MENDOCINO Co., 6/23/22 — For the first time ever, the California State Fair handed out awards to cannabis cultivators this year, and growers from the North Coast showed up big when the event’s awards were announced today. Particularly in the outdoor category, Mendocino County farms received 10 out of 19 awards, including winning the “most unique” and five out of the top 10 all-around winners. Farms from Humboldt and Trinity counties, as well as several from Lake and Sonoma, also made an appearance.
Although cannabis cultivation has been commercially available for adult use since 2017, and many North Coast farmers have been participating in legal and unlicensed competitions for decades, the California State Fair just announced the inclusion of the flower awards at the historical agricultural event in Sacramento last fall. The winners will be showcased at an awards ceremony in July and included on a promotional tour, although no cannabis will be for sale at this year’s fairground event (in contrast to the long-running Emerald Cup in Santa Rosa, which is more familiar to our readers).
The full list of winners can be found here; Mendocino County farms receiving awards include farms from Redwood Valley, Laytonville, Hopland, Willits, and others listed simply as “Mendocino County,” including Greenshock Farms, Esensia, Silver Dragon Cannabis, First Cut Farms, Emerald Spirit Botanicals, River Txai Farms, and Bush Family Farms. A number of licensed Mendocino County cultivators also served as “ambassadors” for the event in advance of the competition (more here).