Overview
The 50,000 SF medical cannabis cultivation facility and 7,000 SF processing facility was constructed on four and a half acres of Native American ground in Death Valley Junction, California.
Mayfield Cultivation Facility
Cannabis
Challenges
This was the first cannabis facility for the Tribe and their facility operator, so most aspects of the design and operational structure was being learned and designed for the first time. The site was located in the middle of the desert, 30 minutes outside of the nearest town, so there was very little manpower or experienced subcontractors within a 2-3 hour drive of the site. The area had no site utilities to provide water, power or sewer to the operations, and with extreme temperature changes over a 24 hour period ranging from 0 degrees at night to 130 degrees during the day, temperature and humidity control measures were a large concern.
Approach
For a period of 18 months, the team provided power via a set of three 350KVa diesel generators cycling in series to feed the facility until the substation could be upgraded. Our design team negotiated with the California and Nevada power companies to have a joint supply agreement. Power was provided by updating a Nevada substation and extending service to feed the facility in California. Water for the project and fertigation systems was provided by installing a new well to a depth of 150’ to the below aquifer.
Result
Considering the limited budget, project location, weather conditions, lack of tradesmen and utilities, it was actually quite amazing to see it in full operation. The facility is still in operation in California and they have since incorporated additional business infrastructure to increase their grow efficiencies.