♦ Worked in the greenhouse, taking care of the cannabis plants throughout their entire cycle from seed to harvest. Responsibilities included cloning and monitoring clones, watering, mixing fertilizer solutions, foliar feeding, assisting in integrated pest management, defoliation, pruning, harvesting, processing and general cleaning and maintenance. Collect EC and pH soil readings for data collection.♦ We strictly adhere to Minnesota state regulations that apply to marijuana. This includes strict documentation of the entire growing process for each individual plant.

Marijuana legislation did not change in Minnesota as the company had predicted, resulting in a mass layoff in cultivation. I accepted a position as a packaging technician in the same facility to learn more about the overall business.♦ Package all products offered at Minnesota Medical Solutions dispensaries. We receive the formulations from the lab, and if necessary, change the formulation into its final form, place or fill it into its container, seal the container and place stickers onto container.♦ Responsibilities include: filling vaporizer cartridges, syringes and capsules with cannabis oil distillate; filling oral spray bottles, oral solutions bottles, balm containers, and bar containers with formulation; pressing dissolvable tablets from powder into tablet form. Organize and manage the warehouse.♦ Packaging Department Representative for Otsego Safety Committee. A voluntary position for communicating safety concerns of fellow team members to management and work to solve any issues brought up to create a safe and healthy work environment.

♦ Tested water quality for the hydroponics side of the aquaponics operation. ♦ Preparing and dosing nutrient solutions such as N, P, K, and Fe. ♦ Wrote a standard of procedure for water quality testing and dosing. ♦ Trained employees on water quality testing and nutrient dosing. ♦ Came in alone on weekends to do testing, dosing and system checks. ♦ Cleaning and maintaining lab equipment

♦ Initiated the creation of a document that tracked all hydroponics beds and their basic information that became an essential organizational tool used by management and leads to plan out the week.♦ Substituted as team lead for seeding and turnover on many occasions. ♦ Other responsibilities included seeding, transplanting, harvesting, cleaning the beds, packaging produce and data collection.♦ Operating and maintaining farm equipment including: greenhouse tray needle seeder, vacuum seeder, automatic harvesters, coir buster, coir flat filler, scissor lift♦ Complying with food safety protocols and organic certification standards

Gained experience in a fine dining establishment by a James Beard Award winning chef. Main responsibility was communication in order for everything to run smoothly.

♦ Researched the effects of different grazing methods on soil health, biodiversity and carbon sequestration.♦ The work of our team was featured in the documentary by Peter Byck called The Luckiest Places on Earth♦ Extracted 1 meter long soil sample with a hydraulic soil sampler.♦ Collected hydrology data on infiltration rates of the soil with a ring infiltrometer.♦ Collected GPS data and logistics assistance.

Performed quality check/ quality assurance for the consulting projects data.Researched topics such as Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle territory size and shape for wind energy project, mosquito larval development and winter fishkill.

Learned about local food systems, food security, community gardens and urban farming techniques. Volunteered at Salvation Army Food Shelf and small local farms.

Played the role of First Genie in the production of The Magic Flute. Also performed in Macbeth, La Boheme, Pagliacci, Carmina Burana and Tales of Hoffmann.

I played the lead role of Miles in Benjamin Britten's opera Turn of the Screw. I was flown down from Saint Paul to Fort Worth for this production. The performance was featured in an Opera News article where I am described as "Christopher Penning, a poised, marvelously unaffected treble".