by Kathleen Clark
The first day is always exciting.
The second day you start to get comfortable..
Typically by the third day you know where everything is…
The fourth day people start running out of things to talk about….
By the fifth day usually people feel some type of soreness in their hands and or arms.
The sixth day many people have excuses not to come back or at least admit to needing a day off.
And by the 7’th you usually have a different team.
Long term trimming doesn’t work out for everyone. Just like top shelf trimming is too tedious for some people.
Many people need a minimum of 2 days a week off while other people need more. My Team calls them mental health days. It is better for people to be honest than to get burnt out. Many growers can’t afford that luxury and keep a revolving door of employees who come and go.
Other people conduct a team large enough that productivity is at least at an average pace for the day. However keeping everyone happy and comfortable isn’t always easy or convenient and often times grows are not built with the trimmers in mind. We usually end up in a room under the grow lights that is not comfortably maintaining temperatures less than 78. Which isn’t a huge deal when your sitting still but most of us aren’t. And many members of my team rotate sitting with standing which makes it more uncomfortably warm.
I have found through my own experience with being a “stander” that your WORK shoes are EVERYTHING. Don’t underestimate it, your feet are your pillars of balance. I battle gout flare ups and knew I had sensitive arches from trying to find comfortable cleats during my athletic days; so when I shop for work shoes I pick a pair with thick soles and always add Dr. Scholls insoles to solidify comfort.
When I traveled to grows I kept a puzzle piece floor mat in my trunk that was light and easy to move. When I set up shop I bought a rubber stall mat (the happiest my feet have ever been) and trimmed in flip flops for the first time without my feet aching ? It was magical.
For the occasions I sit, my best friend gifted me an orthopedic butt cushion. The memory foam cushions from Walmart are great until someone bigger than you uses it and it deflates. The same goes for the memory foam floor mats that are less than $20 bucks. They always deflate. Those items aren’t made for long term or everyday use.