Sunbright Gardens

written by Monique Ramirez @sunbrightgardens

We established Sunbright Gardens in 2017 when Mendocino County began offering commercial cannabis permits My partner Gus and I own and operate a 2500 sq ft specialty cottage garden together Our farm is really more of a garden, with 62 cannabis ladies growing in the full sunshine We are the smallest license type offered at the county and state level Only 38 active licenses our size exist in California! Our garden is on the edge of the county line minutes from the North Fork of the Eel River It’s a magical area with a diversity of trees and the quietness of a rural setting My partner taught me all about cannabis cultivation, which added to my knowledge of growing in a regenerative way from my gardening days in Maui at an organic veggie farm

Being a woman in the cannabis space has been important to me I feel a deep intuitive connection to our plants, their needs and their messages It’s a witchy cosmic divinity that exists, and being able to tap into that feminine plant energy as a female makes the relationship to the plants we grow even more harmonious I loved being able to plant seeds while I was pregnant It felt magical to let seeds leave my hands in the dirt, knowing I was a vessel for life to grow

I love nature, colors, art, textiles, working with my hands and standing up for truth and justice, so coming into the cannabis space felt like the perfect thing for me I really saw the importance of preserving our cannabis culture and way of life through community activism and started getting vocal about policy reform when the laws were being created for our county It led me to organize my local farming community and the Covelo Cannabis Advocacy Group was born!

From there, I became involved in what would become the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, our first cannabis trade organization representing all sectors of the cannabis industry in Mendocino County The organization has been at the front lines with CCAG working towards some important policy changes to better our community It’s been a rewarding and also challenging experience being an advocate for change. But the greatest feeling is knowing your voice can make a difference and help your community During Covid, the CCAG took a break from advocating and I shifted my leadership focus towards MCA so I could merge my workload and be more involved in the policy efforts needed. It's been an incredible journey, meeting so many wonderful cannabis business owners along the way All of which share in the love of our legacy producing history, rich in diversity, land stewardship and a love of our unique county, the wild, the free, the waves, the untouched corners of this majestic place we all call home I’m drawn to the energy here. Even though it’s not always easy to live in a rural place, the peaceful energy, the gardening life and the incredible community I have makes me never want to leave.

These last few years have really been a hard struggle. Dodging the August Complex Fire, Covid, the market crashing, losing distribution connections and having to create a brand all on our own www.sunbrightgardens.com IG: sunbrightgardens

I hope that new legislation being introduced like AB 1111 will allow us to stay connected to consumers in a more meaningful way to allow us to sell directly through events. I’m hopeful many other bills aimed at helping our cannabis industry thrive will come to fruition this year through the hard work of Origins Council.

My grandfather picked strawberries when he was young. He worked hard to provide for his family working in agriculture. A job most would probably frown upon, but to me, I’m proud to say he did that. If he was alive today, I would have him walk in my garden to see all the veggies, cannabis, and colorful flowers growing. I hope he’d be proud of me too. We have to keep standing up for equal opportunities, supporting small businesses, women, people of color and uniting around a vision for a better world for our children through regenerative agriculture. Keeping my hands connected to the soil, to the food and medicine we grow, it’s a life I hope to keep cultivating here in Mendocino County, even through the ups and downs.