One of his cannabis dream grows was in relation to a limited release from the folk over at Cookie Fam Genetics
Most of us grow up hoping to have a close-knit bond with our family throughout our lives, but the pressures of modern life often mean that we find ourselves drifting apart and finding it more and more difficult to see the people we love as frequently as we would like. As we grow older, it’s all too easy for us to think that the older generation can be ‘out of touch’ with the modern age, yet when you take the time to talk with your elders it is often the case that they still feel young at heart. Recently I came across a wonderful story online of how one keen cannabis cultivator made sure that he celebrated his grandmother’s 85th birthday in his own inimitable style.
Up in the hills of Lake County, California, one of the farmhands from Acres of Sunshine Farm (IG: acresofsunshinefarm) has been working hard to ensure that his grows prove fruitful so that he can meet the demands of his many happy customers. The long, hard days in the sun provide plenty of challenges, but he has been driven by his passion and desire to constantly learn and improve with each successive harvest.
Five years ago, he was introduced to a lady in the local area who was growing her own medicine in order to treat her aggressive breast cancer and she took him under her wing and taught him the basics of how to grow. He showed a huge level of interest and was thankful for her help and advice, so she continued to teach him and he slowly gained more confidence. Inspired by the work of a local legal farm, Petaluna Hill Farms, he finally made the move towards starting a grow of his own and has never looked back since.
Like many other people in his situation, he knows that there is always more to learn and he has built up solid relationships with not only the people in his local area but also the wider cannabis community through his Instagram posts and social media activity. By using his usual hashtag of #acresofsunshinefarm, he is able to stay connected with his potential customers and also get advice from some of the more well established names in the industry (including a surprise visit to his farm from the guys from Mendo Dope). His passion has continued to grow and now he wants to know more and more about the science behind cannabis; he has worked continuously to further expand his understanding of cross pollination and strain creation and it’s this aspect of his work with cannabis which led to him cropping up on my radar.
He explained that one of his cannabis dream grows was in relation to a limited release from the folk over at Cookie Fam Genetics (whose genetics are notoriously hard to get hold of). On 4/20 of this year they released a run of 420 packs of seeds, each costing $420, called the ‘London Bridge’ pack and he was super stoked when he managed to get hold of not one but two packs to add to his collection. Once he had received the seeds and set them to work in his garden, he kept his fingers crossed that he would find a nice male in the pack so that he could keep it as a solid genetic which would form the basis for his cross-pollination projects to come. His prayers were answered and he grew out some healthy males and got ready to put his plans into action.
Once he could see that the plan was going smoothly, he started looking at which strains he wanted to use for the cross and he settled on a nice range including Forbidden Fruit, Ice Cream Cake, Lemoncello and Sour Candy genetics. Having established a healthy outdoor grow, he waited for day 13 and then decided to spring his secret surprise.
Every Sunday for as long as he can remember, he told me that he always invited his grandma over for Sunday brunch and spoke to her about how his garden was coming along. Although she had always had a very different focus to him when it came to the type of plants she tended to, his grandma had long been a keen gardener and he felt that she had potentially been an early influence on his desire to grow his own. On this particular Sunday he was especially happy to see her as it was her 85th birthday and as they chatted about his progress he told her to follow him outside so she could see his work for herself.
She commented on how good the plants were looking and he explained that he was excited because of the genetics he had managed to acquire. Like most proud grandparents would be, she praised his efforts and dedication. Then he told her that the plants were ready to be cross-pollinated and asked her if she would do him the honor of carrying out the process on his behalf. Laughing, she said she would love to and got straight to work. His grandma grabbed hold of the male and shook it over all of the waiting females, spreading the pollen all over the place in celebration. After the process was completed, they toasted their efforts and he promised to keep her informed of the plants’ progress.
As a result of his grandma’s birthday surprise, he ended up with more than 5,000 seeds which he quickly took a handful of and got them popped and ready to germinate. Now they are developing well on his farm and he is more than happy that he got to share this momentous occasion with someone so special to him. What makes the gift all the more special is that the resulting cross strains will become a part of his legacy as a grower and now he feels that his grandma will always be a part of his garden. Lasting memories of moments shared are often what we hold onto as life keeps rolling on and now the fertile soils of Lake County, and the ladies that they feed and nurture, will always be a part of this farmhand’s special relationship with a certain special lady in his life.
If you want to see how the plants are developing then head on over to the farm’s Instagram page and let them know what you think. @acresofsunshinefarm
Originally published in Weed World Magazine issue 138
