Room Captain Brett Martin with Grow Room Assistant Emmy Bishop surrounded by the flower canopy they grew together .
Middle Age
As the plants grow up , they make another move into our flower rooms . Here the plants find themselves in the extremely capable hands of our Room Captains and their assistants ( growers ). At full capacity , Flora Farms can grow 90,000 square feet of flowering canopy . Each flower room is 4,000 square feet ranging from 900 to 1,200 plants depending on plant size and canopy coverage . For approximately 60 days , the flowers grow and develop into potent plant medicine .
Plants are grown hydroponically , which creates an ideal sterile environment . From root life to room temperatures , the data collection sensors provide quality control measures that help diagnose problems with objective data and relay exactly how to optimize a plant ’ s experience .
Precise control of the amount fed to the plants ’ roots helps minimize the nutrient waste . The irrigation system also allows humidity control in the rooms . This irrigation technique allows the growers to keep their hands on the plants and gardens and not hand-water them all day .
Flora Farms is always evolving to make its processes the best they can be . Quality control is set up throughout all departments . The team does not hesitate to remove any plants that do not meet its standards throughout the process .
Processing Team Lead Brent Vignoe shows off yellow tags that represent how many plants he bucked or processed in one day .
Elders
Gardeners harvest plants when the flowers are fully matured by cutting the stalk away from its roots and moving the plants out of flower rooms . Here is where the processing team intercepts . The processing team is responsible for bucking , drying , and curing the flower .
The first stop after harvest is drying . Like a cake rising in the oven , this is the first point where staff can see ( and smell !) the true bounty of their labor . All efforts and ingredients have combined and evolved and begin to show signs of an aromatic , beautiful final product . The staff hangs the full plants to dry for seven to 10 days . Regulating the plant ’ s temperature and humidity is incredibly important at this stage , which is heavily dictated by the needs of each specific strain . Once the plants have dried for seven to10 days , the bucking team begins removing the product from the plant ’ s stalk and separating away the remaining
sugar leaves . “ Heads down , scissors up ” is the motto of the bucking team . On average , a team member can process up to 50 plants per day , which is about 15 pounds of product .
After the flower is removed from the plant , certain strains will go through the trimming machine , providing a gentle pre-trim before the curing process . Pre-trimmed buds are packed into opaque curing bags to keep the buds smelling nice and terpy . Terp-sealed bags regulate humidity and allow the drying process to occur , which ensures Flora Farms ’ flower cures properly . The teams “ burp ” the bags about twice a day during the first week , moving to once a day and then down to zero when it is no longer necessary . Burping the bags allows for the release of built-up carbon dioxide and moisture , helping to deepen and shape the flavor and aroma of the flower .
Brent Vignoe with Ashton Paris , Processing Manager , smiling big while working .
Cured buds make a final stop to the hand-trimming crew . The extensively trained crew hand trims approximately 60 pounds of dried cannabis per day . Hand-trimming ensures that each bud is treated with care individually to keep the quality consistent across all strains . The final step in quality control lands in the hands of the packaging and logistics teams , but that ’ s a story for another time .
The cultivation facility brims with employees who live in nearby communities . The area of Humansville has roots in traditional farming and agriculture spanning over a century . Flora Farms considers itself lucky to be a “ teaching ” farm , raising new generations to love and cultivate marijuana . It has fathers working with their children and extended family members such as aunts , uncles , and cousins working alongside each other as coworkers and friends , once complete strangers who ’ ve all become family through the farm . This tight-knit network of passionate employees has created a culture that supports each other in growing the best cannabis and growing themselves into the best people they can be .
Flora Farms Banana Punch flower . ( All photos by Karla Deel .)
From clone to cure , Flora Farms ’ plants are handled with great and tender loving care .
Karla Deel is the Flora Farms Marketing Director , a writer , poet , and researcher , with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Media Arts from the University of Missouri-Kansas City . She ’ s published a book titled “ Storied & Scandalous Kansas City , a History of Corruption Mischief and a Whole Lot of Booze .” Deel also serves on the Jackson County Historical Society board , works in communications for the Friends of the Kansas City Public Library , and volunteers for several local nonprofits . Visit Karla at
www . KarlaDeel . com .