TCAA hires first Executive Director

Karla AvilaPress release from the Trinity County Agriculture Alliance:

Trinity County Agriculture Alliance (TCAA) is proud to announce the appointment of Karla Avila as the organization’s first Executive Director. Karla currently serves as a Founder and Board Member of the trade alliance for licensed cannabis professionals in Trinity County.

Karla Avila has been recognized for her achievements in the worlds of cannabis, regenerative agriculture, and the musical arts. She is both an international award-winning concert musician and multi Emerald Cup award-winning cannabis farmer and breeder, a dedicated teacher of artistic process, practice, and performance, traditional farming practices, permaculture and closed-loop Regenerative farming systems, and co-author of “The Flowerdaze Farm Regenerative Guide to Cannabis”, a season-long recipe book for the beyond-organic gardener. Together with her husband Jacob Johnson, she owns and operates Flowerdaze Farm, a family farm and homestead committed to the preservation of natural farming traditions from around the globe, and specializing in regeneratively-grown, artisanal cannabis.

As a Board Member of TCAA, she has been active in the organization’s remarkable first year, including her contributions to establishing the group’s bylaws and brand, crafting and passing a fair local cannabis tax, and building a passionate and ethical membership. While she will resign from the Board to take on the Executive Director role, she will continue her position as Chair of both the Fundraising and Policy committees and TCAA’s Regional Chair of the Origins Council.

According to Ms Avila, “This is a critical time for Trinity County. I’m humbled and honored to be at the helm of TCAA and to help the licensed cannabis community engage in our greater

community, and in seeking out a collective vision that encompasses positive rural economic development, responsible environmental stewardship, and achieving a

prosperous and positive future for licensed cannabis operators in our county.”

Adrien Keys, TCAA’s Board President, explained that “hiring an Executive Director is a big step for TCAA. We have been operating on a volunteer basis for over a year, and this hire will help us achieve our goals and keep up the momentum we developed in 2020. With her deep experience with TCAA, cannabis cultivation, nonprofits and marketing, Karla has the background we need to continue to grow. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

The Trinity County Agriculture Alliance is the first trade association of the county’s legal cannabis industry, with a mission to foster an ethical, sustainable, and prosperous cannabis industry in Trinity County by empowering members to advocate for their interests, promote their value, and support the communities they call home.

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Frank Lee
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Frank Lee
3 years ago

Well. she’s pretty, smart and creative. Lets just hope she’s got some common sense and is not as crooked as a dog’s hind leg. She’s got a gleam in her eye that’s hard to nail down.

Trinity Farmer
Guest
Trinity Farmer
3 years ago

She helped push thru the Trinity County Tax on small farms – all while trying to sell her 3 acre “farm” for almost $1 million… on the north side of the hill, btw. An opportunist, at best. A cancer at worst. Instead of taxing more farmers (while trying to get out of cultivation and into policy formation, all while screwing the farmers she pretends to care about); how about working on the fire insurance no small cannabis farm can get? You know that FAIR Plan – not available to cannabis farmers. How about pushing back on any of the overbearing CDFA policies? You know that small farmers do not have the right of parental leave or even a vacation? This is a way more important of an issue than placing a tax on already overtaxed and over-administrated small farmers… all the while trying to get out of Hyampom. A cancer on this industry, for sure.

Buzz
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Buzz
3 years ago
Reply to  Trinity Farmer

Go Karla! I admire the dedication and commitment required for taking on this role.

Hayforker
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Hayforker
3 years ago

Since most farmers, licensed or not, don’t pay attention, I’ll offer a few observations. Organizing farmers in trinity has proved far harder than imagined. Trinity Ag alliance is climbing uphill on a scree field, while the rocks slide out below them.

Those rocks that keep failing down are the trinity cannabis program. The result is a completely dysfunctional program. Planning Dept is closed again and won’t respond to calls, emails or letters.

I know reasonable people don’t like cultivation taxes, but the reality is a tax was coming. If the haters passed theirs it would be many times more expensive. When you pay taxes it can become a point of influence, but will the farmers capitalize on their tax? I don’t know yet, but it don’t look good.

The trinity govt doesn’t like farmers or want their money. The old timers in trinity center have their homes and retirements so why work with these dirty farmers? They hate cannabis and they hate anyone who could challenge their thiefdom.

Unless the Alliance and the new director get focused, I say the trinity scene is set to die. It’s already on life support, but probably is brain dead. Too bad, could have been amazing. The county keeps wasting cannabis fees on the Scott valley bank building, funding the TCSO, buying code enforcement trucks, but not hiring staff to process the licenses? Weird cuz it seems like they don’t want to see the license fees or tax money come in. I wonder why???

At this point, not counting people who have submitted their resignations, there’s only one planner, one office person and one inspector handling cannabis. The only thing that makes sense is to eliminate most of the licenses and scale it way back. This will further reduce the incoming taxes and fees.

Since the cannabis dept doesn’t even have any internal systems, the place is run like a “traditional” farm with files literally stuff with docs falling out everywhere, getting everything organized would take years. The easiest things is to do is eliminate licenses. Can the new Alliance director stop this? Time will tell, but the future looks bleak.

kt
Guest
kt
3 years ago

YOU TRY!
i have observed only SOME of this woman’s time and energy investment.
we all know that it is easy to criticize, to find fault.
but, she DID it. it sets a foundation. a start.
sure, we can make it better. get involved?

chick lorimer
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chick lorimer
3 years ago

Trinity Farmer, I wonder how involved in this county political issue you are, or have been? I personally know Karla. I know few people who have the strength , where with all and supreme integrity to continue to fight for what she, and so many of us, knows is right, true and good for the small farmers. And she truly cares about our County and the beautiful environment we are fortunate enough to inhabit. It is none of your business , or anyone elses , what she and her family choose to do for the betterment of their future . She is a true warrior for the Good. Any one who does not know her should keep their negative comments to themselves. Please… And… BLESS you Karla and your sweet family. I am continually amazed at your perseverance. Congratulations.

William Murray
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William Murray
3 years ago
Reply to  chick lorimer

Oh buddy here we go….

“what she and her family does for betterment.” Is nobody’s business?

How bout“ I’m growing a ridiculous amount of ganja for my family’s betterment” and it’s none of your business.

You work for the public and are paid by the public you better be squeaky clean and not be playing shady deals to”better your families bank account.”

Or is it none of my business? For county officials to be corrupt and mold the laws regulations to suit their families betterment.

Hey let’s just have Trump be the weed commissioner for trinity county.

WTF is wrong with you people?

Buzz
Guest
Buzz
3 years ago
Reply to  William Murray

Hey did you read the article?
Karla is NOT a public official, and this position is for a Non-Profit interest group (TCAA).

chick lorimer
Guest
chick lorimer
3 years ago

like I said, your do not know her. If you did you would not say such snarky things about her. But mean people cannot help themselves

Trinity Farmer
Guest
Trinity Farmer
3 years ago

She’s a hypocrite: a 10,000 sq. ft. grow on 3 acres?!? Are you kidding me? That’s fence to fence canopy, forget about riparian setbacks for nature or odor control for your neighbors. Guess that books isn’t selling so well on Amazon, huh?

It’s my business since she decided to put her face out there; get used to the criticism. These are the facts, not my opinion.

And no, I was not at the meetings; I have been in the program (county and state) since their inception. I know everyone by 1st name basis at the Planning Dept and these people are great. The County wants us to be successful and are awesome to work with. That’s why I don’t attend the meetings; there’s no reason for me to. I also work full time for a living and there was never a doubt about my farm being in the program. You see, I have the appropriate setbacks and respect for nature.

Also, did you know that there was not going to be another ballot initiative for 2 years after 2020? This organization had 3 years to get its act together before the next round of ballots came to fruition. Every other major employing industry gets tax incentives; think timber. There should have been a major marketing effort to “Thank a legal grower” instead of “Tax the few who are in the program”.

And finally, and most importantly, my biggest problem with her is that she lied and misrepresented the facts to you people: this tax can and will be increased over the years, something she said was not possible.

She’s an opportunist, pure and simple. And to her biggest fan, you are obviously not an owner of anything; do you even own whatever shoes you have on today?

Licensed farmer since 2016
Guest
Licensed farmer since 2016
3 years ago
Reply to  Trinity Farmer

“The County wants us to be successful and are awesome to work with. That’s why I don’t attend the meetings; there’s no reason for me to.”

Haha! Ok you ain’t being truthful! Have you been into planning lately? You realize that despite being good people, the County is not helping farmers.
Also I read the tax initiative and it cannot be raised. What will be raised is your license fees since they need more help in TCSO and planning and you think they are doing a “good” job.
You’re definitely bitter about something to attack people trying to make a difference. Not sure who you are but it’s clear you’re not helping. You don’t even know there are HUGE problems with the County’s program.

Trinity Farmer
Guest
Trinity Farmer
3 years ago

Let me provide the education you sorely need:

The county has lowered it’s fees the past number of years for annual licenses (that’s a helpful thing, right?); the pamphlet that all voters received stated the new cannabis tax may be raised at the discretion of the supervisors (a vote is needed, but it can be raised); and finally, we’ve paid more than $25,000 into the county coffers since we’ve been in the program plus additional property taxes that have been levied (and in addition, my farm regularly donates to charities – we just do not seek attention attached to our gifts) – we’ve given plenty back to the community and will continue to do so.

Time for you to get on your Bond requirement, thanks to Ms. Avila.

You can go on the internet and type in the name of her farm: it’s for sale for $900,000. A 3 acre parcel with a 10,000 sq. ft. outdoor cultivation license. This is fact. This farm, if canopied to the max, would not pass an EIR. This is who your leader is?! Ok then.

Best to all of you; we do have more in common than you may think, and I just want what’s best for this community of good people.

Ms. Avila is a hypocrite trying to get a big payday on a property worth a fraction of that, while attempting to shift to careers to policy making… a cultivator no more! Thank the Goddess!

I really couldn’t care less until she started this tax shit and has proven herself to be a hypocrite.

The people have spoken however, and that’s fine. Good luck with your leader!

chick lorimer
Guest
chick lorimer
3 years ago
Reply to  Trinity Farmer

Hey! Trinity “Farmer” Dude! I bought my own shoes with my own money Fair and Square from the thrift store! So There! You are obviously an angry person who makes stuff up about people who you Obviously do not know.