Hard Work Earns Recognition Rather than Tricks or Treats
Feature Story
Fall – O – Your Cannabis Career Path
Hard Work Earns Recognition Rather than Tricks or Treats
Editorial and Photography by Clayton Stallings
Solgrone cannabis company ’ s mixed-lighting double-licensed perpetual greenhouse .
Hello October , and goodbye to September ’ s harvest moon , along with the outdoor harvest season for most Missouri cannabis cultivators . That is except for the handful of Missouri-licensed cannabis cultivators using state-of-the-art greenhouse technology , like Solgrone Cultivation , to harness the best of both worlds when it comes to using the sun and controlled environmental conditions for indoor growing . For Solgrone ’ s team , every week is a harvest moon celebration as they are the only double-licensed perpetual greenhouse cultivator housed in a shared greenhouse space the size of a football field .
Even more amazing than getting to tour these advanced facilities are the local Missourians I get to meet who started their cannabis careers locally and rose through the ranks to become our local cannabis industry leaders . That is the case for Solgrone ’ s Cultivation Manager Josh Baer , who proved that with a little hard work , you can climb the cannabis career ladder from within Missouri ’ s Cannabis Industry . We asked Baer to give us some insight into exactly how he managed to climb the ladder in a short three years .
Here ’ s our Q & A with Josh Baer .
Where did you grow up , and what was your previous job ? I grew up in Afton , St . Louis , MO . I worked as an industrial painter before entering the cannabis industry .
When did you start using cannabis , and why ? I started using cannabis medically when I was 15 for my kidney issues . I have been using cannabis for 11 years . When I was eight , I got an autoimmune disease that affected my kidneys . I was told that I would be on a handful of pills for the rest of my life and that I would not have a “ normal ” life . I started smoking cannabis when I was 15 years old , and all my test results started coming back normal . Fast forward to now , I am no longer on any prescription medication , and I am being told that my autoimmune disease is pretty much gone !
Josh Baer , the cultivation manager of Solgrone cannabis company , Missouri ’ s only mixed-lighting double-licensed perpetual greenhouse . ( Photo contributed .)
When did you start working in the licensed cannabis industry , and what was your first position ? I started working within the licensed cannabis industry three years ago , my first position was a general laborer . I started at the Solgrone Cultivation facility before we had occupancy / plants . My job was to help bring in the equipment and help get everything ready for when we did have plant occupancy . The company saw my work ethic and kept me around as a cultivation tech , and I have worked my way up since then !
32 October 2024