(San Bernadino, CA, Dec 13, 2017 Source: KTLA.com) A marijuana growing operation spanning three facilities that were not properly permitted was discovered in San Bernardino. The Pacific Palisades woman who owns the properties was taken into custody, and 40,000 plants were seized, police said.

Eight men were also taken into custody, officers said, though it was unclear how they were related to the operation.

KTLA reported that last November, voters in the Los Angeles suburb repealed its ban on marijuana sales and replaced it with a permitting system. Marijuana businesses must register their business information and plan, pay a fee, complete a background check and disclose information about the facility's layout and design — and have it all approved by the city of San Bernadino.

In California there are three agencies which oversee the licensing of cannabis-related businesses: the Bureau of Cannabis Control for distributors, retailers and labs; the CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Program for cultivators; and the Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch for cannabis products such as edibles.

How will the legalization of marijuana and the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries affect the illegal drug trade? What will be the impact on the mortgage (foreclosure) industry? And homeowners associations?

According to their website, Metrolina Greenhouses employs 725 people year round, and an additional 600 people in the spring and fall peak seasons. That's a lot of jobs! But even more impressive is their employee productivity, which is boosted by automation. Metrolina Greenhouses claims to be one of the most automated greenhouses in the United States.

The photo above shows racks-and-racks of plants and rows-and-rows of ferns hanging from the high ceiling of the greenhouse. Even with 160+ acres of greenhouse space, they make use of the vertical space.

How do production levels of this sort of "mega greenhouse" compare with "traditional" outdoor farms of equivalent size? (Where is the data?)

The Floral Reef Project supports the protection of habitat for bees, butterflies, and other key pollinators.

Green walls and outdoor vertical gardens represent a tremendous opportunity to increase greenscape while controlling water usage and drainage.  

Photo: East Los Angeles Library (Los Angeles, CA) Greenscreen.com 

Urbanvine.co was created in June of 2016 to help urban dwellers learn how to start urban farming without any previous experience. Check it out this great resource: http://www.urbanvine.co

City Fresh Farming believes in pesticide free, sustainable, smart farming using vertical hydroponic farming techniques in temperature controlled environments with state of the art harvest monitoring. Their enclosed climate controlled farming environments give them the ability to grow leafy green produce and fresh market herbs 365 days a year. See the website for current info. 

908 W Foothill Blvd
Unit A
Monrovia, CA 91016 

www.cityfreshfarming.com

Source: LocalHarvest, updated Dec 2016

LocalHarvest connects people looking for good food with the farmers who produce it.

Buying local is about enjoying real food, grown yourself or purchased from people you trust. It's about developing strong local economies and producing food on a human scale. It's about eating seasonally, practicing the art of cooking, and sitting down to enjoy meals together. It requires ample local and regional producers, processors, and distributors. Local Harvest considers the goal of the local food movement to be creating thriving community-based food systems that will make high quality local food available to everyone.

To that end, LocalHarvest promotes Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and makes millions of introductions a year. Read what LocalHarvest members say about them.

Find farms, CSAs, and farmers markets near you. Here is a link to LocalHarvest event listings, CSAs, members, and other farming resources near Simi Valley, California.

#CSA #organization #directory #localfood