Amy Gessel

Hands-on Post-Harvest Manager with 7+ years of progressive experience in Nevada's regulated cannabis industry. Experienced managing the transition of cannabis from harvest through laboratory release with expertise in harvest operations, flower quality, METRC production workflows, inventory integrity, laboratory coordination, remediation, SOP development, employee training, and cross-functional leadership. Recognized for preventing production issues through operational planning, meticulous documentation, and quality-focused decision making.

Post-Harvest Manager at Kushberry Farms (2025-12 – Present)

• Manage the transition of harvested cannabis from cultivation through laboratory release, coordinating harvest workflows, inventory traceability, flower quality, remediation, and laboratory readiness.
• Evaluate crop maturity and determine harvest readiness based on flower development, cultivar characteristics, and overall plant condition.
• Coordinate harvest sequencing based on laboratory workflow, remediation requirements, and production priorities.
• Harvest plants, record wet harvest weights, create Harvest Batches via Excel CSV imports, and maintain harvest waste documentation.
• Create Primary (Mother) Lots, production trim lots, and maintain inventory accuracy and chain of custody throughout the product lifecycle.
• Coordinate drying, curing, Auto Cure operations, moisture monitoring, and flower quality evaluation.
• Perform quality control inspections, identify bud rot and quality defects, and hold lots that do not meet internal quality expectations before laboratory submission.
• Recognize cultivars by morphology, aroma, color, and flower characteristics to identify mixed or mislabeled product and support quality decisions.
• Coordinate in-house UVC remediation and create METRC pre-treatment packages, processing jobs, transfer packages, and post-remediation testing packages for off-site remediation workflows.
• Create Chain of Custody documents, sample tags, and laboratory manifests in Confident Cannabis while verifying testing selections to prevent regulatory delays.
• Track wet harvest weights, moisture metrics, and average cured yield per plant for production analysis and quarterly reporting.
• Prepare fresh frozen cannabis for live resin extraction through standardized trimming, weighing, vacuum packaging, and organized freezer storage.
• Develop and implement standardized UVC remediation SOPs and train employees on harvest, sanitation, documentation, and quality standards.
• Coordinate with cultivation, laboratory, compliance, and packaging teams to ensure efficient product movement and consistent flower quality.
• Apply cultivation knowledge of canopy spacing, cultivar traits, sanitation, water quality, pest pressure, and crop protection strategies to support successful post-harvest outcomes.
• Maintain inventories of critical production tools, tags, and operational supplies to support uninterrupted workflow.

METRC Compliance Manager at Kushberry Farms (2025-01 – 2025-12)

• Managed METRC inventory, laboratory coordination, documentation, regulatory records, and product traceability supporting post-harvest operations.
• Created Harvest Batches, Primary Lots, and laboratory documentation while maintaining accurate inventory and chain of custody.

Shift Lead at Kushberry Farms (2023-11 – 2025-01)

• Supervised cultivation staff while supporting harvest, IPM, post-harvest operations, and employee training.

Various at Kushberry Farms (2023-09 – 2023-11)

Cultivation Technician / Shift Lead at Green Heaven (2019-01 – 2023-01)

Progressed from Cultivation Technician to Shift Lead, developing expertise in cultivation, harvest, post-harvest processing, flower quality, and team leadership.

Currently Studying for the Nevada IPM applicator exam