Features Management Opinion
From the Editor: Seasons are peaking at Grow Opportunity

I’d like to begin by saying hello to our readers and greater online and social media audiences. I hope you’re having a fabulous summer so far. 

My name is Haley Nagasaki, and as of May 10th, I am the new editor of Grow Opportunity. As this is my first crack at weaving together an issue of Grow, I will delve into the editorial process, and how much I enjoyed it, but first I would like to provide you with a formal introduction.   

I’m a writer first, a cannabis enthusiast second, and everything else has simply followed suit. I’ve been wrangling in this space as a freelance journalist (among other activities) for the past six years and am no stranger to the intricate cannabis landscape. I began this journey on the West Coast, in Vancouver, B.C., followed by Vancouver Island, and the intuitive life has happily led me to where I am now. Geographically, I’m back on the ol’ stomping grounds in Ontario, and I am thrilled to be working with my talented team.

I’d like to thank Paul Grossinger, Grow’s group publisher and interim editor, for passing the baton to me, as well as providing his expert guidance while I acclimatize to this new role. To our publisher Adam Szpakowski, who pitched the idea for Grow back in 2017, thank you for your continued support and your wealth of industry knowledge. To Nash Barsky, the OG firecracker of the group, thanks for welcoming me so warmly and for kicking butt like you do. And to everyone else at Annex Business Media, thank you for having me join your family!

And what better timing? This Spring moved at Mach speed for me and the industry itself: from the numerous events I attended, webinars hosted, interviews conducted, and even the gig MC’ing at our very own Grower Day, I hit the ground running, which has always been my preferred method of immersion! In a few short months I have met hundreds of talented people in the cannabis market and I’m so delighted to work amongst a group of pioneers leading by example, where the learning never stops, and it just so happens, neither does the fun. 

Now back to the magazine. In this issue, we bring you a special on Integrated Pest Management (IPM), as well as introduce a number of first-time Grow Opportunity contributors. Ray Richards provided our feature on pest management, and Jon Hiltz covered the troublesome excise tax, which is the topic of conversation at every turn, it seems. Shout out to Denis Gertler for assisting!  

Furthermore, Dykstra Greenhouses (whose team spoke at Grower Day) provided our excellent summer cover photo portraying a team hard at work, under that southern Ontario greenhouse sun, scouting for pests (and keeping their plants compact to facilitate that). On that thread of Grower Day, our speaker Mika Unterman was unable to attend in person, but we didn’t want to miss out on her expert advice, so you’ll find an exclusive feature on waste audits for LPs.  

The lineup continues with grow maestro George Dickinson’s piece detailing crop steering (props to Aroya), and our Vantage Point column penned by Mitchell Osak is an absolute must-read.

Finally, I’d like to thank Cheryl Wilson, founder and president of KinHana, for providing me with the insider scoop on her one-woman operation in Huntsville, Ont., and for giving me the low down on how she’s operating for success (including her IPM tips for fungus gnats). Spoiler alert, success doesn’t always have to mean wealth measured in capital! From top to bottom it was an absolute pleasure assembling this publication.

As the sun peaks this season and our hearts and minds are full of warmth and wonder, I bid you all a fantastic summer with big full, sticky ladies, and the determination to seize  another day — chasing sunrises after sunsets after sunrises, again.

Until next time.