Calling all experts!

[inthegorge]

Update on my crazy adventure...after seeing 3 different lawyers, which I did not enjoy even one single bit, the consensus is that we are good to go. The land owners lawyer says the same thing. Had a rough week of major worry that I would not like to repeat however. Now the "new rules" of the WA LCB....don't affect me in a terribly negative way and I imagine in the long run they are a better way of dealing with the production issue by keeping more people in the game with less canopy but I hope they are not playing with fire:-/ I can see many repercussions of their actions if they are changing rules and costing some people lots of money in the process. Our investigator TOLD me that they were not going to mess with the number of applicants until after the first year or restrict the canopy level until they saw how it all came out after a year. She also TOLD me the way to get your license is to be ready, invest, plan, have all your ducks in a row and that was the path to licensing. I would imagine the same thing was said to the 600 people that thought they were applying for three 30,000 sq foot grow license...they probably were getting things ready, already secured property or buildings, maybe ordered equipment or set up expensive security and fencing. They might be a bit pissed off over the "mis-communication"...?

As for us....we are still in a stack on our investigators desk....she said probably a "few" weeks. Of course I no longer have any faith in what she says so it is sort of a mute point and I will just have to wait and see. Now we can at least put up the fence. The freaking local PUD has had to reschedule repeatedly to hook up the additional 350AMPs of power but are going to disconnect us on Tuesday and hook us back up on Thursday complete with a final electrical inspection so we will have our building fully functional as far as power goes with 87 208V outlets each one supporting its own 1000W light. About freaking time:) Already got the 8' fence but need to put it up weekend after next. Big BBQ, lots of beer, lots of buds and a bonfire to warm the pinkies if anyone wants to come and help raise a fence:) We have a good crew so please do not think I am actually looking for any help. Just thought I would throw it out there for any relatively local folks that might want to check the space out!

 

[Tank333]

If I could get there I would... :)

 

[lost360]

the new rule gave you a chance i think .its to to funny for the greedy ones applying for three thoe thats lots of waisted cash.

 

[inthegorge]

I just got a call from the LCB....the investigator said my application was the most well thought out, best site plan and most complete application she has seen!!!! My 2 partners missed a couple of things on their apps but will have it corrected by tomorrow and then we are scheduled for a site inspection! She asked me when we could be open and I said in a week!!! OMG....I am so freaking excited:-) I am afraid to believe it after the last week I have had! W.O.W. Weed is very close to a reality!

 

[inthegorge]

the new rule gave you a chance i think .its to to funny for the greedy ones applying for three thoe thats lots of waisted cash.

I think I already had a "chance" actually but to be part of 1600 growers instead of 2800 growers makes me a lot less nervous about having to sit on a crop or two without being able to sell it:-) I still feel the pain of all the people that were cut from licenses though....that would not be a good place to be:-/

 

[Tank333]

So awesome! YAY!!!!

 

[lost360]

sorry was meaning less likley for you to get pushed out by big money. if you can bring it on your first run.

 

[inthegorge]

Yes...I sure hope so. I am kind of giddy right now:-))

 

[lost360]

me to once you start selling yours my prices go up to below market rate. its a win win for both of us rilly.:)

 

[Seamaiden]

Excellent news, ITG! :D

 

[Seamaiden]

Alright, I just read something on one of my Facebook groups regarding electrical and lighting in relation to wet or damp environments. I can't link you to the group even though I think it's an open group, I'm not sure you can just click the link and read it. However I believe I can C&P the information posted.

It was put up by the cat who runs & manufactures Inda-gro LED/pontoon lighting and apparently he's consulted with some folks in CO who did not know about this requirement (that the equipment be both tested and marked as approved for use in wet/damp environments), have gone to a whole lotta trouble setting up their grow spaces, only to discover that their lighting does not meet the minimum OSHA, et alia, requirements. So for the sake of brevity, and due to the fact that I'll be out of town this week and next, I'll repost the pertinent information here.

A recent greenhouse project in Canada brought this to our attention. The customer had purchased a number of fan cooled LED panels for an HID retrofit in their greenhouse and when the inspector looked at the fixture markings he did not see where they had been rated for damp locations. He forwarded me the CSA requirements for LED Equipment which they look for and unless it's been tested and passed as a complete package for damp locations they can reject the installation. These are the CSA standards the inspector was referencing. As you can see in Section 9.12.1 this is what they test for in humid environments. In Section 10 it's made clear what they expect the manufacturer to provide in the way of identifying markings on each light that proves they meet this criteria and are listed on the agency's website as suitable for damp location environments.

ELECTRICAL INSPECTORS AND THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA)
Electrical Inspectors have an ally in enforcing their local regulations and the National Electrical Code where there are requirements for products to be Listed and Labeled in accordance with Section 90-7 of the NEC. Electrical Inspectors are required to assure that all products installed in their jurisdiction are safe and comply with the NEC. To assure this compliance many Inspectors must rely on a label that appears on the product to make their determination of compliance. When the label does not appear the Inspector is usually left with the unpopular option of turning down the product or the installation.

This requires the Electrical Inspector not only to be very observant about the installation he/she is inspecting but also the products that are being installed. Additionally, he/she must also determine that the label is acceptable in his/her jurisdiction and the product is compliant with Section 110-3b of the NEC. If an unlisted product goes undetected and it is a Hazard, the Electrical Inspector could be held accountable. This is an unreasonable burden to be place on an inspector.

OSHA Electrical Standard (Subpart S) requires that all electrical products installed in the work place be listed, labeled or otherwise determined to be safe by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). OSHA places the responsibility of this squarely on the Employer. OSHA, defines the building owner, facility or property owner as the employer.

The Electrical Inspector can require the contractor to remove an item not labeled in accordance with Section 90-7 or prevent the facility from opening, etc. OSHA, however can impose fines on the Employer of $7,000.00 to $70,000.00 for each violation. Often the Employer does not even know that a violation exists. OSHA’s involvement would be more effective than the authority a inspector may exert and would also be a major benefit in assisting an inspector with his/her legal responsibilities. The best thing an inspector can do is defer to OSHA the determination that a product legally complies with the standard and Section 90-7 of the NEC. Assuring that as many cord connected or installed devices are properly listed and labeled during an inspection is deferring a lot of the inspectors responsibility over to OSHA.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All luminaires installed in damp locations shall be marked “Suitable for Wet Locations” or “Suitable for Damp Locations.” then read: N.E.C. 410.10 Luminaires in Specific Locations.

An Underwriters Laboratories Inc. pamphlet entitled Luminaires Marking Guide, 8th Edition, 2009, provides information on markings to help the authority having jurisdiction quickly determine whether common types of UL-listed fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, and incandescent fixtures are suitable for the location and are installed correctly.
(A) Wet and Damp Locations.

Luminaires installed in wet or damp locations shall be installed such that water cannot enter or accumulate in wiring compartments, lampholders, or other electrical parts. All luminaires installed in wet locations shall be marked, “Suitable for Wet Locations.” All luminaires installed in damp locations shall be marked “Suitable for Wet Locations” or “Suitable for Damp Locations.”

Where luminaires are exposed to the weather or subject to water saturation, 410.10(A) requires they be of a type marked “Suitable for Wet Locations.” Correct design, construction, and installation of these luminaires will prevent the entrance of rain, snow, ice, and dust. Outdoor parks and parking lots, outdoor recreational areas (tennis, golf, baseball, etc.), car wash areas, and building exteriors are examples of wet locations.

Luminaires in locations protected from the weather and not subject to water saturation but still exposed to moisture, must be marked “Suitable for Damp Locations” or “Suitable for Wet Locations.” The following are examples of damp locations:

The underside of store or gasoline station canopies or theater marquees

Some cold-storage warehouses

Some agricultural buildings (greenhouse)

Some basements

Roofed open porches and carports

If this is redundant to you I apologize, but at least now it's here on the site for others to peruse. :)

 

[inthegorge]

Have been communicating with the LCB now nearly every day. Looks like site inspection is going to be around the 12th and our lights on by the 15th:-) I really cannot describe exactly how elated I am by this.....it is quite incredible really and I keep have to stop and convince myself it is really happening! Putting up the 8' tall fencing, got all the post holes dug today with a gas auger and the concrete will be delivered tomorrow morning at 8 so it will be a long day at work for us no doubt. Of course the damn weather is calling for freaking snow again:-/ We have to rebuild out an entry/changing room because we had to get the building dept to come and inspect it and of course it needs to be framed to code even though it is not a load bearing wall, just a sight restriction really but whatever...it is a small price to pay to get to do this:-) Still so much to do and I am not quite on track with my 5500 clones because of the lengthy delays with the PUD so I may end up spending another $2000 on clones but we will see how fast these cloners I made pump them out. I can do about 1000 at a time if nothing goes wrong but I want to have plenty and have some friends that need some too for when/if they start up. We will be needing to start the outdoor plants around the middle of April too so we will need 70-80 for that but that is just a drop in the bucket compared to how many I need for the SOG indoor grow. So...still have to buy and install about 24 security cameras, install the new alarm system, get the huge 25,000 cfm exhaust fans put in, install the filtered air intake vents, install vents between the veg/flower rooms to share the heat and keep the temps in a moderate range without any other heat, finish building out our 4x8 tables, build a shitload of drying racks, order scales, order lots of assorted packaging, set up the packaging area, get an automated cigarette making machine, change over the plug ins on 84 lights, order and install the sight restricting coverings for the chain link fence, plumb in some water to the outside growing area and I cannot even think of everything else without looking at one of my zillion lists! It is all great fun though and a big learning experience. I really will be able to help other people go through this process without so much of the worry after going though it myself.

I have never really been very profit minded, life is to live and money is to spend sort of thing.....but I find myself thinking constantly of all the other businesses this business supports every time I look for something I need and cannot find it without lots of research or without spending a bunch of cash. It is pretty eye opening!

Just a couple of photos of some of the moms waiting to get chopped and a few of our babies. One of the strains is super light sensitive and going crazy since I could only have 2 lights going in my back bedroom due to heat and that left one part of the room with only about 13 hours of direct overhead light and they did not like it one bit. Have them under a 18/6 hour light now and they are snapping out of it but they sure put out some deformed curly leaves before I changed their light cycle. Kitana is the strain supposedly and the guy I got them from just finished out some and said they were really dense and very nice but we will see how these ones turn out. I think this bunch has some Venom, White Widow, Cripit, Maui Wowie, Critical Kush and Tangerine Dream. I of course have never finished out any of these particular plants so it will be pretty great seeing how well I can get them all to turn out. My position has always been you do the best for each plant, pay attention to it and you will figure out exactly what makes it happy. Hopefully the same approach will work on a big scale:-)

 

[2DogWalker]

Took some time to read through the thread this morning.

Firstly congratulations, planning and preparation can set you apart its amazing how bad most (I have some diverse experience) businesses plan; so its great to see you suceed ... I really enjoy your work ethic and from my experience running my small operations it will be a lot of work you have ahead of yourself. Anything can be accomplished through delegation and proper oversight.

My advice as someone who has been in the weed game for a lot longer than the growing game is up your genetic portfolio... OG OG some more OG...then you have a product that will truly create demand....

Really wishing you all the best. I'd would love to do something similar in michigan if we are ever allowed.

Kindly
2dogwalker

 

[inthegorge]

Thank so much for the good wishes:-) Positive energy feeds positive results in my experience. We actually have about 62 strains right now and are getting another 400 clones with about 8 strains I don't already have so that should put us at about 70 strains by the time our doors open. After that we can buy new strains from other licensed growers but I totally agree, variety is the spice of life and that is what is going to attract "customers" in the retail shops.

I know exactly what you mean about how much work there will be...was up until 2 removing dead leaves and checking out just the small number of plants in my back bedroom:-) We will be running 10 hour shifts between my daughter and myself and another 8 hours by one of my partners and that will be just for watering and cleaning, etc. Then after harvest it will be really crazy but we will adjust and do what is necessary. What a lovely predicament to be in:-)

Michigan has its unique situation going on....really hope things loosen up there soon. Hopefully if things go well in WA more states will "legalize" (even though it is not exactly legal here) and more people, including yourself will have this opportunity!

 

[burn4me]

i just sat and read this whole thread like a book. congrats ITG. i am happy for you to be able to pioneer a way for others in the sense that you were so through on your forms and apps. i personally cant wait to see what you have fully in store for your site. you seemed so well prepared for sooooo much. please keep us posted. screw the haters. and good luck and best wishes to you and your garden crew.

 

[inthegorge]

Gosh it was cold here this morning! The guys rocked it out though and all our fence posts are set in concrete and there was enough extra to make a walkway to our main door we will be using. Just a couple of photos to record our history:-)

 

[inthegorge]

Thank you very much B4M for the good thoughts! I don't know how well prepared we are but we sure are trying to be:-) I quite frankly cannot wait until all the "application" part is done and I get to do the actual growing. That is where the fun will really happen I hope! Even with all the headaches and waiting, waiting and more waiting it has been an interesting and exciting process.

 

[Capulator]

I doubt we will be transporting all at once but your point is well made. The requirements of the LCB here are that first the product has to be in a "quarantine" room for 24 hours prior to transport, the room has to be monitored by cameras so the LCB can "see" it online to and could come and actually inspect it to make sure of volume and that we are not trying to sneak any finished product out of the building....then the vehicle has to be registered with them with a "locked container" that actually bolted to the body of the vehicle for transport. You have to log the time you leave your facility and the time you arrive at the retail outlet. We are actually looking for an armored vehicle to do this with or will have to see what we can do to trick out a van of some sort:-/ Better safe than sorry!

Do they do that with liquor too?

ha.

 

[inthegorge]

If only I were the one making the rules:-/

 

[Prime C]

@inthegorge I would run coco/rock wool indoors. Heads/Lucas formula for easiness. 9-25 plants per 4x4 depending how fast you turn your rooms over.

When I was planning my first run I went with coco/maxibloom (1tsp per gal)combo and killed it right outta the gate. I did that because it was the most cost effective way to get a for sure harvest. Coco is very forgiving and fairly easy to correct problems if and when they do arise.

GH brick coco is cheap and a great medium.Charge and go! Biggest problem is fungus knats but havent noticed any ill effects from them other than they are just annoying. Heads formula is 6ml micro/9ml bloom GH 3part. Clone/veg/flower. Cheap!
ph 5.8-6.1

Rockwool is Lucas formula 8ml micro/16ml bloom. Im new to this but liking it alot so far. Im stacking 3's on 6's and seeing how it turns out. Just did my first round of clones in rw and had %100 success.
ph 5.5-6.0

I would also recommend tables on casters. Easy to move and maintain. Saves on the back too! Scrog it out and trim the bottoms up beginning of week 3 will give you mostly solid nugs with minimal larf.

Other nutes to look at with coco are Canna,House and Garden(aqua flakes),Heavy 16, Flora Nova (another GH product).

The other half to this is your environment. I would shoot for at least %50 RH and temps in the mid 70's.

Save the dirt for outdoors is my opinion. Nice thing about coco is you can run bigger plants in smaller pots. You water more frequent but the yield improves from this. Ive pulled half pounders in 3 gallon pots fed twice a day.

Im really excited for you seems like its all coming together. Im just a rookie compared to the big dogs around here but I get it done and have yet to lose a crop so figured I'd share what I been doin to pay the bills!