Harley Smith

Harley Smith is a veteran in the hydroponics and cannabis industries, with over 28 years of experience as a hydroponics consultant and research scientist. In 1995, Harley started his career working with schools, setting up hydroponics labs and tissue culture labs in agriscience programs across the United States. He quickly became known for his expertise in hydroponics and plant nutrition and became a frequent speaker at horticulture conferences and professional development workshops for agriculture teachers.

In 2001, Harley was given a management position at Superior Growers Supply in Livonia, Michigan, where he worked as a full-time hydroponics consultant. Harley’s intimate knowledge of plant science, precision fertilizer management, and environmentally controlled agriculture made him a valuable resource for both hobbyists and commercial growers. He also became a respected contributing author for Maximum Yield Magazine, where he published more than 14 feature articles. To this day, he continues to teach online classes and has thousands of followers around the world.

In 2005, Harley was hired as the Director of Research for HydroDynamics International, a leading manufacturer of hydroponic nutrients and organic bio-stimulants. Harley developed the first commercially available bio-hydroponic nutrient specifically formulated for mother plants, and he continued to experiment with custom recipes for improved plant performance. He dedicated his career to improving the nutritional value of food, improving the plant’s natural resistance to pests and disease, and enhancing the plant’s stress tolerance and medicinal value.

In 2013, Harley Smith became the Director of Research for NPK Industries in Medford, OR. Using data from his full-spectrum analytical lab, he continued to perfect his hydroponic nutrients, organic bio-fertilizers, and custom feeding schedules. He worked extensively with commercial cannabis facilities on the West Coast and Canada, helping growers solve problems and achieve award-winning quality and yield. Among his accomplishments, Harley helped Grown Rogue win a first-place trophy for best terpenes and another first-place trophy for highest THC at the Oregon Growers Classic.

In 2019, Harley returned to Michigan to become the Chief Science Officer for Total Health Cultivation, a large, vertically integrated cannabis facility in Burton, MI. His strong foundation in plant science coupled with many years’ experience with hydroponics and cannabis production made him a trusted advisor and leader on their cultivation team.

Harley spent three years as Chief Science Officer at Total Health Cultivation, where he successfully helped launch the award-winning Light Sky Farms brand. During his tenure, he met three major goals:

• Successfully launched the commercial cultivation facility, providing setpoints for computer environmental controls, custom fertilizer dosing, and “best practices” for nursery and mother room parameters.

• Developed nutrient recipes tailored to specific stages of crop development. Using feedback data from leaf and nutrient analyses, he was able to fine-tune the fertilizer and bio-stimulant recipes under commercial lighting and environmental conditions.

• Achieved award-winning quality. With his help, Light Sky Farms received a first-place trophy for “best terpenes” at the 2023 Michigan Zalymics, a prestigious competition for top Michigan growers. The team also won first place for “gassiest” strain and third place overall.

In May of 2023, Harley left Total Health Cultivation to serve the wider cultivation community. Harley Smith is currently writing, teaching, and consulting under the company name Harley Smith Hydroponics.