Friends of The High End Harvest
Bringing our community together, supporting and uplifting our peers, is a big part of the mission at The High End.
Many outdoor cannabis farms struggle during harvest season due to a combination of a) the difficulty of finding seasonal labor in general, and b) the red tape and costs associated with registering a new employee under the regulations of the MA Cannabis Control Commission.
We’ve long had this idea, which was inspired by the community grape harvests that The High End’s founders would join with our natural winemaker friends in the Loire Valley. Why couldn’t we do that on cannabis farms?
High Plains Farm, an incredible group of people growing exceptional cannabis under the magnificent Berkshire sun, was gracious enough to let us pilot the idea during their harvest in September 2023. We brought with us dispensary people, delivery operators, cultivators, brand owners, brand ambassadors, even a lawyer and an insurance guy! (This year, someone wants to sign up all the soccer dads in his hometown!) All folks who are eager to experience farm life while supporting our farm friends. Yes, we definitely still had to jump through the same agent registration hoops, but the labor was free … and we brought lunch!
Each day, in between de-fanning and hanging sessions, we gathered around a long farm-table for a hearty meal, interesting conversation, and we made new friends.
Imagine if MA cannabis farms could more easily share labor. A farm on the coast might have a different harvest schedule than one on the NY border and could offer a seasonal worker extended employment. A hashmaker (ahem!) might want to plant their selected genetics at a partner farm, visit them, and then help pull them down at the end of the season. A budtender might simply want to get their hands in the dirt… all the things that they learn would deepen their connection to the plant - from understanding the value of soil health and plant nutrition, to the mechanics and importance of proper drying and curing - which would also enrich their expertise back at the shop, and perhaps even sway product selection towards more artisanal and thoughtfully-produced cannabis! A win for craft producers. And a reminder that a rising tide lifts all ships!
There are so many restrictions in the regulations that hinder these meaningful collaborations. But it’s vital to keep looking for ways to work through them, which means writing letters to regulators, speaking at public listening sessions, contacting your local legislators, and doing more projects like this one. Stay tuned as we build on this community harvest and find more ways to bring our community closer in support of one another.