Living the Dream: Derek Rayhorn

I’m grateful to start each day driving up our beautiful mountain road in the Chehalem Mountains, ending at Bald Peak, the tallest point in the Tualatin Valley. Bald Peak Farm faces Mount Hood, which gives us beautiful sunrise views each morning — another perk of my job. In my role as director of cultivation, I am responsible for overseeing all aspects of cultivation at our 10,000-square-foot grow, including our budget and our employees, developing cultivation plans, administering new strain production and inspecting the quality of harvest and plant health.

We focus on our connection as a team each morning while reviewing potential improvements and best steps moving forward. It’s important for us to start each day on a positive note — by doing so, it helps us carry that positivity and collaboration through each step of our cultivation process. I strive to establish a standard throughout our workplace, leading by example and setting the pace for the rest of the team. Growing cannabis is hard work and requires people who are willing to put in the effort, and it’s my responsibility to ensure our farm maintains its high-quality standards and reputation in Oregon.

Being 1,600 feet above sea level in a greenhouse in Northwestern Oregon is a one-of-a-kind work environment. It also presents many unique challenges for us. Our facility reacts as the climate changes, and I am always searching for the hardiest varietals that will withstand the unpredictable environment. I’m very hands-on with the plants, inspecting for small problems before they evolve into larger issues. With summer just around the corner, we are concerned about preventing cross-pollination from nearby outdoor gardens, heat concerns, wildfire season and constant back-to-back drastic weather changes.

The Oregon industry, as a whole, faces its own challenges due to decisions made early on with state legislation. Issuing excessive licenses led to high saturation in our market with far more cannabis than this state could consume, which ultimately drove prices down. As the market improves, we are seeing things stabilize, which allows the best farms in the state to profit from hard work once again.

We have progressed tremendously in the past year, integrating pest management protocols, developing increased cannabinoid levels with higher yields and launching an in-house, exclusive breeding program that is coming soon. By the end of 2021, we hope to have several new cultivars exclusive to Chalice Farms. My team and I are off to a strong start, and I’m optimistic about what the remainder of the year has in store for us.