Progress Report: 9.8.23

Grasshopper Family,

HARVEST HAS BEGUN!

The indoor plants were ready and we harvested both rooms yesterday. The team did an amazing job of using this evolution to mimic what we will do when we do the big lift in a couple of weeks...the outdoor plants.

BUT, the start of harvest should not discount the incredible quality of the indoor plants. Shawn and Lukas led the effort, resulting in some incredible plants and amazing flower.

This first step involved cutting the branches and hanging them in one of our dry rooms. They will now stay there until they are the correct moisture level. Once that is achieved, we will proceed to the next steps of takedown, buck, trim, QC, and cure. These harvest and post harvest steps are where many operators win or lose. A lot of people discount the details and even the effort to minimize transferring pests or pathogens to the branches as they make the journey.

I think the team nailed it.

I really can't believe how much bigger the plants are. I arrived at the farm and the growth was evident. The difference this year from the last two was notable. Take a look at these beautiful shots that Andrew got and one with Jason...he almost disappears between them!

Donnie sent another set of comparison pictures from Colorado. I love seeing when they were first planted and comparing them to now. They are doing an awesome job.

Pam and Duane came from New Jersey to tour the Michigan farm! We are so close to being operational in New Jersey, so this is the perfect time for them to come up and see the farm in all of its glory. This really is the time of year to visit. If you have the means, I highly recommend it.

We had a few more visitors as well. We met Anibal at Benzinga Florida. He has 125 acres and will be the first and only outdoor cannabis farm in Puerto Rico. He made the trip to visit the team and farm. It was a fantastic visit.

Beth and Tom of Columbus Apparel Company also came out. They have sent us some samples of what they can do and we are now working on switching all of our merchandise over to them. The current solution was nice to start, but we are ready for something with better quality and overall experience. And Tom and Beth are exactly who can do it. After doing it for 25 years, they know what they are doing.

Here is a little piece of trivia for you...what is Paul's favorite piece of equipment on the farm? Well, it happens to be a filter we use when adding nutrients to the feed tanks. That very simple piece of equipment saves the team a TON of time and aggravation. Nutrients have more than granular particles that our filters do an amazing job of catching. Paul explained that they also have slivers of plastic and other material in them from time to time that our filters can not handle. The solution? Paul's favorite piece of equipment.

I took the next picture as I was walking around during harvest. A leaf on the ground outside the buildings is a great indicator that harvest is underway.

We are wrapping up this week with more drone shots taken by Jack...and they are stunning.

Have an incredible weekend!