PLAINFIELD — Marijuana grower Daniel Till is a step closer to developing his farm at 27 Broom St. for outdoor growing.
During their latest meeting, the Planning Board said their final determination for a host community agreement for the 45-acre marijuana farm will come within 65 days. In the meantime, they asked Till provide some more specifics about the project, including how he intends to expand parking and where on the premise he intends to mount solar panels.
Till will be expanding parking from 10 to 25 spots with a gravel lot. The board would like more specifics on that process and the placement of parking.
Roof-mounted solar panels will also be installed on an existing building, and the board requested he provide more information on this as well.
The property is located next door to an existing marijuana cultivation business at 28 Broom St. called High Plains Farm.
In total, Till expects to hire 10 people once the farm begins operations. Till assured the board that busy times are in spring and fall. Regardless, he said, there will not be an influx in traffic caused by the farm.
There will be no new construction on site, other than possible repairs to an existing barn.
Till will also supply a phone number for a hotline if residents have concerns. There is someone on-site 24/7 that will be able to respond.
The risk of smell was also a concern voiced by board members, and Till said his plans for odor mitigation is a “multi-prong approach.”
Most odors will produced during harvest, in the months of September and October, he explained. After the harvest, the plants are frozen and later sold to companies that process them into resin and vape juices. This freezing process is one way odors are reduced.
Till will also develop a vegetative buffer with pleasant smelling plants like marigolds. These plants are also strategically chosen so that their smell is strongest during the harvest season, when odor is more likely to be a factor. Additionally, beneficial enzymes will be sprayed, which he said are “commonly used in other agricultural practices to help stop volatile organic compounds.”
Till, a Michigan native who has been in the marijuana industry for more than a decade, first came to town last year to pitch his farm.