Live Stoner Chat Establishing Standards for a Master Grower

[Waximus]

Hi Peeps,
I have been thinking on it since the thread started... Here's a Million Pound question:
What SHOULD the standards be for a Master Grower?
Since there are no standards currently, and we here at AFN have PLENTY of deep expertise and knowledge among our fair community, I submit that we should talk it through, find the baseline/minimum capabilities that would be required of a Master Grower.

There has been a great discussion about online "THC Universities" that offer Master Grower certificates for $100-250. (A link to that thread, if interested- Bandit's Thread on THC University) The question came from that thread, really.

So, what say you? I'm hoping we can keep this serious (i know, WAX wants it serious??!!) as I believe AFN is as capable as any other forum to discuss and distill an answer, or more likely answerS, to this important question.
"AFN smoke out"

 

[pop22]

sounds like an interesting idea. Your a master of none when all you have is a certificate!

 

[astronomy420a]

the only way I would know,who was a master.....would be to smoke his cannabis:Hookah:we all know the prettiest plant may not measure up to the ugly duckling.:Sharing Oner the tallest against the shortest.

 

[Eyes on Fire]

well as of a handful of years ago there were only a small handful of actually certified master or expert growers.That consists of a lot of class time,hands on time and understanding the biology,chemical makes ups and effects in soo many forms from organics and chems.its putting ALL the knowledge you see here essentially and having that at your fingertips really.thats what I consider a master grower.and in short I think its gained by true world grows/experience and time.but a good course would give you a good headstart and I think thats where(shy of most of the scams too imho) the online courses and what AFN is hopefully going to do with excellent success too.thats my 2 bro."AFN smoke out"

 

[Waximus]

I agree with both of you, pop and astro, but....
Think of the question along the lines of the certifications needed to be,say, a CNA (Certified Nurses Assistant) or a Journeyman Electrician. They have to pass a test, showing a requisite knowledge of the fundamentals needed to do that job, before they can get that job.
When the canna industry comes into its own, will the only proof that a grower has a baseline of standard practices and the lot, or is it going to be "he grows kind weed, therefore he is valid."?
My thoughts are that, a Master Grower must be conversant with:
Equipment- setup, use, and installation of the equipment needed to do a proper grow.
Pests/safety-An MG must know how to identify, and deal with plant pests. Safe installation of high powered grow equipment is a must. Safety procedures must be followed, to ensure a safe and efficient growing environment. Basic electricity and electronics should be covered.
Nutrients-This is a big topic! An MG should know what nutrients are doing for the plant. They should have a good understanding of how they work, biologically and symbiotically, with the grow techniques and lighting being used.
Ethics- Oooooooooh..the elephant in the room, maybe, but imo an MG should have a solid understanding of the ethics of growing and distributing cannabis and its byproducts. I've known growers with decades of experience, who didn't blink to distribute mold and mites on their harvest. THAT is not MG level activity!
Laws/regulations/record keeping-It'll be a requirement, once legalization is widespread. Looking at the data chasing required of grow ops in CO and CA, this will be vital.

So, starting with that, and knowing that a commercial industry WILL require these skills to be standardized, what do we think those skills should be?

 

[derek420colorado]

This is a topic that I am very interested in as I am a botanist with a college degree, and I can say this. I knew how to grow weed before I went to school and the only thing going to school did for me was teach me the scientific words of all the stuff I already knew how to do. Also that there are not vey many people who talk like that in the real world because it is harder to understand chelated nutrient chains and stuff like that.

So to get back to the topic, I think that there should be some sort of standard and a test of some sort. However I think the requirements to be able to take the test should be very stringent. I am just throwing this out there but something like 10 documented grows start to finish. Or a plant count of some sort, like if you have grown 100 documented plants over 3 grows. Something of that nature. As stated above there are only a few what I would consider Elite,Super, Master,Certified, Pro growers out there( I wish I was one of them lol) and those folks if they could be gathered together could come up with the test. There are several folks here on AFN who I would consider in that class(but for the sake of another debatable topic I won't say who I think) so their input would be vital.

I do think that the idea of AFN supplying some sort of educational platform is a wonderful idea that I think would get a lot of great information out to people in a very legitimate way.

I also think AFN has a unique position in the fact that autoflowering cannabis is the way of the future I believe and I think photoperiod plants will always have a space in the market but it will continue to get smaller over time, and I think we can all agree AFN is the premier source for autoflowering cannabis information! Well this is just my 2 pennies

 

[pop22]

Ahh i see where your going. Should be an interesting thread.but I have no interest in commercial growing regs or aspects. I'm of the opinion that commercialization of cannabis is going to become as much of a pain in the ass as prohibition. This country has become all about money over all and that's disappointing. I can be a Master Gardener without all the commercial claptrap. And I have no desire to contribute to the " Industry's" advancement.

Peace

Pop :Sharing One:

 

[evol]

I would support this idea if it is not about commercial growing and only about growing high quality medicinal cannabis. I could be the sex ed teacher.. Welcome to breeding 101 with professor Evol lol

 

[medic grower]

Evol your Kowledge is always welcome over here.You know that Mate. Well for me a so called Master is someone who knows his plants and can read them like a open Book. It takes years of expierience and Trial n Error runs to truely become a Master of Growing....i think a Course of few Weeks or Months will bring a lot of Technical Knowledge but Practical???? Its all bout the Hype the Industry created now with all the Legal Staates and Countries Poppin up.

 

[Waximus]

This is a topic that I am very interested in as I am a botanist with a college degree, and I can say this. I knew how to grow weed before I went to school and the only thing going to school did for me was teach me the scientific words of all the stuff I already knew how to do. Also that there are not vey many people who talk like that in the real world because it is harder to understand chelated nutrient chains and stuff like that.

So to get back to the topic, I think that there should be some sort of standard and a test of some sort. However I think the requirements to be able to take the test should be very stringent. I am just throwing this out there but something like 10 documented grows start to finish. Or a plant count of some sort, like if you have grown 100 documented plants over 3 grows. Something of that nature. As stated above there are only a few what I would consider Elite,Super, Master,Certified, Pro growers out there( I wish I was one of them lol) and those folks if they could be gathered together could come up with the test. There are several folks here on AFN who I would consider in that class(but for the sake of another debatable topic I won't say who I think) so their input would be vital.

I do think that the idea of AFN supplying some sort of educational platform is a wonderful idea that I think would get a lot of great information out to people in a very legitimate way.

I also think AFN has a unique position in the fact that autoflowering cannabis is the way of the future I believe and I think photoperiod plants will always have a space in the market but it will continue to get smaller over time, and I think we can all agree AFN is the premier source for autoflowering cannabis information! Well this is just my 2 pennies

Hi derek, this is at least the 3rd time I've read a post by you and thought, "but.. my mom doesn't ADMIT I have a long lost brother!" lololol Your input in this is vital, imo. You HAVE a botany background, so those aspects of this discussion are right up your alley Am I right in assuming that you, like me, consider yourself a journeyman? We can both grow kind weed, probably using several techniques, and have the basic skills at hand to do so consistently (just ignore my recent murder of 2 lovely durban poison girls, please lol). Maybe you're on to something- maybe its about a portfolio of documented grows, which prove the MG designation. Maybe, for the yet-to-be established commercial industry, an MG must just prove they can successfully grow out a sativa, an indica, and an auto- proof of a baseline of capability via results.
I value your input! I think you have a keen sense of the need for this. Very happy you piped in, Bro
Thank you

Ahh i see where your going. Should be an interesting thread.but I have no interest in commercial growing regs or aspects. I'm of the opinion that commercialization of cannabis is going to become as much of a pain in the ass as prohibition. This country has become all about money over all and that's disappointing. I can be a Master Gardener without all the commercial claptrap. And I have no desire to contribute to the " Industry's" advancement.

Peace

Pop :Sharing One:

I have to agree with you, pop. No one does "the love of money is the root of all evil" like the USA....
I respect your position re: "the industry". I just think if those of us that DO grow don't think this through, and hopefully establish something useful that could be adopted, we ARE going to be led by a rope to oblivion by entities that have no idea what they're doing.