Success and Expansion in Cannabis Production

May 23, 2017   
Now that the legal cannabis industry has taken off, growers are coming out of the basement and looking to move towards sound agricultural practices. With the benefits of greenhouse growing year-round, many cannabis operations are finding a way to create a product that costs less to grow, with the advantage of a spacious environment.

GrowSpan is constantly spreading the good word of the greenhouse and helping cannabis companies across the country design and build all kinds of greenhouses and structural solutions for their operations. One of these companies is Rebel Spirit Cannabis Company, based out of Eugene, Oregon.

Rebel Spirit Cannabis Company was one of the first OLCC licensed growers, and since obtaining their license, they have established themselves as one of the major brands in the state of Oregon. Their products are currently stocked in over 100 dispensaries, and their strain Rebel Berry OG earned first place at the Oregon Growers Cup. As demand for their product steadily grew, Rebel Spirit decided to triple their output in 2017.

Owners Christopher Bechler and Diane Downey started looking for greenhouses as soon as they were approved. Downey explains, “We wanted the benefits of natural light along with protection from the elements.”

After learning about Growers Supply and GrowSpan through a catalog, Rebel Spirit attended the Marijuana Business Expo in the fall of 2015, where they were able to meet GrowSpan’s Greenhouse Manager, Jon Kozlowski. Rebel Spirit ordered and built five GrowSpan Series 500 greenhouses. In the first season of production in their GrowSpan greenhouses their crop was protected from extreme wind and rain in the region.

Like any agricultural operation, weather can decimate a crop in an entire region, making it unavailable at market. When the weather hit in Oregon, Rebel Spirit came out on top. “Many cannabis farmers in Oregon lost large portions of their crop to the unseasonably heavy rains we experienced in October 2016. Because our crops were protected by the greenhouses, we didn’t lose anything. Our farm actually benefited from the harsh weather, because it caused a shortage of supply in the market, which kept the prices of our products higher,” said Downey.

For the following season, Rebel Spirit wanted to better combat the harsh winter weather, so they integrated a radiant heating system into their greenhouses. 

Rebel Spirit appreciated the customizable quality of these greenhouses. Downey reported, “We like that we were able to build out the end walls ourselves, which helped to save us money. The greenhouse is easy to ventilate with our roll-up sides.” Besides the heating system, some of Rebel Spirit’s customized features have included ventilation and light deprivation systems.

Rebel Spirit experienced the advantage of greenhouse growing and received simple solutions from GrowSpan’s Greenhouse Specialists, and they have purchased two additional greenhouses for the company’s 2017 expansion. GrowSpan wishes Rebel Spirit a triumphant season and congratulations on their expansion this year.