Massive 60 acre cannabis growing operation in Rock Creek, B.C.

[Rocky Mtn Squid]

SpeakEasy Cannabis founder Marc Geen oversees what could be the largest legal cannabis growing operation in Canada.

The 60 acres of cannabis plants is not just a mind-blowing image, it also represents potential upheaval in the cannabis business, because Geen argues it means high quality with much lower costs than greenhouses can manage.

"Once this business model catches on," he predicts, "There's no room in the market for greenhouse production and that's 80 percent of the production right now."












https://www.kelownanow.com/watercool...way/#fs_109284


RMS

 

[tobedetermined]

A couple of interesting takeaways when you dig a bit deeper . . .

Their genetics and grow control tech comes from PhenoOne which is a division of Israel-based Phenome Networks.
Their 2020 grow produced 70,000 kg of fresh flash frozen and biomass – for carts.

It may be just rumour, but I heard years ago that outdoor grows in many parts of Canada fail the stringent Health Canada chem test for bud grade cannabis because of air-borne pollutants like jet fuel exhaust, industrial pollution etc and of course, PM and budrot.

 

[Lester Beans]

60 acres of hay

 

[Storm Shadow]

Outdoor is a dying trend … Boof for acres

 

[jakespeed]

the geens always chasing the dollar, they slept with the local pigs for years , then they now grow bunk

 

[Rocky Mtn Squid]

The highs and lows of outdoor cannabis production in Canada


Finding a buyer for outdoor cannabis can be a hard sell, say some growers, but shifting consumer perceptions and getting creative with what you do with the end product can give a competitive advantage.


Outdoor growers say they have great cannabis, but convincing consumers—and provinces—can be a challenge.

For Jacob Saffer-Spiro, he says he thinks part of the perception of outdoor being of lower quality has more to do with what kind of outdoor some people may have tried. The owner of Willow Weed, a micro cultivator in Ontario, Jacob grows a few hundred cannabis plants on the farm he grew up on, about an hour outside Toronto.

Having a relatively small grow means he can spend a lot of time tending the crop, he says, giving it the attention it needs to create a premium product.

“Not all indoor operations are the same, and not all outdoor operations are the same,” he explains. “We grow small scale outdoors – organically, craft, hand-trimmed. And that is the critical difference, I’d say. We are growing very hands-on still, not fields of it. So we can really keep an eye on them, top them, prune them, and work with them.”

“I’m with my crop every single day. That helps me watch the quality of the product from seedling to harvest.”

One downside of being a smaller grower, though, is some provinces aren’t all that interested in, or equipped to manage, small amounts of products. When they had their first crop ready for sale at the end of 2020, he says they had about 40kg in total from a year’s work, which was too little for some provinces to show any interest.

“Ontario wouldn’t even give us the time of day. This is a big challenge for outdoor growers. Provinces like Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta—who have hundreds of retail stores—if you can’t give them, at least say, 20kg a month regularly, that just doesn’t work with their business model right now.”

Instead, Willow Weed found a path to market in Saskatchewan and Manitoba through a partnership with Benchmark Botanics, and say sales have gone well. With their low operating cost as an outdoor grower, Saffer-Spiro says wholesale prices of around $1-$2 is enough to keep them going.

“We did it last year, amazingly, with just our own bootstrap operations and our own thick skulls, we were able to pull off a harvest and get that to market, and that was the proof of concept we needed to do it again this year, even better. We were the first outdoor product in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the first in Shelter. And consumers are happy. People are comparing us in the same category as some of the best indoor growers.”

Since income from an annual crop is not always consistent, Saffer-Spiro and his father also run a business selling the same cloth pots they use on the farm.

“Having additional revenue streams throughout the year is good. We’re selling the shovels in the gold rush as well as the gold. And you can’t beat the margins on cannabis since we own the land and do all the work ourselves.

“It will take good product to shift that perception. I think just as some of the very large producers have given a bad name to indoor cannabis, there are very large outdoor producers giving a bad name to outdoor cannabis. So I would just say to the consumer, look at the brand, look at who is selling it, how they are growing it.

And ultimately it’s also up to the consumers to show support for the outdoor growers if they are eco-conscious. That’s why I’m so passionate about Willow Weed, because I can show people that you can grow cannabis outdoors at a high quality.”

Alannah Davis at Advanced Medicinals in Duncan, BC, says they recently finished their first harvest, after getting licensed in October of 2020. They planted about 4 acres on their 80-acre farm, spread out across six different varieties selected for their history and suitability for the region.

Because Advanced Medicinals currently only has their cultivation licence and hasn’t built out capacity for large-scale drying, they’ve opted to sell their cannabis as fresh-frozen. Although fresh-frozen sells for less, often well under $1 per gram, it also means less work, with no in-depth trimming and drying required and all the extra space that entails. One gram of dried cannabis also equals about 5 grams of fresh-frozen cannabis since it is still retaining water weight, meaning getting around twenty cents a gram fresh-frozen would be comparable to about $1 a gram dried.

“We went back and forth a few times on whether to dry or freeze it,” explains Davis. “The original design of our facility is to keep it as small and low cost as possible and we just don’t have the space to handle 5,800 plants drying. We did end up seeing a fair bit of demand for fresh-frozen because the concentrate market is starting to heat up, so we took that path.”

Even with interest in fresh-frozen cannabis for extraction increasing and a very low operating cost for their farm, wholesale prices can still make it hard to squeeze out a living. And despite not having a lot of revenue, licensing fees and CRA fees still apply.

“It’s a real challenge to be profitable, even with our low cost as a small outdoor farm. We’ve now paid two sets of licensing fees before we’ve even got a crop off, and margins are slim to none with some prices we’ve seen”

She says they’re in talks with a few processors interested in their crop.

Long term, Davis says Advanced Medicinals is looking at building out their own processing area as they would like to have a farmgate store where they can sell their own products, as well as other local products. BC’s farmgate model is not solidified yet, but the province has said they are looking at allowing cannabis growers to have a special event permit sometime in the future so that in addition to people coming to the farm to buy cannabis, farmers can also hold cannabis-related events, give tours of their farms, and perhaps hold concerts or overnight visits.

“My long-term vision for the farm is cannabis tourism, a place where we can have events and people can visit like they would a winery. I want it to be a place people can come and learn about cannabis and experience cannabis and just chill on the farm and really enjoy themselves.”

Still, that’s a ways off and in the meantime, the Davis family’s farm needs to ensure they can keep the lights on, so to speak.

“The path of having a legal cannabis business hasn’t been easy”, says Davis. “If I had to do it again, honestly I might not. But we’re here now, and we’re learning a lot. I’m very passionate about cannabis and I do see a lot of opportunity in the industry. Hopefully, the BC government understands these challenges and can find ways to streamline sales for us.”


Source: https://stratcann.com/2021/11/01/the-highs-and-lows-of-outdoor-cannabis-production-in-canada/


RMS

 

[tobedetermined]

“Ontario wouldn’t even give us the time of day. This is a big challenge for outdoor growers. Provinces like Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta—who have hundreds of retail stores—if you can’t give them, at least say, 20kg a month regularly, that just doesn’t work with their business model right now.”

Years ago, they had the same problem with wine and liquor sales in Ontario. The LCBO launched Vintages to offer small offerings, futures buying - things that the standard stores didn't have the staff, space or education to sell. It started as one store on Queen's Quay and now - 40 years later - there are Vintages sections in many stores across the province. We obviously need the same type of marketing zeal in cannabis but it will take time.

 

[mango420]

I love these outdoor growers thinking somehow they will be different than the hundred other outdoor producers piling thousands of pounds into the “mids” pile of lower quality unsellable product. Just because it cost you less to produce doesn’t mean people want your mids. Race to the bottom for these producers. The first outdoor producers that were licensed are probably still sitting on weed from their first crop. And it all would have to be irradiated to pass for sale.

 

[i.love.scotch]

Outdoor production for flower isn't really viable in today's legal market. These big outdoor grows are growing for distillate for vape cart production. And for that purpose they are effective.

70,000kg of 2.5% THC biomass could produce 1500kg of THC distillate. That's around 1.5 million carts. $40 a cart = $60 million revenue. Or $5 profit per cart would = $7.5 million profit.

So it makes sense for a vertically integrated producer making distillate.

The ones failing are craft micro producers trying to sell flower. They have to wholesale it to an LP to be processed and packaged and the LPs don't want outdoor no matter how nice it is. They offer 10-20 cents per gram and just use the product for extraction anyway.

 

[Rider420]

The Province will also develop a farm-gate sales program that will give B.C. cannabis growers the ability to sell their products from “farm-gate” stores located at their production site.

These programs support government’s commitment to the development of a robust, diverse and sustainable legal cannabis economy in B.C., inclusive of rural and Indigenous communities, while prioritizing health and safety. The targeted launch for both programs is 2022.

New sales programs to benefit cannabis producers, Indigenous businesses | BC Gov News

The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) has referred to their program as a “Production Retail Store” (PRS) licence which would allow micro cultivators, standard cultivator, and nurseries to sell their own products at their own production facilities or sites.

BC cannabis producers prepare for farmgate, but questions remain - StratCann

 

[ortsa1]

what happens if someone wanted to be a dick and toss in a bucket of pollen? seems like a bad business model

 

[Tynehead Tom]

My greenhouse grown is just as good as my indoor grown but it would be impossible to pass the Health Canada tests.
The plants are too exposed to all that nature throws at them and I have to be constantly working to naturally remedy any issues that present. That 60 acre farm would have to be heavily treated to withstand just the insect assaults never mind anything else.
I get a kick out of these outdoor growers in canada who think that they can copy the methods used at lower more cannabis friendly latitudes and produce the same level of product as the Cali growers do.
To get the quality I get I have to raise my starts indoors 6 to 8 weeks before I can put them outside around June 10th where I am at and then manually light dep my plants in a 10 week window.

Rendering the crops to extract for carts or edibles is the best these guys are going to do. All the big talk of converting cannabis users to outdoor that is grown in BC is a major pipe dream until someone comes up with a strain that actually suits the BC environment (or anywhere in canada for that matter)
There were and probably still are a few west coast BC strains that could be mass grown outside but of those I would bet that only one or two are going to offer the flavor and punch that top shelf indoor provides.
Now if those "outdoor" growers would switch to a light dep model with fewer plants so it is manageable, then 'maybe' I could see their flower being accepted but the guy with his 60 acres of sun grown..... anywhere in BC is going to be fighting a losing battle and my guess is that farm will be growing some other crop other than cannabis soon or they will be going bankrupt like all the others who have attempted this in Canada.

 

[exploziv]

I can just look at that pic from the start of the thread, that's one happy man right there!!

 

[Great outdoors]

My greenhouse grown is just as good as my indoor grown but it would be impossible to pass the Health Canada tests.
The plants are too exposed to all that nature throws at them and I have to be constantly working to naturally remedy any issues that present. That 60 acre farm would have to be heavily treated to withstand just the insect assaults never mind anything else.
I get a kick out of these outdoor growers in canada who think that they can copy the methods used at lower more cannabis friendly latitudes and produce the same level of product as the Cali growers do.
To get the quality I get I have to raise my starts indoors 6 to 8 weeks before I can put them outside around June 10th where I am at and then manually light dep my plants in a 10 week window.

Rendering the crops to extract for carts or edibles is the best these guys are going to do. All the big talk of converting cannabis users to outdoor that is grown in BC is a major pipe dream until someone comes up with a strain that actually suits the BC environment (or anywhere in canada for that matter)
There were and probably still are a few west coast BC strains that could be mass grown outside but of those I would bet that only one or two are going to offer the flavor and punch that top shelf indoor provides.
Now if those "outdoor" growers would switch to a light dep model with fewer plants so it is manageable, then 'maybe' I could see their flower being accepted but the guy with his 60 acres of sun grown..... anywhere in BC is going to be fighting a losing battle and my guess is that farm will be growing some other crop other than cannabis soon or they will be going bankrupt like all the others who have attempted this in Canada.

You have to remember the climate in Rock Creek and 100 Mile are just a little bit different.
Quality outdoor can be grown in BC and has been for years.

 

[SpaceshipNelson]

Outdoor is a dying trend … Boof for acres

correction: GOOOD full-term outdoor cannabis. . . . .

 

[Rider420]

Outdoor weed is perfect for concentrates that go into edibles.

"The cost to cultivate outdoor product is expected to $0.04 per gram from trimmed flower."

Cultivation - Speakeasy Cannabis

speakeasygrowers.com

No counting my labour the cannabis I grow under lights costs about 40 cents a gram.

 

[troutman]

Outdoor is the way for large production of extracts.

 

[Tynehead Tom]

You have to remember the climate in Rock Creek and 100 Mile are just a little bit different.
Quality outdoor can be grown in BC and has been for years.

Well I'm over 50, born and raised in BC , have been growing since 1989.
I've grown weed in the okanagan, helped grow weed on the coast, grew weed for years in the mountains out of nahatlach , harrison and pitt lakes...... grew weed for 5 years straight right under everyone's nose in Tynehead Park in surrey..... 400 plants a season in that park alone and no one ever found it.
Yes, some strains do reach a proper finish and were down right killer weed but everyone knew it was outdoor grown.
Heck.... I'm not trashing outdoor..... personally I really enjoy quality sun grown weed and is why the bulk of my yearly cannabis supply comes from my greenhouse.
Due to light dep method, I am able to fully finish 10 and 11 week strains up here at 3000ft on the cariboo/chilcotin plateau.

I think what these guys are doing is cool ...... geez it's a 60 acre pot farm..... who cares where it is..... still really cool.
I just don't see the retail cannabis market flourishing on sun grown BC bud no matter how good it is. Of course there are always consumers who prefer sun grown but the vast majority of tokers in BC who grew up consuming high quality indoor bud their whole lives will spot sungrown and view it as inferior to the indoor bud BC has always been famous for.

 

[flylowgethigh]

What size bags are those? Think about how many truckloads of soil was needed to fill all of them.

 

[BroncosStrong]

I have no idea of the bud quality, but their farm is a beautiful sight, it’s just metres off the highway and anyone can view it driving by….