Hey everyone, \nAfter Oregon got rid of that pesky prohibition, I've been thinking about going into commercial growing. I have read a lot of threads covering the subject, and I've picked up a good deal of info already. Many (if not most) threads are full of eyes seeing several shades of green with many doubters and skeptics in tow, understandably so! \nA little about myself, I graduated with a Bachelors last December with a useful degree, but have not had a single bite from employers. I figure, why not give this a go. Nothing seems sweeter than working for myself and doing something that I love to boot. I have done landscaping/landscape construction and gardening for years and am well acquainted with irrigation setups, soil preparation, and nursery management, so at least I'm not starting from scratch in the knowledge dept. My idea is, since capital is by far the hardest thing to come by, that I would start a sizable, but manageable crop outdoors (after getting a producer license) next season to build capital to invest right back into a modest greenhouse or other indoor facility. I figure, 20-30 plants. This will be a make or break season, but the investment is low enough that it is attainable with my current income and a couple friends who are willing to give me a little capital bump to start. \nIn short, I am very excited about my plans, and am happy to have found such a helpful and hugely informative place. I look forward to growing (ha) with this community! P.S. I also posted this in the introduce yourself board, but I figured it deserved a place in a more relevant board as well.
Kind of in the same boat. I have a job that gets me by, and the idea of going into farming either as a way to add income or possibly full-time is an attractive one. The thing is, the state is still figuring out how it's all going to work. All growers, distributors, and retailers will have to be licensed by the state, and a lot will depend on how the state irons out the details. If you're serious about wanting to get in, you'll want to follow along as the OLCC develops their guidelines. In Washington, over 2600 people applied to be growers, but fewer than 100 of the applications were approved. Apparently, in WA, only people who had medical grower licenses were allowed to get commercial licenses for the first two years of legalization. Not sure how Oregon will handle it. Anyway, the OLCC has a website where you can sign up to receive updates as they take place. http://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/Pages/default.aspx
I've signed up for the updates and read the legislation a few times to get a feel for what to expect. My conclusion so far is that there are way more questions than answers at this point. I know that Oregon is not going to require residency, so that leaves us open to people out of state who have substantial capital to get in on the Oregon market, so competition will be great. I've got a decent plan on how I want to do this long term, so I feel that I will compete well. I'm planning to act as a caregiver to some friends soon, so that would help even if I am unable to get a producer license the first year. The greater scheme I have is to provide an interesting, quality product. Everything that I've heard from friends in CO is that quality is somewhat lacking. I would like get agreements with one or two retail spaces to work an exclusivity angle in addition to being locally grown, organic, and of high quality. That would bode well for me and the retailer if I am able to supply the quality product that I envision. This doesn't mean I would necessarily charge more, but I would like my stock to be in demand. I've looked at a few business around the area that produce comparable products and I think I might be onto something by incorporating their models. But, this all means nothing if I can't get growing. Here's to a green future! I appreciate the well wishes, nothing like a good welcome in a new place.