In Rockford, Illinois, the California LightWorks team met with Eric Carlson to learn about his Sustainable Innovations company and his brand name, Buckbee Weed Company, which was initially the Buckbee Seed Company. Buckbee Seed Company was a Rockford tradition that goes very far back, with a rich agricultural history.
When looking at what was happening in the cannabis market, they saw it was overcrowded, targeting a much younger audience. They notice nobody marketing towards middle-aged women, and that’s where Buckbee Weed began.
They ran into some obstacles getting started in Illinois. Businesses have been waiting for dispensary licenses for several years but have yet to go out. Knowing that hemp was the same plant except for the legal distinction, they began growing hemp and entering that new market. With a very clear vision, they could understand and focus on plant growth, which is part of the reason they chose California LightWorks. At Buckbee, they tried out different lights and different methods for how they wanted to grow, and CLW was the option that checked the most boxes.
Buckbee’s Weed also has a retail bakery called Mrs. Buckbee’s Wake-n-Bakery, which may be the first of its kind. They serve hemp-infused baked goods, coffees, and other drinks. With the bakery, they focused on products that the cannabis industry can’t sell. There’s no dispensary in America that you can walk into and get a fresh, infused THC brownie, but you can find that at Mrs. Buckbee’s Wake-n-Bakery.
In Illinois and other states, local utility companies offer energy efficiency rebates. The cost was enough to cover this project, which is still in the early stages of building. However, the lights and much of the infrastructure were in place to check out.
The upstairs grow room is around 10,000 square feet, offering about 6,000 square feet of grow space, the same as the downstairs. The ample upstairs space will be separated into four different rooms. After adding rows of Unistrut held from the concrete ceiling, it was just a matter of clicking the lights together and running the cables since there are no power drops in the room. That fact helped save a lot on installation, especially electrical work.
These lights also work well due to the level of control they offer. The different rooms will be separated and include various harvesting times, and all the lights allow for the subtle adjustments necessary to help throughout the entire growing process. There is excellent spectrum control, allowing certain shades to be turned up or down depending on what’s needed. The downstairs is also split into four rooms, allowing eight to run sequentially, creating a perpetual harvest.
The downstairs rooms can fit about 1,500 square feet of growing space in each one. All the cables from the rooms run down into the mechanical room, which houses 72 drivers, all on one wall.
Keeping them out of the way helps reduce extra heat in the grow room and allows for more accessibility when servicing is required.
Through these innovative growth strategies, Mrs. Buckbees Bakery has seen success selling THC-infused products through the use of hemp. The bakery sells a wide range of goods, including drinks, pastries, gummies, and more. They ship across the country, wherever it is legal, and the growing will only continue once this greenhouse area is complete.
The Buckbee Weed Company and their new grow operation is only one of many ways to use California LightWorks lighting systems. Our lights are designed to offer easy installation and long-lasting growth, helping reduce overhead costs and allow for various lighting solutions.
Since 2008, California LightWorks has been dedicated to advancing the research, design, and production of cutting-edge commercial LED grow lights and automation systems for greenhouse and indoor horticulture. Leveraging the latest innovations in high-efficiency solid-state lighting and control technologies, our team consistently offers growers worldwide innovative grow lights that yield significant advantages and come at a competitive price point.
The power drops seen At Buckbee Weed Company’s grow space can remain out of the way, reducing the likelihood of damage from a humid climate and the risk of changing grow room temperatures. Different grow stages can be accommodated under one roof with the variable light spectrum. If you’re interested in learning more about California LightWorks, reach out to speak with one of our lighting experts today.
California LightWorks
7949 Deering Ave
Canoga Park, CA 91304
(800) 575-3475, Inside USA
(747) 444-3380, Outside USA
