About
Dirty Bird Genetics, led by North Atlantic Seed Co owner Beth Mathieu, with the help of head breeder Ben Morris and the Maine Clone Co team, is the culmination of a lifelong passion for genetics and devotion to the development of the grassroots cannabis industry in the US.
Dirty Bird is a woman-owned crew of family and friends that set out over a decade ago to carve a space for women in the cannabis industry in Maine and beyond. A collector of many things, Beth began pheno-hunting and collecting genetics back in 2012 when she first entered the industry as a medical caregiver, but like all great things, it took tremendous patience, time and hard work to bring to fruition. Beth and the Maine Clone Co team have spent nearly a decade growing and culling the genetics collection that we work with today. We are so proud to announce that the Dirty Bird Genetics seed line officially launched in October of 2023.
We are still offering some of our favorite genetics and breeder cuts in clone form through our sister company, Maine Clone Co, which are available for medical marijuana patients and caregivers.
Our Breeding Practices:
When we began our breeding journey, we sought to create some phenomenal F1’s that we could pheno-hunt, adopt selections of, and eventually breed to IBL status. That was the seed of our vision, per se; however, we were so impressed by some of our F1 cultivars that we knew they had a place in our line up in their own right, and we ultimately decided to preserve those and feminize them for release after experimenting and testing their progeny. Our Peanut Butter Breath x Mimosa, aka The Brunch, was the first F1 that blew us away with its vigor, coloring and morphology, and as we worked it into s1 reversals and backcrosses, it shone even brighter, yielding us The Brunch s1 and Dirty Mimosa strains that you’ll find on our menu today.
In our time in the cannabis industry, we have grown and pheno-hunted hundreds of strains. Our goal is only to release genetics that meet our high standards as growers and industry professionals. The genetics must be phenomenal in some way to make the cut; we must see something truly exceptional in them. For that reason, you will never see us releasing drops with the same parental lineage multiplied between dozens of strains. We may pollinate a room of a dozen mothers with the pollen of one donor, but it would be abnormal to find more than a couple of keepers among them after testing the progeny.
Quality, consistency, and stability are what we are after, and we tend to prioritize good terpenes, medium-to-high yields, dense bud structure, and high calyx-to-leaf ratios above anything else. In addition to these things, we are always working on specialized projects such as breeding strong outdoor genetics for the northeastern climate. We test every project that we run for cannabinoids, terpenes, and viruses, and we aim to be as transparent as possible with our experience and knowledge of these plants.
Meet the Crew
Beth
Beth is the owner of Dirty Bird Genetics and North Atlantic Seed Co and has been working alongside family and friends in the cannabis industry since she kicked her day job in 2012. Beth splits her time between NASC and Dirty Bird, but always feels most at home among the plants. Inside the workspace, Beth is optimistic and full of ideas - too many ideas, some might say. She runs her business like a family, and for that reason, it has become one.
Outside of the workplace, Beth is a music lover; she plays guitar and piano and loves writing and listening to music of all genres. When she takes vacations, they’re usually planned around one of two things: music or food. Beth also loves to cook and she typically spends her evenings cooking up something special for her wife and her son.
Ben
Ben Morris is the Head of Breeding at Dirty Bird Genetics. Ben can often be found haunting the breeding spaces analyzing qualitative and quantitative traits of the plethora of cultivars being developed at Dirty Bird. Although heavily involved in data entry and analysis he prefers to get his hands in the soil and work directly with the plants for two main reasons: 1.) It’s more fun and 2.) the whole is greater than the sum of its meticulously measured parts and can only be fully experienced by direct, personal interaction with these fascinating organisms.
When not working with the plants or researching botany, cellular biology, genetics, or any of the myriad scientific disciplines related to cannabis cultivation and genetic improvement of cultivars, Ben can often be found playing music and/or rabidly discussing artists, genres, and styles with anyone unlucky enough to be held hostage by his manic discourse.
Siobhann
Siobhann, aka Doc Skunch, is a cannabis enthusiast with 20 years of smoking and 15 years of growing experience. As a head grower and sales manager at Dirty Bird, nothing goes out the door without the Doc Skunch stamp of approval.
In her spare time, Siobhann can be found searching for insects and amphibians with her wife and son in the woods of Maine, or relaxing with a locally-crafted IPA and slice of pizza.
Sarah
Sarah has worked with Dirty Bird since the summer of 2020.
She proudly lives under a rock with her two cats.
Devin
Hello, it’s me. I’ve had the pleasure of being employed at Dirty Bird Genetics for nearly 50 months. Going from someone with zero green thumb combined with minimal knowledge pertaining to growing, to where we are at now as a team, has personally been an awesome adventure. My interests and hobbies include sports, nature, exercise, and cribbage.
At the nest, I mainly reside in our vegetative grow room where it’s consistently sunny and 75. The continuation of life of our pheno hunted mother plants is my main responsibility.
Maintaining a healthy environment, feeding, cloning, transplanting, and potting are all tasks that allow that to happen. Shout out to our customers and supporters, and happy growing.
The plants favorite bands in order…Fleetwood Mac, AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Joe
Joe joined the Dirty Bird team in late 2023, bringing his passion for cannabis and a hands-on approach to the work. He thrives on collaborating closely with friends and enjoys the creative process of cannabis breeding.
Joe’s main focus is developing and advancing the autoflower department, working alongside the team to create something truly exciting and high-quality. The potential for growth and innovation keeps him motivated and driven.
