Michigan growers share their secrets to staying on top

Author: Brad Wood, Chief Garden Officer

After hearing about the latest tax shakeup in Michigan, I knew I had to get back up there and spend some real time in the garden with the folks living in this market every single day. Michigan cultivators have been through it, oversupply, price compression, shifting regulations, yet so many of them still manage to run incredibly tight, insanely consistent grows.

And standing in those rooms, watching these teams do their thing, one thing became obvious: the growers who are winning aren’t relying on gut feelings anymore. They’re running on precision. Real numbers. Real insights. Real steering.

Check out what some of the best in the business had to say

Why these growers are leaning into data right now

Look, none of us got into cultivation because we love spreadsheets. We got into it because of the plant, the craft, the constant puzzle you’re always trying to solve. But in today’s environment, especially in Michigan, growers told me they can’t afford to leave decisions to chance anymore.

What they want more than anything is clarity. The ability to understand what’s happening in their rooms, respond quickly, and keep things consistent from round to round. One grower said something that stuck with me:

“Before AROYA, we never really knew if everything was working the way it should. Now we see issues in real time and fix them before they cost us.”

But for them, it’s not about fancy tools. It’s about having fewer surprises. It’s about being able to trust what’s going on in the garden. It’s about being proactive instead of reactive and that shift is helping these teams run more confident grows.

Consistency is the new differentiator

Every harvest is a bet and a statement about your brand. The Michigan cultivators I met with know that better than anyone. And they’re the first to admit: consistency is the hardest part of this whole thing.

You can have the best genetics in the world. You can have the most talented team. But if Batch A hits differently than Batch B, customers notice. Buyers notice. Your bottom line notices. What impressed me was how these growers talk about consistency, not like it’s some mystical outcome, but like it’s something you earn through attention, discipline, and understanding.  One cultivator summed it up perfectly:

“Now I can look at a plant, look at the data, and understand exactly why it looks the way it does.”

That’s not data replacing intuition.  That’s intuition getting sharper.  That’s experience getting validated.  That’s craft meeting clarity. And in a market like Michigan, that clarity goes a long way.

Where this all leads

After spending time with these teams, one thing became clear: the growers who are adapting, learning, and evolving are the ones finding stability in an unstable market.

Whether it’s dialing in consistency, managing labor more efficiently, or just being able to sleep at night knowing your room is doing what it’s supposed to do — Michigan cultivators are showing what’s possible when you combine passion with precision.

The whole trip reminded me why I love this industry: the growers leading the way aren’t chasing hype. They’re chasing understanding. And they’re proving every day that with the right information, great cultivation becomes even greater.

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