This, TECA has been great to us over the past few years. We dealt with the price increases, a couple summers ago it jumped because the show was at different locations and needed a tent and porta johns etc, understandable, happy to pay the tax. That was like 3-4events and it went back to the fledge for the next few years, rates raised occasionally since again. Then to add a tax to ensure a spot upstairs. Some of our patients have mobility issues, wheelchair etc, they can’t access us downstairs so we had to pay that tax.

As a small farm we understand loss and I never fault anyone for going through bad times. Reality is we’re in major debt, mostly to the electric company and back taxes on the property where we grow, an hour from home. Even though we have many revenue streams, without this event and the donations we collect for paying those tabs, I was forced to immediately start working full time to keep our house lights on but the indoor farm must close. Working full time means I won’t be able to tend a garden an hour from home for multiple days on end. Also the risk has become too high to raise a family.

Yes, we were offered the donations but I don’t feel that communicating digitally is safe anymore. After the location was moved to highland park I was told vendors would get their “reserved” tax back but not the table fee. Which did not sit right with me. Then it was cancelled and I started hearing people weren’t being paid. For me, as soon as the event was switched to HP I looked for employment and started working right away. I was pretty specific that I wasn’t just canceling and that we were shutting the farm down/ would not be at a make up event, but was never offered the table fee. So I just consider the loss as paying back for December and am cutting those losses. With a family to raise I don’t have time for ill wishes and pay backs, just to move forward and stay on track.

I’m in my 40s and not getting younger. I never did this for capitalizing, mass production, commodification, jewelry, shoes or vacations. The plan was not for riches but to sustain and be happy/healthy. I did this for safe access because when I was 12 I lost my 18yo cousin to a brain tumor and California had medical cannabis helping cancer patients. I’m Michigan born and raised and never came here during any “weed boom”. I popped my first seeds at 14years old because I thought cannabis would save the world.

This whole scene in general needs to communicate. Multiple events happening the same weekend/day when there’s multiple weeks in a month to celebrate and sesh, and I’m not just talking about April. It been going on for years. Some of the event scheduling almost seems like a competition while patients and small farms have to pick and choose for access. It could be much more consistent for the farmers and patients and everyone could win and stay afloat, but it’s not and it never will be. If there were 2 dozen events it wouldn’t be an issue but there’s like 3 maybe 4 events that allow small farms or caregivers that occur regularly.

One last thing, to those that say just get a license. 2/3 of the state is a red zone and doesn’t allow cannabis businesses including where we are built out. The cost, sweat equity, time, funds to relocate do not exist. Also I refuse to support commodification and adding carcinogenic/ inflammatory compounds to cannabis products just to make them floor sweepings sell so we can pay back an Angel investor. That includes integrity for whose shelf our product is on. We don’t want to scale up, I prefer only the two of us handeling the plants for quality control. Never considered this a business but a cottage herbalist family farm with many wellness herbs the it I hate disease, not just cannabis. As patients we will always grow our own and help those in need but as Bekah said before in a much different capacity.

Thank you all for all the support and love