Just a couple of farmers trying to get by is how islander Steve Van Dyke described the roots of his and his friends’ fledgling marijuana business, Buds of Vashon.

The group of friends is hoping to reap the rewards of years of hard work as their island-grown, organic marijuana is hitting the shelves of mainland pot shops this week. The company also hosted a launch party of sorts on Capitol Hill last Monday, a “pot positive Happy Hour,” as the flyer read, to introduce the company to the public.

The company’s first crop was harvested in the fall, and Buds of Vashon is gaining attention for its focus on environmentally friendly, organic marijuana grown with the finished product’s carbon footprint in mind.

Van Dyke’s friend and business partner, island farmer Scott Durkee, who holds a degree in human ecology, has studied resources and renewable energy and prides himself on owning vehicles that run on vegetable oil, said he has always been concerned about his carbon footprint.

“A lot of my life has been spent getting my footprint down,” Durkee said.

So when Van Dyke approached him shortly after recreational marijuana was legalized in 2012 asking about getting in on the market, Durkee knew organic and low-carbon footprint cannabis would be the only thing he would agree to.

A 2011 study by Evan Mills, Ph.D, an energy analyst at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, reports that the yearly carbon dioxide output from electricity and transportation associated with indoor marijuana grow operations equals “that of 3 million cars.”

Mills’ study also reports that indoor marijuana grows cost the United States $6 billion each year in energy costs.

When broken down, Mills reports that one joint (roughly one gram of marijuana for the purposes of Mills’ study) rolled with indoor-grown pot represents about 10 pounds of CO2 emissions, equal to running a 100-watt lightbulb for 75 hours.

“I can’t say, ‘yes, let’s grow inside,’” Durkee said. “I never was interested in growing indoors.”

Van Dyke said Durkee was reluctant at first to get behind the project. With so many procedural and legal hoops to jump through, Durkee said it was a hassle.

But then another islander, Loren Reinelt, approached Durkee with the same idea and Durkee agreed to join in the effort.

With the farmer onboard, the trio reached out to Joe Yarkin, another Vashon farmer who runs an organic farm, and leased a plot of land for their operation.

“We were going to use Scott’s space, but it was too close to a park,” Van Dyke said referencing state law that prohibits outdoor grow operations and retail stores within 1,000 feet of schools and public parks. “We liked the idea of being located on an organic farm and figured Joe would help.”

The company applied for a marijuana producer and processor license in May 2014. At the time, Durkee said the process was a challenge.

“They’ve really regulated the heck out of it,” he said in March of 2014.

In that same month, the company was featured by Grist, a Washington-based  media organization that reports on environmental news and issues. The article focused on whether sustainably grown pot is possible, and focused on Buds of Vashon.

Just over one year after the story, and more than two years after Van Dyke dreamed up the idea, the company was licensed in May 2015: Just in time to begin planting.

“It’s actually kind of funny. The liquor control board knows that when you buy plants, it’s illegal,” Van Dyke said. “There is no legal place to buy new plants. They basically say, ‘You have 30 days to get plants.’ So we drove around the island and got the plants people have been growing kind of under the radar. That was really fun.”

Van Dyke said it was really important to them that they use plants that had been growing on the island. In all, the small team planted 21 different marijuana strains in an attempt to find six or seven that would work best. Some were planted in a greenhouse, while others were planted outside, but all were tended to using organic fertilizer (Durkee said he loves using seaweed from Ellisport), no pesticides (Buds of Vashon prefers to use wasps to eradicate pests) and light from the sun only.

“Nothing can replace the sun, it’s not an option,” Durkee said.

But growing outside comes with some serious challenges. In addition to the Pacific Northwest’s soggy climate that is less-than-ideal for a crop that can require up to 16 hours of light and is susceptible to rot and mold, outdoor grows can only produce one harvest per year. Perpetual harvests are possible with indoor grows. But Durkee said he was unfazed.

“Despite (this) maritime climate and the fact that it may not be the best, it’s where we live and it’s possible,” Durkee said. “Any farmer is subject to the whimsy of the weather. No matter where you are, there are challenges. The climate is not a serious detriment. It’s called weed for a reason, (the plants) grow and out-compete everything.”

Durkee’s words seem to ring true as he estimated the company’s first crop yielded somewhere between 75 to 100 pounds of buds, though he was careful to say the estimate is rough. The buds are being processed and packaged this week.

“All of last night and today, I’ve been creating labels (for our product),” Van Dyke said last week. “We’ve just started, but we think we can do it.”

The company’s logo features Durkee’s classic Volkswagen, named Gunther.

“When we first started I put together different images, but then I realized Gunther was always around,” Van Dyke said.

He said that Joe’s wife drew a picture of Gunther for the label, and it stuck.

“It’s a representation of how down-to-earth we are,” Van Dyke said.

The company already has one order from a retail store, and is hoping more come in over the coming weeks as stores begin to sample the buds the company has provided.

The growing season will begin again in late spring, and Van Dyke said everyone is eager to repeat the process with the knowledge they’ve gained.

“Having all the lessons we’ve learned behind us and starting in May, that’s a good feeling,” Van Dyke said. “We really think we can do it. The difference in this industry is there’s no established best practices. Everybody is experimenting.”

That experimentation and uncharted territory is what drives the group. Durkee said the business allows them to be part of making history. But Durkee wants to make it clear that he believes growing marijuana is no different than farming any other plant.

“Buds of Vashon is kind of like a start-up vineyard,” he said. “We’re creating a product, like a fine wine, to be enjoyed by adults who want to relax and to be inspired”