The house burned down. The seed bank survived

The most valuable part of a cannabis archive fits into boxes, but it cannot be downloaded again. In a MyCannabis interview published on 5 November, NorCal Seeds & Genetics co-founder Jennifer Michaels recalls the 2017 Tubbs Fire: she and her husband lost their home and operation, but managed to rescue their seed bank – the house burned about a week after the fire began. The pollen collection could not be saved and had to be rebuilt. Today, Michaels says, older genetic lines also face a threat from market fashions as commercially popular cultivars replace them; this year the team worked with Canndor Herbarium on pressed botanical specimens, giving the plant a physical record as well.