Maximum Yield Cannabis USA December 2017 / January 2018 | Page 34

grow
It is important to note that the State of Colorado does not
normally issue cultivation licenses for this many plants.
In fact, they never do. To function at this immense scale of
production, Los Suenos operates under four different licenses.
This licensing arrangement adds another level of complexity
to a business venture already steeped in multifaceted
regulation—the specificities of these licenses effect all
business operations, from employee wages to product sales.
VISION
Mason shed a great deal of insight into the operational
philosophy of the place, highlighting how the cultivation
conditions in Pueblo have organically shaped Los Suenos’s
business model and brand image. To illustrate, Mason
reports that their approach to cannabis growing is to “let
nature take its course.” Importantly, Mason stresses the
fact that the climate in Pueblo provides the means for this
system as Los Sueno’s garden is located at an elevation of
approximately 3,700 feet and receives abundant sunshine.
This notion is vital because there aren’t many geographies
in Colorado (that are politically accepting of cannabis
cultivation) that are conducive to ful l-sun, outdoor marijuana
growing. Therefore, it is from this climactic niche that Los
Suenos has developed its identity and business model.
The industrial agriculture component of Los Suenos Farms
is directly attributable to the climate of Pueblo as well, as
growing 28 acres worth of cannabis canopy in greenhouses
or warehouses would be a drastically different affair. Mason
is confident in the large-scale model of the farm, stating
that “nobody else is doing it like we are.” To be honest, he is
right. On a daily basis, the team at Los Suenos accomplishes
a careful balancing act between industrial production and
extreme attention to detail. For these reasons, they are set-
ting an industry standard in efficiency. As Mason puts it,
they are “pushing the boundary every day.”
It’s worth noting that cannabis businesses that push
the boundaries with size and innovation are generally
those who progress the industry. Along this
line of thought, Los Suenos is literally writing
the blueprint for industrial agriculture in the
cannabis sector. Furthermore, as Colorado has
become a model for a functioning, regulated
cannabis industry, international eyes look to
Los Suenos for guidance. Thus far, the farm
has been visited by Canadian businessmen
and politicians looking to gain some insight
into the inner-workings of such an operation,
34
grow. heal. learn. enjoy.
potentially using Los Suenos’s innovations to help with the
launching of the Canadian recreational program next year.
CULTIVATION INSIGHTS
The cultivation team at Los Suenos Farms, led by Hoare,
Sean Babson, and Eric Henderson, models their horticultural
methods after the general vision at the farm, which is
large-scale, natural growing. To this end, they use the
native soil of the farm for plant propagation, a practice
almost unheard of in an industry steeped in name brand
soils. Also, Hoare reports that the watering tasks at Los
Suenos are accomplished through the use of irrigation
lines built into the soil within the rows of crops. Finally, the
cultivators at the farm have adopted the use of powdered,
water-soluble nutrients for their massive fertilization
efforts—also a logical departure from the liquid nutrient
lines that dominate the industry. To reiterate, efficiency with
operational logistics is the key to success at Los Suenos
Farms and practical means for accomplishing day-to-day
tasks are essential for Hoare and his team.
The growers at Los Suenos opted to grow smaller marijuana
plants (by outdoor standards) than those seen in traditional
large-scale operations. For them, it makes the most sense to
grow their plants to between five and six feet tall. Again, this
methodology is directly related to efficiency, mainly because
attempting to grow 24,000 large plants simultaneously would
be an expensive proposition and logistical nightmare. More-
over, the size of the plants at Los Suenos makes them manage-
able when it comes to pruning and support. To illustrate, the
team at the farm simply supports the plants with tomato cages
rather than what would be time-consuming, labor-intensive
trellising and tying practices for an operation this big.
As the employees at Los Suenos Farms consistently juggle
the day-to-day logistics of such a sizeable cultivation
operation, they must also navigate the fine legal nuances
of the State of Colorado cannabis business. For Faber, the
constant struggle between logistical efficiency and at-
tention to detail requires a careful balancing act. Faber
explains that each of Los Sueno’s 36,000 plants has
a tracking tag. These tags feature a barcode, serial
number, and RFID chip. These numeric markers
represent a wellspring of information on each plant,
including strain, age, repositioning, and location. By
way of the State of Colorado-mandated METRC track-
ing system, the aforementioned information must
be available for the State at all times, through
all growth phases as well as harvest.
myhydrolife.com