greenhouse – MJ Shareholders https://mjshareholders.com The Ultimate Marijuana Business Directory Fri, 01 Apr 2022 13:19:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 CFN Media Sits Down with Hero’s Blackbox CEO Marc Kasabasic to Discuss the Company’s Unique Technology https://mjshareholders.com/cfn-media-sits-down-with-heros-blackbox-ceo-marc-kasabasic-to-discuss-the-companys-unique-technology/ Fri, 01 Apr 2022 13:19:49 +0000 https://www.cannabisfn.com/?p=2942419

Robin Lefferts

April 1st, 2022

App, Exclusive, News, Top Story

Hero Technologies Inc. (OTC: HENC) is focused on building a vertically integrated cannabis operation in Michigan that will expand to become a multi-state operation. The company is currently in the midst of the licensing process in Michigan. In anticipation of receiving the appropriate licenses, Hero has been laying the groundwork for construction of a large cultivation facility on a 120 acre site in Pulaski, Michigan.

The operation is based on cutting edge technologies aimed at maximizing crop yield and quality while minimizing cost and waste. Hero’s majority-owned subsidiary, Blackbox Systems and Technologies, is leading the effort in Michigan and the Blackbox aeroponic cultivation system lies at the heart of the company’s strategy.

CFN sat down with Blackbox CEO and Founder Marc Kasabasic to discuss the company’s technology, the sustainable and efficient design of the facility, and Hero’s strategy to start in Michigan and branch out from there.

  • What is your background and what inspired you to create Blackbox?

My background is in Engineering and Architecture, specializing in large-scale structural infrastructure testing. I have a BSCE in Civil Engineering and a BSARCH in Architecture. I then got my MSCE in Structural Engineering at Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in Southfield MI. I am currently a research project engineer at LTU in the Center for Innovation Material Research (CIMR) specializing in large-scale testing. I am responsible for 22,000 square feet of high-tech testing facilities. I have a strong background in environmental and industrial control systems. I was a carpenter for years during high-school and college years, so not only do I like to test things, I like to build them as well.

Click here to learn more about investing in Hero Technologies

In 2010, Michigan opened up for medial cannabis and my partner Hank Pielack and I co-founded the Blackbox Project. We started this as a hobby, but quickly grew into a high-tech research project to solve some industry problems. We wanted a system that was the most precise delivery system for plants. This system needed to solve the structural component issue with aeroponic systems to allow large-growing plants to thrive in an artificial environment.

We recognized a number of industry problems, including excess waste, use of pesticides, and an excessive amount of labor force required to perform simple daily tasks. The aeroponic system reduces the amount of labor needed to operate the system, thus reducing the labor staff.

Hank and I personally use the cannabis plant and would promote our clean, sustainable, and earth friendly product over any other system on the market.

  • Please explain to our audience what the Blackbox aeroponics growing method is, what makes it unique, and how it is a benefit to the overall operation.

Our Blackbox system has really evolved over the past 12 years of tinkering with and improving the design. We’ve been honing the system to provide the most precise and beneficial mix of nutrients, air, and water simultaneously. In general, aeroponics technologies have come a long way, and we have customized what’s available to fit our own concepts.

The Blackbox system allows the plants to grow in air, using zero media. This in turn results in sustainable, efficient, and economic practices by eliminating a raw material. Also, by not using a media, pesticides are also eliminated due to the sterile growing environment. The system is a closed-loop system, meaning the water used is recaptured, reconditioned and sent back to the plants. BlackBox is modular for any scaled project, from acres of plants down to homegrown setups.

  • What is a sun chamber, and how does it differ from a greenhouse? What are the benefits?

The Ceres SunChamber™ is more than a greenhouse. It is a holistic system – a completely sealed grow environment characterized by its light and warmth harvesting and climate control capabilities. It is an all inclusive design of the perfect growing environment for all components needed A-Z.

The combination of a glass ceiling that allows high light-transmittance with insulated metal walls ensure energy efficiency and maximum climate control over the growing environment. Sealed cannabis greenhouses also increase biosecurity and do not allow odors to escape or leak out. SunChambers are high-performance sealed greenhouse systems that maintain the Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) required to cultivate superior cannabis plants.

Cooling and heating a cannabis greenhouse can often be expensive. Blackbox leverages the technology of the Ceres EcoLoop™ geothermal HVAC system, a renewable energy source that utilizes the earth’s steady temperature to create precise, desired climates in each of the SunChambers.

The SunChambers also allow smaller batches of up to 500 plants at a time. Biosecurity is maintained by isolation of each SunChamber if any problems were to happen in the facility. Large open greenhouses are susceptible to infestation, wiping out the entire crop if left un-checked.

  • How does your grow technology support sustainability?

Ceres SunChambers are 7 times more efficient than an indoor cultivation operation, and 3.5 times more efficient than standard greenhouses. So energy use is greatly decreased. Then the Blackbox aeroponics systems adds another layer of sustainability. Zero media waste, zero pesticides, ultra-low precise water usage… it all adds up to the most sustainable, lowest impact, most efficient design we can implement.

  • Why did you choose to begin your multi-state strategy in Michigan, and what is the status of your license application there?

Michigan is the home of both of the Blackbox founders. Hank and I grew up in Dunham Hills in Hartland, Michigan. We have deep-rooted family and business ties in the construction trades throughout the region. We love it here, so why wouldn’t we start our business here?

But Michigan has a number of other things going for it as well. It is one of the largest and fastest growing legal cannabis markets in the country. The regulatory environment is very friendly to a business like ours. The Michigan Regulatory Agency (MRA) does a great job shepherding the industry in the state. And centrally-located Michigan would be an ideal spot for a national distribution operation should the US government make cannabis federally legal.

Click here to learn more about investing in Hero Technologies

Blackbox and Hero Technologies have completed and been approved by MRA through step 1 (of a 2-step process) for both recreational and medial cannabis operations. We have also completed application and been approved by the local Pulaski Township Board for 3 Class-C Medical cannabis cultivation licenses.

  • Why is Pulaski a good location for your operations?

Pulaski is located in south/central Michigan and can service the entire state of Michigan with ease. Also, Pulaski Township has placed a cap on any new medical cannabis licenses which limits local competition. Add in the ideal location for a national distribution center and we really like where we are.

  • Is there anything else you would like to share with potential investors?

Stick with us if you know our story, and join in if you are finding out about us for the first time! We are very excited to get the project off the ground and realize the fruits of our 12 years of research and development.

Disclaimer

The above article is sponsored content. CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, have been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/

This article was published by CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the industry’s leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the burgeoning CBD and legal cannabis industries. Call +1 (833) 420-CNFN for more information.

About Robin Lefferts

Robin Lefferts has been involved in the legal cannabis industry since 2012, sometimes as an active participant and always as an interested observer.

]]> New Player in the Michigan Cannabis Market https://mjshareholders.com/new-player-in-the-michigan-cannabis-market/ Mon, 14 Mar 2022 13:28:06 +0000 https://www.cannabisfn.com/?p=2940600

Robin Lefferts

March 14th, 2022

App, Exclusive, News, Top Story

The state of Michigan is one of the hottest legal cannabis markets in the United States. According to Andrew Brisbo, Executive Director of Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency, the state recently passed the $3 billion dollar mark in total sales since October 2018. For 2021 alone, total sales topped $1.79 billion. The industry has been growing steadily in Michigan since its inception. In the graph below, the bottom orange line represents medical sales, the middle gray line is recreational sales, and the top yellow line is the total sales.

Source: Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency

Michigan’s market is ranked the 7th largest in the US and is knocking on the doors of more established and larger markets like Illinois, Oregon, and Massachusetts. Considering the growth there, and the generally friendly regulatory environment, Michigan would be a logical choice as a place to start for a company with ambitions to become a successful multi-state operator (MSO).

Click here to learn more about investing in Michigan Cannabis

Hero Technologies Inc. (OTC: HENC) is one company that has taken notice and is acting on it. The company has completed the prequalification process for licensing in Michigan and is contemplating the construction of a large cultivation facility in the state. Let’s take a look at what Hero Technologies is up to and where the business might be headed.

Innovative Cultivation System

Hero Technologies owns a majority, controlling interest in  BlackBox Systems and is applying for licenses through this subsidiary. BlackBox, and its founder and CEO Marc Kasabasic, have been operating in Michigan as medical caregivers. With Hero’s backing, the company is looking to greatly expand operations in the state with new adult-use and medicinal licenses. The key to the company’s approach is a patent-pending aeroponic cultivation system. In the video below, Kasabasic discusses the innovative system and its capabilities.

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Potential advantages of the system include extensive automation, elimination of soils and other substrates, no pesticides, decrease in parasite risk, and high efficiency. The proposed cultivation facility employs the use of sun chambers, rather than a typical greenhouse design. Sun chambers are built like normal buildings, with insulated walls, but have glass roofs to allow for sunlight. The design is sturdier in the face of severe weather than a full greenhouse while taking advantage of both the heat retention of traditional structures and the reduced lighting requirements of greenhouses.

The 120 acre site in Pulaski, MI has been chosen and much work has been done on the design and permitting processes with the various local and state regulators. Hero Technologies plans to use the facility as the cornerstone of its vertically integrated business model. The company’s strategic business plan includes cannabis genetic engineering, farmland for both medical and recreational cannabis cultivation, production licenses, distribution licenses, consumer packaging, and retail and dispensary operations that make the company a multi-state operator.

Hero Technologies is in the process of upgrading its listing with OTC Markets to the OTCQB level. OTCQB companies have heightened certification and reporting requirements that ensure a high level of transparency for potential investors and stakeholders.

Investors are encouraged to keep an eye on Hero Technologies’ developments over the coming quarters. Hero represents an early-stage opportunity in the flourishing Michigan legal cannabis market, and the company hopes to expand well beyond those borders in the coming years. Stay tuned.

Click here to learn more about investing in Michigan Cannabis

Disclaimer

The above article is sponsored content. CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, have been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/

This article was published by CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the industry’s leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the burgeoning CBD and legal cannabis industries. Call +1 (833) 420-CNFN for more information.

About Robin Lefferts

Robin Lefferts has been involved in the legal cannabis industry since 2012, sometimes as an active participant and always as an interested observer.

]]> Is Sustainable Cannabis Farming Possible? https://mjshareholders.com/is-sustainable-cannabis-farming-possible/ Mon, 20 May 2019 17:25:51 +0000 https://www.cannabisfn.com/?p=2489836

Robin Lefferts

May 20th, 2019

Uncategorized

Farming, in general, is pretty resource intensive. Cannabis farming can be even more so. One study from 2012 estimated that indoor cannabis cultivation accounted for 1% of the total electricity used in the United States, representing about $6 billion in annual expenditures. That study was done before the wave of legalization hit the US. In Denver in 2018, the city’s Department of Public Health and Environment data indicates cannabis cultivation accounted for nearly 4% of the city’s overall electricity use. Denver is an interesting case, as the city has targeted an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. The proliferation of indoor cannabis operations is not helping to meet that goal.

Water use is another issue. Consumption levels and estimates vary based on the systems used, ranging from 2 to 6 gallons per day per plant. Outdoor grows have higher usage, due in large part to evaporation, than indoor operations. In addition, there is also the issue of grey water and how it is treated. The use of pesticides and fertilizers leads to polluted effluent. Combining high water usage with contaminated waste water is basically the exact opposite of sustainability.

Meanwhile, as legal cannabis markets mature and more cannabis flower becomes available, prices tend to decrease. Bottom lines get pinched, and growers become even more motivated to cut expenses. This concern for the bottom line is probably more responsible than anything else for the efficiency movement in the industry. LED lights and more efficient, computer-controlled cooling and ventilation systems are a couple of the more prominent trends. These techniques and technologies pay off the investment required over a long period of time, but do little to balance out the big picture of a resource-intensive industry expanding at breakneck speed.

Hybrid Greenhouse Growing is Part of the Answer

When comparing indoor vs. outdoor cultivation, each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Indoor is great for climate control, providing a predictable environment for more ideal plant growth, but comes with high energy costs and a large carbon footprint. Outdoor utilizes natural sunlight to mitigate energy consumption, but uses more water while losing the ability to control the climate. Hybrid greenhouses combine the advantages of each system while minimizing the disadvantages.

These hybrid greenhouses have been developed over many years for use in industrial-level agricultural operations and are now revolutionizing the cannabis industry. They allow cultivators to take advantage of natural sunlight while supplementing with high efficiency lighting systems to maximize yield. They limit evaporation and water loss while allowing growers to mimic natural airflow patterns that lead to more robust growth rates.

One Canadian Licensed Producer that has committed to these hybrid facilities is Rubicon Organics (CSE: ROMJ) (OTCQX: ROMJF). The company operates a 125,000 sq. ft. facility in British Columbia, and owns a 40,000 sq. ft. facility in the state of Washington which is leased to a licensed operator there. Rubicon is in production now after receiving its Canadian cultivation and processing licenses in early February, 2019.

The company is in the process of application for its organic certification from the Fraser Valley Organic Producers Association (FVOPA), with the site inspection having been recently completed. When certified, Rubicon would become just the 4th certified organic licensed producer in the country, and the one with the largest licensed footprint.

The story could end there, with an organic cultivator utilizing hybrid facilities to save costs and decrease resource use. But Rubicon’s commitment to sustainability goes much deeper than that, down to the very core of its corporate identity.

Unprecedented Commitment to Sustainability

Canada’s first organic cannabis producer, Whistler Medical Marijuana Corp., is an indoor operation located in its namesake town. Rubicon’s CEO, Jesse McConnell, co-founded Whistler Medical. When he left, he committed to finding the most sustainable and productive methods for growing cannabis. Rubicon’s Chief Science Officer joined him on this quest. Peter is a Professional Agrologist long involved in the British Columbia sustainable farming community as a consultant. He contributed to the Certified Organic Standard for Canadian Greenhouse Production of Vegetables and wrote the first draft for the BC’s only standard for organic cannabis certification under FVOPA.

After helping to guide Whistler Medical through its organic certification, the two embarked on several years of experimentation with organic greenhouse growing methods and materials. The result is Rubicon Organics, fueled by passion for and expertise in sustainable, organic, low-cost, high-quality cannabis. Rubicon uses its own proprietary soil mix in combination with the most advanced hybrid greenhouse technology to achieve its goals.

Further underlining Rubicon’s extraordinary commitment to sustainable farming is the fact that the company is the first and only cannabis operation in Canada to complete an Environmental Farm Plan. The plan ensures the application of best practices throughout Rubicon’s facility, including net zero energy and waste, 100% rainwater collection and recycling, and carbon capture/reuse. The level of detail required by, and the unwavering organizational commitment to, this comprehensive plan demonstrates Rubicon’s position as a leader in the movement toward sustainable cannabis production.

Sustainable Organics Could Equal Healthy Bottom Line

One of the company’s goals is interesting given its commitment to sustainable and practices. Those words are not often used in conjunction with a low-cost approach, but that is exactly the result for Rubicon. Many other companies are positioning themselves as low cost producers by targeting a cash outlay of about $1/gram of dried cannabis grown. Rubicon believes they will hit about $0.50/gram while maintaining consistently high quality in its certified organic product.

At the same time, prices for organic cannabis tend to be significantly higher than those for non-organic flower products. Earlier this year, Aurora Cannabis signed on to purchase Whistler Medical for $175 million. This Financial Post article outlining the deal highlights the organic premium price as a major reason for the purchase, with a gram of Whistler’s organic flower going for $17.99 on average in comparison to the national average price of $8/gram for non-organic flower. The willingness of a significant number of consumers to pay an organic premium for products has been proven across industries, and the cannabis market is no different.

Rubicon’s position as a sustainable cannabis leader could be written off, in error, simply as a noble pursuit, or as a marketing ploy, or as a waste of time and money. It should, however, be viewed as a shrewd business decision, rooted in the company’s DNA and a full expression of what makes Rubicon Organics unique and compelling. With full production levels expected at its British Columbia facility by the end of 2019, the coming quarters could serve as proof the company is onto something big.

Disclaimer

The above article is sponsored content. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, has been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/

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About Robin Lefferts

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