Cannabis News

When we decided to start our own hydroponic farm, we were always open to the possibility of growing cannabis down the road

Published

3 months ago

March 18, 2026

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Farm Girl Greens launched in Auburn, New York in late 2019 as a vertical hydroponic leafy greens operation supplying restaurants and farmers markets. The business remained profitable due to changing sales channels, fluctuating grant funding and rising energy costs, but the financial model was becoming increasingly difficult to predict.

When New York legalized adult cannabis and implemented a micro-business licensing structure, the regulatory landscape changed. The subsequent pivot was not sudden, according to co-owner Abby Lepak, but rather the activation of a long-considered opportunity. “When we decided to start our hydroponic farm, we were always open to growing cannabis,” he explains. “At the time, cannabis wasn’t legal in New York state, so our initial business plan was focused on leafy greens.”

Market volatility and margin pressure
The farm planted the first seeds in November 2019. By March 2020, the restaurant and farmers market channels had either closed or switched to takeout. “Running a business in the early 2020s was a challenge for any small business owner,” says Lepak. “We were successful in the beginning because of the grocery store supply chain and consumers wanting to buy directly from farmers.”

Farm Girl Greens focused on weekly home deliveries through a distributor as well as its own logistics. As restaurants reopened, sales shifted to food service accounts, reducing margins compared to direct-to-consumer channels. “It was profitable but not so predictable,” says Lepa about the green phase.

An additional outlet was operated by a non-profit nonprofit that supplied food pantries at retail prices by paying subsidies rather than consumers. “The food was free to the consumer, but the funding was unpredictable and then dwindled.”
Utility costs added further pressure. Rising energy bills prompted the farm to build a grant-funded solar installation. The system remains in effect today. “New York state is seeing energy costs double from one month to the next right now,” Lepak says. “Not just for companies.” Profitable but subject to fluctuating demand, unstable funding streams and rising operating costs, the green model became more difficult to plan.

A microenterprise license changes the model
Legalization introduced another option. Farm Girl Greens obtained a Micro Business License from the Office of Cannabis Management, New York’s governing body for adult cannabis. “The emerging market of adult-use cannabis cultivation has a bright future,” says Lepak. “The Bureau of Cannabis Management has taken steps to prevent large growers from flooding the market. Because we are a small grower and a predominantly female-owned business, we have been able to take advantage of training and fees at reduced prices and sometimes at no cost.”

The license allows cultivation, processing, distribution and retailing under one structure. For now, the farm is cultivating and shaking the flowers, using a third-party processor to extract them, and selling wholesale to pharmacies. As an indoor micro-business, the production covers 3,500 square feet of space and processes 1,700 pounds of cannabis per year.

Different crop, different system
Change required new infrastructure. The ZipGrow tower system used for leafy greens has been replaced with a high-pressure aeroponic recirculation system designed by Current Culture, along with a vertical rack from Pipp Horticulture.

“The leafy greens in our ZipGrow system didn’t require as much space and had a shorter seed-to-harvest cycle,” says Lepak. At peak production, the farm harvested the equivalent of 1,500 heads of lettuce per week while planting another 1,500 seeds.

Indoor cannabis works on a longer cycle, usually between 90 and 100 days. With a flower room currently in operation, the farm expects five harvests a year at full production. A second flower room is planned. Once built, a staggered planting schedule would allow ten harvests per year.

Higher margins, higher limits
Per square foot, cannabis offers stronger margins than leafy greens, Lepak says. But regulatory costs and add-ons dampen this advantage. “We expect margins to increase as cannabis legalization and additional fees decrease. These fees are very close to being cost prohibitive.”

Compliance-related packaging requirements and limited access to banking continue to weigh on profitability. Job applications have also changed. Leafy greens required a steady weekly workforce to manage the cycles and distribution of perishable crops. Growing cannabis involves less daily handling, but requires more concentrated work during the harvest and processing periods.

© Green farm girls
A member of the Farm Girl Greens team transplants seedlings (left) and inside a Matrix Media ZipGrow tower channel (right)

Looking back
Despite the transition, Lepa says he would still start with green leaves. “I enjoyed learning the process of indoor growing and selling at farmers markets,” she says. “Being a grower that delivers product directly to a consumer was a joy for me.”

Farm Girl Greens is selling its ZipGrow tower inventory as it consolidates its cannabis growing operations. “We have a total of 630 towers and associated lights and are willing to sell 450 towers, 180 towers or all 630 together,” says Lepak. “The eight-foot towers are mounted in 21 racks of 30 units. Complete system purchase of all 630 towers includes additional climate control equipment at no additional cost: CO2 generator and vertical V-Flow fans.”

Those interested in buying towers can go directly to Lepak (email protected).

A video tour of the Farm Girl Greens farm setup

© Green farm girls
Complete design of the ZipGrow tower system inside the farm

For more information:
Green Farm Girls
Abby Lepak, co-owner
(email protected)
www.instagram.com/farmgirlgreens

Related Topics:Cannabis decided Farm Growing hydroponic open possibility road Start

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Cannabis News

We don’t really deal with a lot of mites because of our IPM program

Published

17 hours ago

June 9, 2026

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Flora Farms Pest Management Program it is built to reduce to nothing depending on the harvestso the plant ends up clean. Luke Allenbrand, Flora Farms’ crop leader, leads an integrated pest management program that focuses on prevention. “We don’t honestly deal with a lot of mites because of the IPM program, because of the predatory mites that we’ve put down as a precaution,” says Luke. “It allows us to have a much cleaner garden in the back half.” Preventative work keeps spray volumes relatively low because the curative side of the program rarely needs to be heavy.

“Actually, we are at the lowest number of these sprays that we have. The milliliters that we are using are numbers that do not exist to be a prevention,” says Luke. “But as soon as you see an uptick of those mites or anything, we bring it up to a therapeutic amount, which is still a small milliliter. And as long as you’re on a fast track with it, you see them disappear within 10 days.” The targets are spider mites, which feed on the plant’s THC and terpene production and degrade the flower.

Tested solutions
The three products used by the company are derived from agricultural and food use. “We actually apply about three insecticides that are very common around the agricultural and food grade of these products, using a suite of IPM, Venerate and Grandevo, insecticides that will deal with these mites,” says Luke. The application is intermittent rather than constant. “We usually use a 5-day spray cycle so we can have rest periods in between, so it’s not just a consistent density of that spray,” says Luke. He sees progress against mites in the gaps between the successions.

However, at some point, the spraying stops. “We finish the spray cycle by day 40. We usually don’t want to spray anywhere after day 40. At that point, you’re going to damage the product,” says Luke. “And at that point, we’ll put predatory mites in. It really helps us get to that final push point by day 59, 60 of that harvest. So we actually have a lot less of our spray in that late period. So it’s a much better tasting product.” Predatory mites take over the job of spraying, leaving nothing on the flower.

Biological control
Biological control has two forms. “We usually use them, they’re called crazy mites, and honestly, it’s crazy to see,” says Luke. “Actually, I’ve seen some of the ones in a close-up photo kill a bug, some of the cocoons actually drive away, and even attack the spider mites themselves. Very beneficial. Callias are also slow. They’re little bags that we hang on plants and they’re very beneficial to us.” Different predators work at different speeds, which is why the program runs more than one.

Missouri’s testing regime is the context in which growers operate. Each plant is tested for pest control chemicals and must pass before the product goes ahead. “Other crops and other black market shops or smoke shops in Missouri don’t have to worry about the testing we have to do,” Luke says. “Everything we use here is natural. Each of our pest management is a lot of essential oils that fight these mites. Everything we would put on a plant is food grade.” The test covers foreign chemicals, heavy metals, and anything else that an unregulated supply should never consider.

The whole arc is from biology to chemistry and back to biology. “We go from predatory mites to a food-grade spray regimen, and then back to predatory mites at the end. That way, these plants will have time to finish with no chemicals, nothing,” says Luke. “The rest of that life cycle, about 15 to 20 days, is the most natural it will have. No spraying at all during that, just to push predatory mites off that end, so there’s no residual mite damage on those plants.”

For more information:
Flower Farms
florafarmsmo.com

Cannabis News

California Bill To Legalize Marijuana Dispensary Drive-Thru Windows Advances In Senate After Clearing Full Assembly

Published

17 hours ago

June 9, 2026

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It has been passed by a California Senate committee and passed by the Assembly bill that would allow marijuana dealers to offer car windows to serve customers.

The measure, which cleared the Senate Business, Careers and Economic Development Committee on a 7-3 vote Monday, says licensed cannabis retailers and micro-businesses with storefronts can sell marijuana products “in a motor vehicle to a customer in a drive-through located on the premises.”

Under Assemblywoman Gail Peller’s (D) AB 2697, cannabis businesses would need permission from the local jurisdictions in which they operate to add a drive-thru.

The sponsor told committee members before the final vote that the bill will “expand access to legal cannabis products while strengthening our ability to compete with the illegal market.”

Annie Aubrey of Chuck’s Wellness Center, a retailer in Placerville, testified that the legislation is “about improving access.”

“A large portion of our customers use cannabis as medicine, including seniors, veterans and people living with chronic conditions that affect mobility, the population that this regulated system seeks to serve,” he said. “For many, even simple tasks like getting out of a vehicle or navigating a retail space can be physically difficult or prohibitive…A drive-thru option removes that barrier, giving patients and consumers access to what they need in a way that’s dignified and consistent with their healthcare needs.”

Amy O’Gorman Jenkins of the California Cannabis Operators Association said the legislation will provide “operational flexibility” in a highly regulated system.

“It doesn’t expand who can access cannabis,” he said. “It allows retailers, with local approval, to serve existing patients and customers more efficiently.”

Jenkins also argued that this measure could improve security.

“Currently, road traction transactions are already allowed. This means that workers regularly have to leave a safe premises while transporting the product, and sometimes they have to deposit cash in parking lots,” he said. “AB 2697 provides an additional mechanism for obtaining product, but requires a fixed and secure transaction point, keeping employees inside and reducing exposure to theft.”

Pellerin, the bill’s sponsor, previously said that “California cannabis retailers lack a common and accessible transaction channel for consumers that so many other retailers in California offer, including fast food, pharmacies, banks and even liquor stores.”

“Cannabis consumers with mobility issues or other disabilities have limited options for obtaining cannabis without having to get out of their vehicles. And while home delivery is legal, there are restrictions on service areas,” he said. “Allowing cannabis sellers to add a secure ride option, if allowed by their local jurisdiction, will improve the consumer experience, increase the security of cannabis sellers and help expand California’s legal cannabis market.”

The California Association of Narcotics Officers opposes the proposal, however, as a representative, Ryan Sherman, testified that it would make it more difficult for dispensary workers to check the IDs of customers who are of legal age or to spot signs of current intoxication at drive-thru windows.

“This bill prioritizes speed of sale over public safety while undermining existing protections designed to prevent illegal sales and protect public safety,” he argued.

Under current policy during the COVID pandemic, dispensaries can already offer street pickup.

The invoice that moving forward in the legislature would mandate that auto sales “be made through a fixed panel security window with a security drawer or similar secure transfer mechanism that is part of a building located within the premises.”

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access
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California regulators recently approved emergency rule changes to the state’s marijuana licensing process. to make it easier for companies to receive benefits In line with the Trump administration’s latest move to federally regulate medical cannabis.

While Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently He took credit for helping lead the state’s push to legalize marijuana and discussed his limited experience with cannabis use.

In October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have It allowed micro-marijuana companies to ship medicinal cannabis directly to patients Through common carriers like FedEx and UPS, he said the proposal would be “too burdensome and complex to manage.”

Newsom signed a bill earlier this month streamlining research into marijuana and psychedelics.

In September, the governor also signed a measure pause on the recent tax increase on marijuana products.

Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently participate in the marijuana trade with licensed cannabis businesses without obtaining their own commercial license from state officials.

California officials have recently been rewarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Cannabis News

Concert Series Specials launched for state medical cannabis patients

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

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Post Dispensary, Kentucky’s first medical cannabis dispensary, is connecting with patients in Owensboro, Henderson, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Madisonville, Hopkinsville and surrounding areas by aligning unique specials with the region’s summer concert calendar. Located at 300 N Main St. in Beaver Dam, minutes from major highways connecting these vibrant cities.

This summer, The Post Dispensary is offering special pricing and incentives for Concert Series Events at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater, SPARKS in the Park 4th of July celebration and surrounding events, such as Owensboro’s ROMP Festival (June 24-27, 2026). Patients can stop by before or after shows for big savings.

“We’re more than just a booty,” said a dispensary representative. “From Owensboro’s world-class ROMP Festival to Beaver Dam’s Amphitheater events, we’re making it convenient and budget-friendly for patients in Owensboro, Henderson, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Hartford and beyond to combine our love of music with compassionate care and an affordable product.”

The Post Dispensary hosts regular Patient Guidance events on the second Saturday of every month. These units have professionals on hand to assess patients and issue written certificates at low cost, application support and expert consultations in a welcoming environment. The next Patient Drive aligns perfectly with summer travel patterns, making it easy for patients from Owensboro, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Madisonville, Henderson, Madisonville and surrounding towns to plan a trip to Beaver Dam that combines care with community and entertainment.

For more information:
Post-Dispensary
thepostdispensary.com/