GROW TOUR

garden first

(L-R) Director of Sales & Outreach Garrett Leon Lead Cultivation Manager Shawn Derock Director of Finance & Administration Darren Cloud Director of Cultivation Operations Andreas Hero

With a passion for the cultivation and culture of the Cannabis industry and an overall business mindset,

garden first >> Garden First Cannabis Owners Darren Cloud, Garrett Leon and Andreas Hero all provide diverse skill sets that help make Garden First Cannabis one of the most sustainable and commendable grows in Oregon. With Leon majoring in horticulture/soil science, Cloud with a business administration degree, and Hero offering an economics degree focused on media and advertising, it’s no wonder this owner-operated company became so dialed in.

garden first cannabis

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Always putting the garden first, their team is constantly going the extra mile to take care of their plants – showing up early and staying as late as needed to get the work done. Their “one leaf at a time” philosophy encourages their staff to be present in the moment, bring their best every day, and not get too ahead of themselves. With everyone on the same wave of energy and playing their part in the garden, their business flows and operates better as a whole.

It is clear here that quality and efficiency are the names of the game, as Garden First Cannabis is proud of doing a lot with a little. Every round, they spend over 100 hours pruning each room with sterilized scissors to maximize airflow and light penetration, which then prevents mold, mildew, and pests. This overall creates an environment that helps them pull incredible yields per square foot.

Heading into the garden, we witnessed one of their gorgeous rooms in week three of flower, showcasing strains like Strawberry Cough, MAC 1 and Motorbreath.

All of the plants were glowing with a vibrant strains

10 plants

700+ employees

20+ pounds harvested annually

1 metric ton Primary grow style

Blend of Organic and Synthetic Nutrients Lighting

Metal Halide and Gavita DE Nutrients

Down to Earth, Key to Life, and Cyco Nutrients Canopy size

2,000 sq. ft.

Rocky Mountain Moonshine

green and healthy hue, thriving with life. With the use of predatory insects like cucumeris, nematodes, pirate beetles and Swirski mites, they can keep their rooms pest-free.

Next, we ventured into the most mature flower room – currently in week eight. Our eyes widened and our mouths watered at the sight of the towering juicy colas reaching up towards the double-ended lights. Walking in, potent citrus-forward aromas buzzed throughout the room and instantly filled our noses. It’s safe to say that some of these fruity smells were attributed to their unique genetics, including a Colorado cut of Rocky Mountain Moonshine (Moonshine Haze x Star Dawg) and the all-mighty and classic Golden Goat. Additionally, this room displayed genetics like Gelato Cake, 818 Headband and another Colorado masterpiece, Chiesel (NYC Diesel x Big Buddha Cheese).

Another praiseworthy facet of Garden First Cannabis is that they take all of their strains till week 10. Genetics like Strawberry Cough and Golden Goat need a bit of extra time for their genuine terpene profiles to shine, and they make sure that they give their ladies precisely what they need to flourish.

Up next, we took a look behind the scenes at their hustling and bustling pre-roll department. Our team had the pleasure of meeting five hard-working individuals who crank out approximately 3,000 to 4,000 pre-rolls per day!

All of the joints are placed in biodegradable plastic and inserted into a recyclable paper box. Their Puff Packs are the perfect on-the-go scoop from the dispensary, as they offer a total of 10 joints! Garden First is constantly looking for ways to limit their waste streams, such as biodegradable gloves, partnerships with industrial composting facilities for plant waste, and soil recycling programs with local farms.

With oversight for quality control, all of their products are checked three times before heading out to the dispensary. Once by a trimmer, once by a trim manager, and once by an inventory manager. Overall, this ensures that each dispensary receives the most prime nugs possible – with no shakey buds.

Cloud, Leon, and Hero created this business to form a workplace that provides career opportunities, not just another job. They want their employees to love where they work, and we could feel that energy radiating from their staff. Every team member is covered with full health insurance and makes a minimum of $15/hour. Each department has incentive programs to motivate its staff to reach that next level in life. And to make sure their staff can try all of the incredible products they produce, Garden First Cannabis has a partnership with Tangent Farmacy, where their employees can purchase an ounce of flower a month at cost plus tax.

Another impressive aspect of Garden First Cannabis: 1% of total revenue gets donated to an approved environmental charity each year. This year, they are contributing towards One Tree Planted and Conscious Growth. Their team recently helped build garden beds and a greenhouse at Conscious Growth’s community space called EARTH Space PDX.

These stoner owners are without a doubt in tune with both the culture and business side of the Cannabis industry.

By investing in their employees and focusing on the garden first, is it without question that this excellent brand has carved its name out in the Oregon industry.

Bagging up Kush Mints

Always putting the garden first, their team is constantly going the extra mile to take care of their plants.

Chiesel

Gelato Cake Pre-Roll Department Manager Markus Norville

Gardener Marshall Wollman and Garrett Leon, Director of Sales and Operations.

@GARDENFIRSTCANNABIS | GARDENFIRSTCANNABIS.COM