Local Waynesville native, botanist, analytics junkie, and Delphi Brands Cultivation Manager, Aaron Spurgeon, grew his first cannabis plant when he was 15 years old.“ When I was 16”, Spurgeon recounted,“ I saw Humboldt State University in a High Times Magazine and decided right then that is what I wanted to do. A few years later, during my senior year of high school, I took a botany class and realized it was a subject that came naturally to me. While many of my classmates struggled with the material, I understood it and enjoyed the challenge. It felt like I had found a niche where I could do something that not many people were pursuing.
“ My Northstar was simple: I want to make the world a better place, but I had no idea how. Plants had figured it out long ago, so I decided I’ d learn from them.”
While attending Humboldt State University, Spurgeon earned a Bachelor of Science in Botany, studying plant physiology, chemistry, morphology, taxonomy, ecology, soils, genetics, bacteriology, entomology, and other related fields. During
Aged Super Boof Piatella hash. that time, he also worked in forestry, developing an appreciation for data collection and analysis, and for using objective information to guide management decisions. Spurgeon remembers thinking,“ I’ ll go to California, earn a degree in botany, and by the time I graduate, cannabis will be legal in Missouri, and I’ ll come back home and get a job in the weed industry.
“ I thought that process would take about eight years. It ended up taking closer to 15. Along the way, I explored several different paths within botany and agriculture, but eventually I found my way back to that original goal. The funny part is that the greenhouse I help manage today is only about two miles from the high school where I first made that plan.”
Manufacturing Tech, George Morrison is holding Piatella Hash that has aged for over a year. Attend the Missouri Melt Off to see the genetics of Piatella Aged Hash by Borealis entered in the competition.
Along with carefully planned flower, partially powered by the sun, Delphi Brands is also one of the only cultivators / manufacturers that lets the end consumer track the“ cold chain custody.” From the minute its flower is harvested, it gets frozen with dry ice( its facility goes through about 3,000 pounds of dry ice per month). The flower is then transported by a refrigerated truck to Stellar, its partner MIP, where notorious hashhead Aaron Lyons processes Delphi’ s bubble hash. It is then returned to Delphi Brands for the remainder of the process and long-term cold-curing storage. After many months, or even over a year, in cold storage, the Piatella is delivered by refrigerated trucks to its dispensary partners, who store it in their refrigerators until the consumer purchases it. After purchase, you can scan the QR code on the packaging to view the entire cold chain custody, guaranteeing cold storage from harvest to final sale.
The Delphi Brands team, led by Jeremiah Carrasco, the visionary behind the Missouri Melt Off Championship includes, from left to right: David Risley, director of cultivation; Aaron Spurgeon, botanist / cultivation manager; Kyle Stockton, cultivation supervisor; and Jeremiah Carrasco, event coordinator.
The 1st Annual Missouri Melt Off Championship
Delphi Brands is eager to put its Piatella( Borealis brand) to the test with consumers, guest judges, and other solventless extracts from within Missouri’ s cannabis industry, as well as a solvent category, at its 1st Annual Missouri Melt Off Championship on July 10 in Columbia, MO. The event will be held at Midway Golf & Games, where there are tons of games, including axe throwing, foot golf, archery tag, miniature golf, go-karts, batting cages, and much more to entertain attendees.
Jeremiah Carrasco, who has worked nearly every position for Delphi Brands and is now its event coordinator, has been working hard with his team to plan the 1st Annual Missouri Melt Off Championship.“ Our goal in putting together the Missouri Melt Off Championship came from a passion for this industry and for the culture from seed to sale, cultivators, manufacturers, soil and nutrient companies, head shops, budtenders, consumers, and everyone in between who plays a role in this plant and its journey,” said Carrasco.“ This isn’ t just work for me, it’ s been my life, and I wanted to create something that reflects that and gives everyone in this space a moment to be seen, respected, and celebrated together.
“ People should attend because this event is for everyone in the cannabis space. It’ s an experience where you can connect directly with brands, meet the people behind the products, explore new activations, enjoy the event’ s energy, and take part in the‘ People’ s Choice’ voting. It’ s about bringing the full community together in one place and celebrating the people, passion, and work that make this industry what it is. At the end of the day, this is about building something meaningful for Missouri cannabis, something real, inclusive, and lasting, and I just want to be a team player in bringing that vision to life.”
Learn more about the Borealis products at www. borealiscann. com. Learn more about attending the 1st Annual Missouri Melt Off Championship on page 41.
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