Another Sauble & Area Men's Club tradition has returned by way of our Spring Trip on June 7th to the Ovation AG Grow Op located in Zurich near Bayfield. The trip enjoyed by a small group of Men’s Club members was a great experience and our thanks go to Rick Schott for his impeccable organizational skills.  Well done Rick!

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​The day started when we gathered at the Sauble Beach United Church where 8 men then car pooled for the two hour trip to the site. Once we arrived at the facility we were led into the mechanical room where we were given a very informative presentation by the owner/operator Dustin Steckle. There we learned about the complexities of how the Grow Op operates and much more.

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For example, we were informed that

• This new building was constructed starting in 2018 at a cost of between 2 – 3 Million dollars. The interior is so clean and immaculate you swear you could eat off the floor.

• All access to and within the building is monitored by security cameras.

• An important aspect of the operation is to ensure no contamination of the cannabis plant from outside sources meaning we were required to wear coveralls before entering any of the rooms containing plants. 

• Heating and cooling is all accomplished through a geothermal system.

• Temperature control, indoor air quality, humidity, introducing CO2 and lighting is all managed by computer and can be monitored and adjusted off site as needed. Strict parameters are constantly monitored that will set off an alarm if not maintained.

• Currently this is a one man operation, but as things progress additional staff will be hired once the operation is at full capacity.

• All product is currently grown for the recreational cannabis market however the medicinal market options are possible in the future.

• There are a number of phases within the growing process, starting with creating new plants from cuttings of existing plants, to various phases of developing the plant, to harvesting, typically a 12 week cycle.

• All plants grown must be reported to the government to ensure there is no production that is unaccounted for that could go to the black market and any of the remaining plants after harvest must be destroyed (shredded and disposed).

• Government inspections are carried out 4 times a year, with 2 of them as planned events and 2 as impromptu visits

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