Progress Report: 9.29.23
Outdoor HARVEST is here!
The team did a soft start to our outdoor harvest yesterday! You might remember that we did something similar last year. It was a great way to get the process started.
The team brought in 5,517.6 pounds of wet weight from nine different strains. They did a flawless job of it! We are absolutely ready.
We had two industry veterans visit the farm today to discuss some equipment they developed. They could not even figure out which plants we topped! And these guys have a lot of experience. Yes, they are that big. They have seen thousands of grow facilities and said that ours was above and beyond the rest. Thanks!
The team also installed a new ventilation system to increase throughput and decrease maintenance costs. And we have a trailer that is about ready to store our supply...because we are going to have a lot!
The Colorado plants are looking AMAZING! We are just about there for that harvest as well!
We had another awesome article published this week by the largest Michigan news outlet!
I included an attachment if you have trouble getting to the article, you can read it here. You can also check these links to see the pictures and watch a video.
We had a consumer send us the following email:
Hi. I just wanted to take the time to let you guys know that your products are helping people like me. I've been able to get off all painkillers and benzos in the past year since my doctor told me to try marijuana. My PTSD is also under control now too. Grasshopper Farms flower has been a daily part of me getting on track. Me and my crew here in North Central WI are big fans of your products and will continue to try and spread the word.
Thomas V.
Incredible. This is a huge part of why we do what we do. I have had the pleasure and honor of having hundreds of these conversations. The medical use of this plant is absolutely amazing.
We don't always talk about the importance of building a brand. Many facilities open cultivation and manufacturing and focus on white labeling and making products for bands of other companies. It's a good model that works. We did not go that route. We started a farm that grows a higher grade of outdoor flower. We then built a brand. We now have demand. We have recognition. We have loyalty. And, we are just getting warmed up. The rationale for the brand beckons us to look to the future. There will absolutely be a day when huge grow facilities and incredible manufacturing facilities come online. This will probably happen post federal changes. Without a brand, the white label non-brand operations will endure a huge risk. We are following a model that served other craft brands well, like Sam Adams and Firestone, to name two. The effort of managing a brand will be well worth it to anyone in this budding (yes, totally meant that) industry.
That being said, we were at Benzinga in Chicago this past Wednesday and Thursday. You might remember that we went to the last Benzinga conference in Florida. We set up a booth and aimed to share our story. It was a hit in Florida. Lots of attention. There was a huge shift in Chicago. People came looking for us. They knew about us. And, we ended up presenting and doing three interviews in a single day. The brand strategy is working.
Brad had to drive across the state yesterday. He was going to pick up a trailer we purchased. He walked through the front door of the business with his GHF sweatshirt on and was immediately received by someone saying that they had just read the MLive article featuring us.
Awesome.
Even one of the pictures included in this email shows the most popular cannabis operators messaging board in Michigan asking a question about where to start with outdoor grow SOPs and the response was to check with Grasshopper Farms.
More awesome.
This has been an incredible ride.
And we are just getting warmed up.
Have an awesome Friday and weekend!
