Stanwood is a tucked away gem of Snohomish County. It’s a short drive from Camano Island and on the outskirts of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. After leaving I-5 and driving through a winding forested valley, we found Svin Garden. A custom-built tier-two facility resides inside of a two-story shop. A picturesque blue-collar home is an abrupt walk away. Surrounded by lush greenery and trees stretching high above, it’s no wonder the cannabis grows well here.
Dan Rasmussen and Danell Helt got into the cannabis industry later in life. Rasmussen was running a successful underground utility and excavation business from 1998-2008. During that time, he was also growing medical marijuana in his basement and selling to dispensaries. Eventually, they slid all their chips in the center of the cannabis industry table. “We threw down and played the game,” Rasmussen said confidently. Helt and Rasmussen have a lively spirit like an older-couple dancing at Summer Meltdown having fun well into their golden years.
However, playing this game took a drastic lifestyle change. Rasmussen’s work weeks grew from a few days into a living breathing commitment like an NFL wide receiver running extra routes before and after practice. A crop of cannabis plants is much more delicate that utility pipes and require his undivided attention. Besides one employee that helps with the vegetative stage, Rasmussen waters, feeds, and check the plants all by himself to make sure the consistency remains strong. The grow rooms are all retrofitted with custom irrigation to ensure the watering schedule is met on time every single day.
Fly Pig, Fly!
Consistency on every level of production bleeds into plants that pass the eye and analytics tests which are both important for retailers and consumers. Svin Gardens produces a few strains like Golden Lemons and Birthday Cake that test well over 30 percent THC and have the distinct characteristics that make cannabis lovers take notice. Whether it’s Golden Lemons’ knockdown high, Birthday Cake’s intense flower density, or Marionberry Kush’s bruised purple coloring, the quality is noticeable regardless of what any analytics tell you. Svin’s strain menu is always changing to carry options for every kind of consumer from the number hunters to the educated connoisseur. “We want to take what’s already hyped and see if we can’t do it a little bit better,” Rasmussen said about their strain selection.
Rasmussen is making a strong push this coming year to increase their canopy to the 10,000 square foot limit and double their monthly yields to 300 to 400 pounds. The increase in starting material will give them room to experiment with new products like a premium flower lineup and possibly solvent-less concentrates. Their new c-cell cartridge lineup is in the research and development phase as we speak. They’re going to harness the powers of distillate and butane hash oil to create a unique combination of flavor and potency. These will be in-house with starting material from Svin and Svin only. Rasmussen may be a control freak when it comes to his product, but that control has allowed Svin’s wings spread and fly all across the state with nothing more than word of mouth as the wind beneath its wings.
