptional job of supplying dispensaries with the highest quality products.

And finally, a big thank you to Légalisation Douce 🙂