California’s Largest Garlic Grower Will Soon Pay Workers $15 an Hour

California’s Largest Garlic Grower Will Soon Pay Workers $15 an Hour, Fending Off Labor Shortage

POSTED 8:35 AM, FEBRUARY 9, 2017,
BY LOS ANGELES TIMES

https://tribktla.files.wordpress.com...0&h=225&crop=1
Heads of garlic are seen in a file photo. (Credit: David Silverman/Getty Images)

The biggest fresh garlic producer in the nation is giving its employees a hefty raise, reflecting the desperation of farmers to attract a dwindling number of farmworkers.

Christopher Ranch, which grows garlic on 5,000 acres in Gilroy, Calif., announced recently that it would hike pay for farmworkers from $11 an hour to $13 hour this year, or 18%, and then to $15 in 2018. That’s four years earlier than what’s required by California’s schedule for minimum wage increases.

Ken Christopher, vice president at Christopher Ranch, said the effect of the move was immediately obvious. At the end of last year, the farm was short 50 workers needed to help peel, package and roast garlic. Within two weeks of upping wages in January, applications flooded in. Now the company has a wait-list 150 people long.

“I knew it would help a little bit, but I had no idea that it would solve our labor problem,” Christopher said.

Click here to read the full story on LATimes.com.

http://ktla.com/2017/02/09/californi...abor-shortage/

Gilroy, California, "Garlic Capitol of the World," has hosted 2 million at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival.

California ranks as the top food production state for a number of crops

What Is Gilroy, California Famous For? | USA Today

traveltips.usatoday.com › Southwest US Travel › California Travel › California

Gilroy, California dubs itself "The Garlic Capital of the World." (Photo: ... History. Italian immigrants introduced garlic to the town of Gilroy in the late 19th century.

Been there...lived in the area. The illegals have turned every neighborhood into a crime infested, garbage strewn, dump.

Gilroy Photos - Featured Images of Gilroy, CA - TripAdvisor

https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g32428-Gilroy_California.html

Gilroy pictures: Check out TripAdvisor members' 1177 candid photos and videos of landmarks, hotels, and attractions in Gilroy.

California Farmworkers to Get Overtime Pay After 8 Hours Under New Law

www.wsj.com/.../california-farmworkers-to-get-overtime-pay-after-8-hours-under-new-l...
Sep 12, 2016 - California agricultural workers will become the first in the U.S. to receive overtime pay if they work more ... California Farmworkers to Get Overtime Pay After 8 Hours Under New Law ...


More info @

California lawmakers revive farmworker overtime bill

Top 3 Cannabis Jobs

https://cannabistraininguniversity.c.../blog-jobs.jpg

With the boom of the cannabis business, many job seekers are looking at the 420-industry for career opportunities.

Here are three of the most popular cannabis jobs in this booming industry.

1. Growing Cannabis (Small or Large
Scale)https://cannabistraininguniversity.c...18-300x200.jpg

There are numerous opportunities for people who want to make money off of growing cannabis.

In California there are literally hundreds of thousands of people whose main source of income comes from the sale of cannabis that they are grown.

The economy in areas like Humboldt County California, are reliant first and foremost on the cannabis industry.

California is unique in the way that its dispensary system is set up, which allows for lines of cannabis growers to wait outside each day to have their cannabis observed by the dispensary cannabis buyer.

The growers go around from pot shop to pot shop seeing how much they can get for each pound of cannabis they have grown.

In other states the system is not always as easy for the home cannabis grower to find a legal buyer.

In most medical marijuana states, if you want to make a lot of money as a grower, it is best to find a way in as a grower in a large-scale grow house.

How much do dispensaries pay for each pound of cannabis?

In California, the amount of money that cannabis is purchased for has gone down year after year since the explosion of home growers.

Cannabis that used to get $5000 a pound, may now only get $2500.

But, keep in mind with the lessons learned at Cannabis Training University; the indoor cannabis grower can grow a pound of cannabis for a lot less than $2500 spent.

Outdoor grown cannabis which used to get as much as $3000 a pound in places like Humboldt County California now may only be worth $700 to $1000.

Many growers in Humboldt County need to grow between 200-500 pounds of cannabis per year in order to make a good living.
Many new medical marijuana states in America are now unfortunately leaning away from allowing home cultivation and instead opting for “Large Scale Commercial Cultivation”.

Commercial cultivation is like growing in a basement, on steroids!

Some commercial gardens cost millions of dollars to put together.

Career Outlook for Commercial Cannabis Cultivators?

Because of the recent growth in medical marijuana dispensaries and the recreational legal market, cannabis growing has a very strong career outlook.

Head growers for dispensaries or at large scale grows can expect to earn between $80,000 and $120,000 per year.

What is the Costs Associated with Growing Cannabis?

Small scale, home cannabis growers can get away with growing cannabis for as little as $200 can be learned at CTU in the how to grow marijuana courses.

But for people who want to make a living as a cannabis grower, especially as a large-scale cultivator there are many costs associated with it such as:

• Rent (most landlords will raise the normal rent prices for cannabis gardens)
• Security (cameras, alarms, guards)
• Legal Guidance
• Accountants
• Insurance
• Permits (many thousands of dollars)
• Utilities
• HVAC Cooling Systems
• Grow Equipment
• Ventilation and Odor Control

Some home cultivators of cannabis make up to a million dollars per year in some states that allow growing.

Another popular job in the marijuana industry is that of a Bud tender.

2. Bud Tender in a medical marijuana dispensary or a recreational retail pot shophttps://cannabistraininguniversity.c...bs-300x200.jpg

Budtenders or Bud Tenders are similar to a bartender in a bar. They help their customers find the product they are looking for.

In this case, the product is cannabis or an edible or infused cannabis product.

Bud tenders needs to be aware of the types of strains in stock, and the medicinal effect from each.

They need to know how to weigh and trim cannabis as well, and are often tasked with getting the cannabis ready for sale.

Bud tenders must know the differences between indica and saliva strains, and also the ingredients inside the edibles and hash products.

Patients or customers come in and count on bud tenders to help them get the exact product for the condition or effect that they are seeking to either treat or to obtain.

Bud Tenders earn on average between $12 and $15 an hour, before tips.

To land a job as a bud tender it is helpful to get trained at schools like Cannabis Training University prior to applying for the position.

What is the Career Outlook for Bud Tenders?

The market for bud tenders is expected to substantially grow over the next five years.
Many times, bud tenders in retail pot shops are promoted to manager positions after a year or two of service.

Another very common marijuana job is that of a “Cannabis Trimmer”.

3. Cannabis Trimmerhttps://cannabistraininguniversity.c...er-225x300.jpgA cannabis trimmer is just as it sounds, someone who trims cannabis.

In many states where they grow a lot of cannabis outdoors, people travel from all over the world to land a job as a cannabis trimmer.

The environment in which trimming is done can vary greatly from outside in the woods with no electricity, to in elaborate greenhouses with electricity and plumbing.

Typically cannabis growers pay for trimmers food and give them stimulating drinks like coffee or soda so they stay awake and productive.

When the marijuana is ready to be harvested, the trimmers either cut down the branches and trim them right away, or hang the entire plant upside down in a cool, dark area for a week or so until they dry.

Cannabis trimmers are expected to trim as much cannabis as possible, while maintaining as much of the flower and useful parts of the plant.

There are two times to trim bud, when the weed is wet, or when the weed is dry. If a trimmer is told to trim the cannabis once it is dry, then the trimmer is paid based on the weight of the piles of weed that they trim.

How much money do Cannabis Trimmers Make?

In America, cannabis trimmers in states where cannabis is legal to grow like Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and California, earn about $200 to $300 per pound of dried cannabis that they trim.

Some areas such as Humboldt California where cannabis is their main source of income, report that cannabis trimmers earn as much as $25 million a year amongst themselves.

The trimmers then spend that money on the local economy and the cities in Humboldt County happily take their hard earned money.

Although cannabis trimmers in America are often paid under the table, they stimulate the economy and are great for cities.

If the trimmer trims while the bud is still wet, the trimmers are usually paid by the hour, between $15 and $20 per hour.

The trimmers who trim the best will get paid more, so knowing how to trim and trim fast is imperative.

What is the Career Outlook for Cannabis Trimmers?

Cannabis Trimmers are needed in great demand.

To get a job as a cannabis trimmer it helps to first learn more about trimming cannabis at a marijuana school.

After that, all it takes is some networking and before you know it you will get paid to trim weed, while being given free buds, food, and drink!

To get trained and certified in the cannabis industry, and to get weekly cannabis career job opportunities, be sure to enroll at CTU for the Master of Marijuana Certificate Program.

https://cannabistraininguniversity.c...cannabis-jobs/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

California’s Largest Garlic Grower Will Soon Pay Workers $15 an Hour, Fending Off Labor Shortage

POSTED 8:35 AM, FEBRUARY 9, 2017,
BY LOS ANGELES TIMES

https://tribktla.files.wordpress.com...0&h=225&crop=1
Heads of garlic are seen in a file photo. (Credit: David Silverman/Getty Images)

The biggest fresh garlic producer in the nation is giving its employees a hefty raise, reflecting the desperation of farmers to attract a dwindling number of farmworkers.

Christopher Ranch, which grows garlic on 5,000 acres in Gilroy, Calif., announced recently that it would hike pay for farmworkers from $11 an hour to $13 hour this year, or 18%, and then to $15 in 2018. That’s four years earlier than what’s required by California’s schedule for minimum wage increases.

Ken Christopher, vice president at Christopher Ranch, said the effect of the move was immediately obvious. At the end of last year, the farm was short 50 workers needed to help peel, package and roast garlic. Within two weeks of upping wages in January, applications flooded in. Now the company has a wait-list 150 people long.

“I knew it would help a little bit, but I had no idea that it would solve our labor problem,” Christopher said.

Click here to read the full story on LATimes.com.

http://ktla.com/2017/02/09/californi...abor-shortage/

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Are they legal workers or illegal aliens? I wish the article said one way or another. Hopefully American Workers!! Americans will do any job you pay a fair wage for, always have, always will.

Quote:

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Are they legal workers or illegal aliens? I wish the article said one way or another. Hopefully American Workers!! Americans will do any job you pay a fair wage for, always have, always will.

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I was wondering the same thing (legal or illegal).

Quote:

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Career Outlook for Commercial Cannabis Cultivators?

Because of the recent growth in medical marijuana dispensaries and the recreational legal market, cannabis growing has a very strong career outlook.

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Depending on whether AG Sessions goes after the marijuana industry or not, I'd say the outlook has the potential to dim quite a bit.

According to federal law, cultivating, distributing, and possessing marijuana is illegal. The Federal Government doesn't recognize the legality of medical marijuana either. Of course we all know federal law supersedes state law. If Sessions is the law and order man we know him to be, he should eventually get around to going after after the states that have legalized the drug trade.

President Trump has said in the past that he 100% supports medical marijuana usage, but does not support the legalization of marijuana for recreational usage.

I guess it remains to be seen how Sessions will handle the nascent marijuana industry.

Quote:

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President Trump has said in the past that he 100% supports medical marijuana usage, but does not support the legalization of marijuana for recreational usage.

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What he actually said was he was looking at it and going to study it. He hasn't decided yet, but he's open to it. It's 70% of the foreign drug cartel market of $300 billion a year. So around $210 billion. That ought to get someone's attention.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MW

. . . President Trump has said in the past that he 100% supports medical marijuana usage, but does not support the legalization of marijuana for recreational usage.

I guess it remains to be seen how Sessions will handle the nascent marijuana industry.

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Trump and Sessions May Pursue Cartels Instead of Legal Weed

Recent comments suggest the new administration is more interested in busting up drug cartels.

While the cannabis community is still waiting to hear whether newly confirmed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his cronies over at the DEA will kick down their doors and force the industry to a screeching halt, there has been some new evidence to emerge that suggests the Trump Administration is only interested in going for the jugulars of the drug cartels – not legal marijuana.

In a recent interview with Capital Public Radio, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said he recently met with Attorney General Sessions to discuss several issues, including immigration and legal marijuana. The conversation, according to Sheriff Jones, suggests the Trump Administration is not going to impose a crackdown on the legal marijuana trade, but rather, aggressively hunt down and prosecute those with cartel connections.

"Regarding the prioritization of federal resources to combat marijuana, he didn't see the federal government getting involved in marijuana use or low-level state, what are traditionally state and local crimes, but, I don't think he ruled out the possibility of the federal government getting involved in larger-scale operations,” Jones said of his talk with Sessions.

This sentiment was reverberated last week by President Donald Trump during a meeting with the Major Cities Chiefs Association. In his speech, which was done in front of law enforcement officials all over the country, Trump said, “it’s time to stop the drugs from pouring into our country…and by the way, we will do that.”

However, Trump made no mention of plans to crack the skulls of the legitimate cannabis trade operating in over half the nation.

If the statements made over the past week are any representation of what to expect from the Trump Administration with respect to legal marijuana, it is probably fair to say the Justice Department’s policy on this issue may not steer too far from that of the Obama Administration. But while Obama’s “hands off approach” to legal marijuana (Cole Memo) is still currently in play, Attorney General Sessions has been largely critical of this disposable policy.

Therefore, it is also distinctly possible that we could see an updated memo in the coming months that clarifies the new administration’s position.

Until then, it’s business as usual.

https://www.merryjane.com/news/trump...arijuana-alone

I hope Trump and Sessions see the wisdom of repealing federal laws on marijuana, medical and recreational.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

What he actually said was he was looking at it and going to study it. He hasn't decided yet, but he's open to it. It's 70% of the foreign drug cartel market of $300 billion a year. So around $210 billion. That ought to get someone's attention.

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Actually he did say what I reported him saying. You know, I don't just create this stuff out of thin air. Not questioning that he also said what you are reporting he said, so why question what I reported him of saying? Please don't call me a liar unless you can prove it. Thank you.

Excerpt:

Quote:

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But at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump stated that he’s against the legalization of marijuana. “I think it’s bad, and I feel strongly about that,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of problems going on right now in Colorado, some big problems.” However, when asked about the states’ rights aspect to marijuana laws, Trump said, “If they vote for it, they vote for it.
“Medical marijuana is another thing,” he added. “I think medical marijuana, 100 percent.” On another occasion he said, “Medical I agree with. Medical I like… Medical is ok.”

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http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2...-on-marijuana/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

I hope Trump and Sessions see the wisdom of repealing federal laws on marijuana, medical and recreational.

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It would take an act of congress to do that. Jeff Sessions has a high level of autonomy to execute his duties and enforce the laws of the land. I don't think he needs the Presidents permission to go after federal law-breakers. Am I wrong?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Trump and Sessions May Pursue Cartels Instead of Legal Weed

Recent comments suggest the new administration is more interested in busting up drug cartels.

While the cannabis community is still waiting to hear whether newly confirmed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his cronies over at the DEA will kick down their doors and force the industry to a screeching halt, there has been some new evidence to emerge that suggests the Trump Administration is only interested in going for the jugulars of the drug cartels – not legal marijuana.

In a recent interview with Capital Public Radio, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said he recently met with Attorney General Sessions to discuss several issues, including immigration and legal marijuana. The conversation, according to Sheriff Jones, suggests the Trump Administration is not going to impose a crackdown on the legal marijuana trade, but rather, aggressively hunt down and prosecute those with cartel connections.

"Regarding the prioritization of federal resources to combat marijuana, he didn't see the federal government getting involved in marijuana use or low-level state, what are traditionally state and local crimes, but, I don't think he ruled out the possibility of the federal government getting involved in larger-scale operations,” Jones said of his talk with Sessions.

This sentiment was reverberated last week by President Donald Trump during a meeting with the Major Cities Chiefs Association. In his speech, which was done in front of law enforcement officials all over the country, Trump said, “it’s time to stop the drugs from pouring into our country…and by the way, we will do that.”

However, Trump made no mention of plans to crack the skulls of the legitimate cannabis trade operating in over half the nation.

If the statements made over the past week are any representation of what to expect from the Trump Administration with respect to legal marijuana, it is probably fair to say the Justice Department’s policy on this issue may not steer too far from that of the Obama Administration. But while Obama’s “hands off approach” to legal marijuana (Cole Memo) is still currently in play, Attorney General Sessions has been largely critical of this disposable policy.

Therefore, it is also distinctly possible that we could see an updated memo in the coming months that clarifies the new administration’s position.

Until then, it’s business as usual.

https://www.merryjane.com/news/trump...arijuana-alone

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Since this is from someone who writes for a site called "Merry Jane", I suspect there is a good possibility it's wishful thinking. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MW

It would take an act of congress to do that. Jeff Sessions has a high level of autonomy to execute his duties and enforce the laws of the land. I don't think he needs the Presidents permission to go after federal law-breakers. Am I wrong?

---

Well, yeah, pretty much you are wrong. To go after "law-breakers" using pot, you need staff, money, courts and prisons. The federal government doesn't have enough of any of those to put the foreign drug cartels in prison let alone college kids smoking pot. If you're a Republican who believes in States Rights that aren't discriminatory or fuel slavery, then no Real republican is going to want to see our money wasted or the lives of our people ruined over federal pot violations.

Trump isn't stupid. HE'S SMART!! So is Jeff Sessions. When we have 30 million illegal aliens to prosecute and get out of our country and millions of other types of federal law violators, I'd say pot is waaaaaaaaaay down on the list of objectives. So STATES with family farms about to go bust, legalize pot in your state and maybe they'll grow hemp and marijuana and be able to keep their lands. Pot plants require almost no pesticides or fertilizers ... grows like a WEED, so I've been told.

Good for our environmental protection objectives, reduces soil erosion and soil, water and air contamination and yes, even global warming and climate change.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

Well, yeah, pretty much you are wrong. To go after "law-breakers" using pot, you need staff, money, courts and prisons. The federal government doesn't have enough of any of those to put the foreign drug cartels in prison let alone college kids smoking pot. If you're a Republican who believes in States Rights that aren't discriminatory or fuel slavery, then no Real republican is going to want to see our money wasted or the lives of our people ruined over federal pot violations.

Trump isn't stupid. HE'S SMART!! So is Jeff Sessions. When we have 30 million illegal aliens to prosecute and get out of our country and millions of other types of federal law violators, I'd say pot is waaaaaaaaaay down on the list of objectives. So STATES with family farms about to go bust, legalize pot in your state and maybe they'll grow hemp and marijuana and be able to keep their lands. Pot plants require almost no pesticides or fertilizers ... grows like a WEED, so I've been told.

Good for our environmental protection objectives, reduces soil erosion and soil, water and air contamination and yes, even global warming and climate change.

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No, I'm not wrong. AG Session can file lawsuits against the states that have 'illegally' legalized the drug trade. This isn't about going after individual smokers. This is about going after the states that have acted against federal law in legalizing the pot trade. In no instance did I imply that AG Sessions should go after the individual smokers. Honestly, it's a little silly for you to even think on such a small scale where such a large problem exist. He doesn't have to do proceed as you suggested, nor would it make any sense for him to do so. He needs to go after the states by voiding their illegal act of authorizing an illegal industry to operate and function in the state. To kill a snake, you cut off its head.

The federal government has no authority over states who legalize their own marijuana trade. The federal government has no authority under the US Constitution to declare cannabis or hemp an illegal product in the states. There is no fact basis for it, no constitutional authority for it, it's federal intrusion and overreach in its most obvious form. The only beneficiaries of it are foreign drug cartels. The federal government can't do this without a constitutional amendment, which it never had. It's no different than alcohol. The federal government needed a constitutional amendment then for that and it would need one today on marijuana.

Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump want to fix our country, they both want to defend our freedoms, bring our jobs back, stop illegal immigration, deport illegal aliens, and fix our bad trade deals. The federal government has no time, money, will or authority to punish pot growers or states who allow it or users. The entire federal War on Drugs has been one of the biggest constitutional violations in our history second only to slavery. The lives that been ruined by these federal laws against pot is in the tens of millions and is so wrong, it's a sin.

Trump is a teetotaler but he doesn't judge others who aren't. He doesn't drink, smoke or use drugs and never has, but he's never looked down his nose or condemned anyone else who did. And I hope he doesn't start now as President. Stopping the foreign hard drugs, I'm all for that and he has every constitutional authority to do that under trade, immigration and foreign policy powers granted in the US Constitution.

Wages

Wages rise on California farms. Americans still don’t want the job

Offer the jobs to low risk prisoners. Put a percentage of the money into an account for when they get out of prison. Many have to pay child support, use it to pay for that too.

Do a pilot program, let them work off their time.

How this garlic farm went from a labor shortage to over 150 people on its applicant waitlist

California agricultural empire raises minimum hourly wage to $15, wine country $17

California Farms Hike U.S. Wages, Increasingly Use Automation