Goodbye Humboldt & hello Monterey County!

[OregonBorn]

And speaking of casing places and the Bank of Italy. when I lived in Salinas as a kid I was asked by an Italian lady friend of my mother's to do a weird ass job. I was paid to go to a local movie theater and given enough money to buy two movie tickets. All I had to do was count how many people were there, and write down the count. Then after the movie was over and they cleared the theater, I bought another ticket and did another head count, and I would usually leave, unless the movie was good and I would watch it again. I would give the lady the numbers. This went on for about a month and then that was it. Easiest job that I ever had. She never told me what the movie theater thing was about.

She also told me about where the real money came in from regarding orchards, BofA and the Italian mob. At that time the Italians were selling their fruit orchards to the likes of Intel and Fairchild in the Santa Clara Valley (later dubbed the Silicon Valley). That was where the real money was in orchards and fruit trees back then.

 

[OregonBorn]

As it is panning out, it seems that the cities and counties in Cali are passing insane annual canopy taxes on growers. Monterey Co.'s $2 a sq ft is low compared to places like the cities of Salinas, Gonzales and Greenfield that are levying taxes of $15 a sq ft of canopy per year. In Watsonville its $20 a sq ft. I also read that Humboldt passed a $1-$3 a sq ft grow canopy tax. So good luck with that!

With these high canopy taxes and the $9.25 an ounce excise tax on grower sold weed, I do not see how growers can make it long term in California. With these and all the sales taxes, they are taxing weed to force much higher prices, and keeping the black market right in the thick of the MJ business there. I calculate that a grow operation the size that I would want taxed at $2 a sq ft with the CA excise tax per ounce would cost me 25% right off the top. Add testing, trim, labor and energy costs, and well as other overhead costs, and you are screwed. So legal weed is not going to be cheap to grow or buy in California. Legal weed is becoming a tax crutch to keep all the municipalities from temporarily going bankrupt from massive debt and overspending. Or plain muni greed. Meanwhile Southern Oregon medical growers are being forced out of legal business in 2018, so I see an opportunity for them simply shifting to supply the California black market with 'cheaper' weed. Medical growers in Cali are in the same boat. Flip to growing rec weed, or supply the black market. Its a cash business either way.

 

[Davesnothere420]

I consulted on (3) 180,000 sq. ft. greenhouses in Salinas. They wanted me as a master grower and I turned them down...Moneywise it was a poor choise but ethically I am happy with my decision. The cannabis grown down there is going to all be commercial quality at best. They are going to pump them all full of whatever chemical fertilizers are cheapest to buy in bulk, and the "master growers" are going to be "skilled laborers" at best. IMHO this is not the direction the industry should be going and I fully stand by and support all the small farmers, growers, and business owners out there. Diversity is key.

I also hold a controversial view on medical vs. rec... I think long ago California made medical cannabis a joke. And now that rec is here I think it is important that a new distinction should be made. Many people probably wont like this, but I feel medical grade cannabis should be grown indoors, where strict environmental controls are possible and contaminates can be eliminated. Every other pharmaceutical grade product adheres to very strict clean room standards for production, and I feel Medical Cannabis should not be treated differently. Many patients (and non patients) are immune-compromised, have allergies, or just plain deserve the peace of mind of knowing that what they are putting into their body was made in the safest and cleanest of conditions.
I believe there is a place in the market for everyone because that's how we in this community have treated one another for so many years. I don't want to see that go away when corporate greed comes into play. Community>Industry

couldnt agree more the way they are trying to turn cannabis into the same business they made everrything else in th usa is gonna not be good .

 

[mikeandnaomi]

Land cost are WAY MORE in Salinas then Nor Cal.

 

[MedResearcher]

Watched a speech from a consultant who claimed to have been brought in by some of the Salinas farms. He said at least up until this point they had serious issues with mold/mildew. So they had to fresh freeze most of the crops to make into distillate.

The consultant went on to talk about how they will have to sift through genetics to find varieties that they can crop like that without mold/mildew.

Mr^^

 

[maxmurder]

do you have a link? ^^

 

[OregonBorn]

I have heard about PM being an issue there, but that is one of the simplest things to prevent and control. Mold is another issue, but only happens if they have bad ventilation and/or condensation.
​

Seems odd though, as I grew weed for YEARS in the Salinas/Hollister/Gilroy area and never had mold or PM on ANY of my plants, ever.

I cannot find anything on the web about this happening.

 

[OregonBorn]

Interesting read on Monterey Co. pot growing. Even with the limitations, I do not see how anyplace else in California can compete. Like it or not.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/california-weed/article140700623.html

 

[MedResearcher]

If I stumble on the link I will post it Max. The consultant was Kevin Jordey from Wonderland, it was on youtube. He has a ton of great information, his seminars can be a little slow and long but he drops a ton of good info in between all his stories.

It is a lot easier to grow a little bit of weed without issues, or even more than a little bit spread out or spaced well. Its when you stuff a huge amount of canopy or pounds into a confined space more issues pop up or the issues escalate quicker.

Should be interesting.

Mr^^

 

[maxmurder]

Ok I know Kevin, going to see him soon he just got in a ton of seeds.
Very knowledgeable guy for sure.
Thanks Mr^^

 

[OregonBorn]

You mean Kevin Jodrey. He knows a lot about growing in GH. He also has a lot of rare clone-only specimen species and some back up specimens for others that he safeguards. The problem with Wonderland online is that a lot of the links there fail. There is a lot posted on YouTube by Kevin though. Not sure of its value, as they leave out a lot of details. It seems that knowledge and information is tightening up now that weed is going to be legal in CA. If it turns out to be anything like Oregon has been, competition among growers will be fierce and less open than it was in the medical only grow days.

 

[OregonBorn]

Is the (Emerald Triangle) party over? Or will Monterey Co. capture the green legal market, and 'boldt/Medno/Trin remain in the black? If states like MN, MI and NJ go legal with New England though, the black market will decline.

https://www.courthousenews.com/emerald-triangle-pot-growers-resist-state-regulation/

I have tried to find out where the licenses are being issued by county in CA, but it seems that the BCC and CalCannabis sites are pretty useless with either no information or the sites are not even ready to use yet. I do not understand the division between the BCC and CalCannabis/CDFA. There seems to be two regulatory agencies working there. As happened in OR, the early rec licensing is pretty crazy in CA, and they are issuing only temporary licenses at this time. They are only good for 120 days.

It is now only 9 days, 8 hours and 21 minutes from recreational cannabis being legal in CA. I will be down there in Mendo Co. on New Years Eve. Its going to be a BIG party, state-wide.

 

[SilverHazer]

I don't know if one county in particular will reign supreme in the recreational grow era. I do believe that valleys will become much more popular to grow in versus mountainous areas, just based off of total sun exposure. Free energy if you will. Maybe we will see more sativas being grown up north, and other forested areas, given that woodland areas get a lot more rain, and sativas are more at home in these conditions.

Maybe the perfect growing areas are already occupied by grape vineyards? These guys will definitely drive a hard bargain to switch from vino to mota.

 

[naturalbornkilr]

Monterey will indeed be the epicenter of large cannabis growing as it has better conditions for year round light dep than mendo humboldt or trinity, its only major drawback is the license fees at roughly a million dollars per acre currently.

 

[russjcan]

growing conditions in monterey county suck. Mold is everywhere. RH is always high.Fog until midmorning. Harborside greenhouse weed will be the coors lite.

 

[MedResearcher]

Heard an interesting pod cast on the radio today. Was a new part of the "Humboldt Chronicles."

They were talking about Salinas, and how it is such a heavy agriculture zone. Large amounts of pesticide, herbacide, and fungicides are sprayed on a regular basis for other crops. I didn't hear if it actually happened, or if its just a fear at this point, but people are concerned that the sprayed substances could be sucked in by a greenhouse intake causing a canna crop to fail testing.

Some fancy intake filters should solve the issue. A little scarier though, you think of all the produce grown around Salinas, do they even test it?

Sort of funny, they are regulating canna more than our food.

The pod cast went on to talk about how the sealed indoor facilities in the desert will have less issues to deal with. Again, sort of funny the lengths they are going to grow clean smoke compared to very little regulation on our produce.

Mr^^

 

[MedResearcher]

I do believe that valleys will become much more popular to grow in versus mountainous areas, just based off of total sun exposure.

Altitude plays a role as well. I think certain cultivars perform better in certain micro climates/altitudes. We moved a garden further down the mountain this last year. It was probably only 100' lower. The one cultivar we have been running for quite a while now which usually performs excellent, just didn't do as well. Regretted moving the garden afterwards. The lower spot gets an extra hour of full sun as well.

Have seen it happen before to. This old guy, had AAA+ always. One year someone ripped him off, so he moved his garden down the mountain. He still had good product, but it was never the same.

Figure most dense frosty flowers originate from Afghanistan. Surely tons of micro climates, but a lot of it is high altitude mountainous. Air gets drier, sun is more intense, season ends faster.

Have told this story before, but an old retired grower told me they thought the swing in temperature from night to day at higher elevations led to the flowers being better. The cold makes the plant think it is going to die before dropping seed, so it produces more resin to protect itself to make it to maturity.

Who knows though!

Mr^^

 

[OregonBorn]

growing conditions in monterey county suck. Mold is everywhere. RH is always high.Fog until midmorning. Harborside greenhouse weed will be the coors lite.

Well, I will say it again. I have actual experience growing a LOT of weed all over Monterey County, as well as San Benito and Santa Cruz county. I never ever had a mold problem there, or a PM problem there. EVEN growing outdoors in Pacific Grove way out by Asilomar. In places like Carmel Valley, King City and the like? They do not get the morning or evening fog.

I keep hearing this line of how Monterey County is so bad for growing, mainly from hard liner growers in Humboldt that believe that the current trend will continue forever. As for Monterey County being the Coors lite of weed? Monterey County grows some of the finest wine grapes in the WORLD. I was there when half of them were planted. People laughed at that as well. They said that grapes grown there could not compete with Napa, or France, or Australia. Well, they do... and not only that, some of the BEST Pinot Noir in the world is now grown in the hills west of Salinas. THE BEST IN THE WORLD.

Coors lite... yah, keep telling yourself that. Of course, Coors lite pretty much outsells most other brands of beer, and at a PREMIUM.

 

[Mtn. Nectar]

since 70's ....tended in Santa Cruz Mtn's, Carmel Vly-Cachagua, Big Sur, Arroyo Seco, humboldt, sregon, and last 25 in southern Sierra's ..........varietal selection is key .............what works best with least amount of need/care while expressing the genetics to it's fullest is the goal..........
banana belts exsist everywhere and can be utilized to tend varietals that straddle the line...............

ganj on..........

 

[MedResearcher]

Well put Mtn Nectar.

I use to get really great flowers from around the Santa Cruz area and Big Sur. Out of this world even. They were always expensive, in small batchs, and would sell out very fast. Really great growers tending small gardens putting out AAA+, sell out after harvest and have to wait for the next batch.

Really, the same with Humboldt as well. The commercial trend is everywhere. You have guys with little experience setting up giant farms, barely tending it, automating what they can, running commercial clones, cutting costs, and doing whatever it takes to make it to harvest.

I think the beer analogy comes from that, more than the geography. Micro brew VS Mass brew. A lot of Humboldt is wet and foggy, these days mostly commercial quality as well. Think there is just easier money in the mid market, so most people have shifted to it. Saw a study from Colorado, that most consumers would rather save some money versus getting top quality. Guess that is why Coors does so well.

Mr^^