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Paniagua Family Farm

WORDS WORDS BRIAN MALIN BRIAN MALIN PHOTOS MIKE ROSATI @ROSATIPHOTOS

When Skunk Magazine asked me to write this article for the Latino Edition, I was excited to talk about my many good friends and colleagues with Latino heritage. I am always impressed with their family values and a true sense of really looking out for one another. My friend and partner, Juan Paniagua quickly came to mind. I met Juan through local cannabis attorney Heather Burke. Juan was born into a migrant farm working family in the Imperial Valley in California. His family harvested fruit and vegetables from El Centro to Patterson and even picked apples in Sebastopol through the years.

After graduating high school in Brawley, CA., in 1991, Juan began a career as a commercial truck driver. This career led him and his high school sweetheart, Connie, up to Northern California. Juan enjoyed his driving career for 18+ years until, after helping a friend out, he decided to pursue growing cannabis. He and Connie searched for the perfect property to start a cannabis farm. Juan and Connie have two sons, so their son’s education and the local schools were also priorities. Impressively their whole family is bilingual and speaks Spanish and English fluently. After much research, the Paniagua’s chose Nevada County. They packed up their home in Santa Rosa and moved the family to their new ranch in Penn Valley. At just

below 1000 ft. elevation and southern exposure, their new home was the perfect place to grow cannabis and raise their family.

Juan grew for a couple of years under the 215 regulations and then when prop. 64 came into law; he knew he wanted to be one of the first to apply for a recreational cannabis permit. The amount of paperwork and legal red tape is a daunting process. Juan made the valid point that all other crops are treated the same. Why should cannabis farmers be put through so many regulations and charged high fees to grow plants not so different from tomatoes? He needed some advice on how to present his SOPs on his permit for the state licensing requirements. I was happy to help out. My company, Vital Garden Supply, is an all “organic” soil and nutrient company. That seemed to interest Juan and Connie very much. They wanted to focus on clean and safe growing practices. Their family farm was committed to the environment and not using chemicals. The Vital Garden Supply team helped Juan and Connie structure their soil, fertilizer, pesticide, spraying, and application scheduling for their state and county permits.

After months of waiting for the state and county approvals, Dencob Farms was finally licensed to grow cannabis for the California recreational market. Simultaneously the Vital Grown Cannabis brand and the Vital Distro were forming, and we agreed to partner. I could help him with crop consulting using Vital Garden Products and, Vital Distro could purchase the finished product for the Vital Grown brand. In addition to being an all-organic farm, Dencob went one step further and got their EnvirOganic Certification.

Juan is a very genuine person, and his ability to give instructions to his farm team is like no other I have seen before. Juan has a great team of workers that are capable of getting a lot done each day. When Juan speaks, his crew listens. They run a tight ship at Dencob Farms. You can walk the rows on any given day, and it is obvious the team cares and puts in the extra energy. I still visit Juan’s farm weekly. We decide together what to grow based on the environment, market needs, our tastes, and relationships. We walk the fields and look for “red flags” or signs. When I occasionally see a sign or symptom that needs to be addressed, we discuss it and the variables and make a decision on how to improve the situation.

Once we make that decision, Juan passes the information on to his workers in Spanish. They listen and execute well. I have to say my Spanish has improved as I have visited farms all over the west coast. The guys and I have fun trying to communicate despite some of our language gaps. I have to admit that my most common phrase is ‘Como se dice?’. In our weekly Dencob meetings, we both look forward to comparing notes on what we have learned since we have last seen each other. The cannabis industry changes so quickly, and it is nice to have trusted people to share knowledge and make decisions together based on present conditions. We have seen changes in the market over time that can affect how you grow, what you grow, and if you are going to freeze your harvest or trim it. Being able to counteract change is how you stay relevant. In my life and industry, I come across many Latinos. From family members to colleagues to coworkers, attention to detail and execution are some of the positive characteristics that come to mind. I also notice families working together towards the same goal—unity, loyalty, and compassion for one another. Latino families work together, eat together, and kick back together. On Juan and Connie’s beautiful farm, they also raise animals. The guard geese greet me when I arrive. They also have goats, donkeys, ponies, chickens, mini cows, ducks, peacocks, emus, and I’m sure I’m leaving some animals out. I love to hear traditional Spanish music as I walk the property. Occasionally, I hear some Spanish hip hop which is really good as well. Juan and Connie are proud of their farm, and they should be. They are property owners, license holders, business owners, and part of an emerging new industry with lots of promise. Juan and Connie consider themselves Chicanos and have worked very hard to be cannabis employers. Being young children and seeing their families work hard for farmers and now owning their own farm is a big accomplishment. Their teenage sons have a great example of how hard work and good business ethics bring success. The Paniagua family’s plan is to keep the farm in the family for generations to come and watch it develop into part of the history of the California cannabis industry. I feel lucky to have Latino brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, close friends, and business associates with whom I get to spend time and absorb all the positive energy. The Latino culture is like no other. Much can Brian Malin be learned from it as a businessperson Founder/CEO and a human being. Prioritizing family is

Vital Landscaping Inc. the message that I hear most also, work dba Vital Garden Supply hard and stay focused. I am very grateful www.vitalgardensupply.com to be part of Dencob Farms, and I love brian@vitalgardensupply.com watching everything grow and flourish. 530-362-0364