Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Very good questions actually. My last run with a large number of GSC plants did not turn out as good as we had hoped. We did get a lot of product, but only about half of what we thought we were going to get when we started the project. Not only that, but it was very popular with the 6 patients that we support, and we are quickly running out. The next run coming out of the bloom room is going to be very welcome. The plan was to have those 6 plants and the 6 right behind them done soon, and product would not be a problem over the winter. Unfortunately, I am still running in a JIT (just in time) mode. We have a plan for the operation from now on using a monthly perpetual schedule, and no more long big plant runs... its just not worth the time it takes. From now on, maybe starting in march/april, I will be starting 3 plants each month, hopefully moving to a more or less monthly harvest. That should take care of product gaps. If this ends up not being enough product, we will move to a 6 plant/month model, always having 12 in bloom and 12 in veg.
I primarily run from seeds, but I have been known to take cuttings of plants that I really like, just so I can keep them going for a while. I have moved away from that model recently, realizing that I had almost 90 varieties of seeds sitting in a jar in the fridge, just getting older by the day. I also receive a lot of seeds, from contests and from friends wanting me to try something out. I will be growing from seeds for a while, so I can catch up and not age out perfectly good seeds in the fridge.
I have a degree in economics that propelled me to a very nice position in a large corporation, and one that I have held for a number of years now. It is a sweet gig, that although being salary and requiring me to be on call 24/7, gives me a lot of flexibility. One of my favorite perks is that most of the time I get to work from home on Fridays. In light of current events however, I am no longer proud to work in that industry and am looking for my way out. I would be content being a legal cultivator and provider, but that does not pay the bills. I am working on a new plan, to run an in person cultivating rescue and mentoring service, and I think with the right references, I can make a decent living doing this sort of consulting work. My grandfather was a professional arborist and landscaper in S. Cal, and I like to think that I could be following in his footsteps. I am seriously considering putting in my retirement notice in this next year, if not sooner.
As far as price goes, it's kind of a coop operation here. Patients who are helpers have a special price and they are easy on me financially, because they prefer to take their discount in extra weight. Others with a card on file supporting our operation, have another price. Family has a price, or at least some of them. I can't charge my Aunt who has MS and I can't charge my Dad. My brother, before he died, definitely had his own price. The base price was set before we had our first harvest, and all of us involved agreed that our base price (actually a donation) should be no more than half of what similar product would cost at the dispensary. Everyone agreed on this model and wink wink nod nod, enthusiastically gives me their appropriate donations for their medical needs.
All this being said, let me use this opportunity to say hi to Mrs. Finnicki! Merry Christmas to you and yours! Thank you for thinking of me!
