Pendleton is no stranger to family farms, although it’s not as familiar with one that produces Oregon’s newly legalized cash crop.
Burnswell Family Farms, owned by the group that operates the Kind Leaf Pendleton dispensary, is seeking conditional use approval from the city to open a marijuana grow and production at the former Riverside Nursery.
The two-acre property at 2612 N.E. Nursery Lane has greenhouses Burnswell plans to use to farm organic, sustainable marijuana.
“We want to be the (Pendleton) Woolen Mills of the cannabis industry,” said Brandon Krenzler, a member of the ownership group.
Krenzler said it’s always been the owners’ goal to vertically integrate Kind Leaf and supply their own marijuana, it was just a matter of finding a spot that fit the city’s zoning parameters.
Burnswell will focus on organic farming, avoiding the use of pesticides and herbicides, planting sunflowers and marigolds alongside marijuana plants and installing a beehive to spread pollen throughout the area.
Growing cannabis in a greenhouse rather than an indoor facility will prevent Burnswell from running up a large electric bill and further reduce the company’s blueprint, Krenzler said.
Krenzler also anticipates that the Burnswell farm will be a boon to Kind Leaf customers, allowing the dispensary to sell their product at a lower price than it would if the marijuana was bought from another vendor.
Burnswell plans to supply most of its marijuana to Kind Leaf while selling a small amount to other vendors, creating a niche market around Pendleton-grown marijuana.
Public resistance to marijuana facilities in Pendleton can range from virtually non-existent to a room full of concerned citizens, depending on the location.
Krenzler said they spoke with a potential Burnswell neighbor who had concerns about the security risks a marijuana farm might bring, but he added that the Oregon Liquor Control Commission has extensive security requirements.
Burnswell isn’t the first company to show interest in producing marijuana in Pendleton, and isn’t even the first to target Riverside.
A company called GhostTown Organix received conditional use approval from the Pendleton Planning Commission to open a cannabis grow at 2515 N.E. Riverside Place, although according to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission website, no processor, producer or wholesaler has submitted an application to the state.
If Burnswell gets city and state approval, Krenzler said they will plant their first crop next spring.
Burnswell will go before the planning commission on Thursday at 7 p.m. The commission holds its meetings in the city council chambers at Pendleton City Hall, 500 S.W. Dorion Ave.
credit:eastoregonian.com