Flavor First: Mechanics Farm’s Rise as New York’s Most Trusted Grower

Chris of Mechanics Farm doesn’t care about hype. He cares about heat—real flavor, real pheno hunts, and a real legacy grown right here in New York. Quietly, relentlessly, he’s becoming one of the most trusted cultivators in the state, working with top names like Doja, Fiya Farmer, SherbMoney, and BEazy. And if you ask him what drives it all?

“This plant means everything to me… They’re my babies. I tend to them the way they tend to me.”

Since debuting on the legal market in February, Chris has been navigating a new era for New York’s flower scene. It's not just about cultivating; it’s about educating consumers, holding the line on quality, and making sure the small batch growers get their shot.

“Together as a community in New York, we could definitely make a change.”

Why Isn’t New York Fire Yet?

Ask Chris and he'll tell you straight up: too much old thinking, too little quality.

“There’s an impact right now in regards to quality… It’s not all there, what consumers are actually looking for.”

That comes down to a few key factors: outdated genetics, limited experience, and the dominance of outdoor growing in a climate that doesn’t always support top-tier results.

“A lot of these cultivators in New York are mostly outdoors at the moment… Everybody has their own perspective when it comes to indoor vs outdoor, [but] a lot of people don’t really like outdoor flower like that.”

He also sees a knowledge gap.

“Some of them are still stuck on certain strains that are just old in the past now… These consumers are always looking for the newest and the best thing.”

Chris's Strain Arsenal: Flavor First

Chris doesn’t play when it comes to terps. Here are the current top five in his rotation:

1. Zelium

“It was a seed hunt I did with Ryan from Doja… [We were] actually one of the only ones to get those seeds. We ended up finding the Zelium, which is Ryan’s Zelium crossed to Strawberry Colada bred by Rusty from Duke of Erb… Right now that strain is making very big noise in New York. It’s one of the most requested. It’s always literally pre-sold out before it even drops.”

2. RC6

“Another new strain that me and Ryan are working on [and the RC stands for] Runtz Crossed with the Coffin. That’s another one that I pheno hunted for him.”

3. Cookies and Cream

“Gives me that nostalgia feeling from 2018 when I first smoked Cookies and Cream.”

4. Original Zkittlez

“I’ve been a fanatic for Z. I love Z. And it’s a reason why Zelium is number one, because both parents [of that strain] have Z in them.”

5. GSC

“For my fifth strain, something with some Girl Scout Cookies.” [No other explanation needed!]

His newest favorite? A standout pheno called Papayamosa, a Lemon Cherry Gelato crossed with Blueberry Mimosa.

“But this smells literally like papaya mimosa. It’s so tasty. It’s mouth-coating in flavor.”

Small Batches, Big Impact: Chris’s Dream for New York

Chris wants to see more shelf space for micro-cultivators.

“I want to see more of these small micro brands… on the shelves… Show them that we could also produce some great quality here.”

And it’s not just about his brand.

“They’ve got the passion… They know what it means to produce some of the best quality here in New York.”

Chris’s Picks for the Top Growers in NY Right Now:

  • Epiphany
  • Marijuantauk Gardens
  • Fus Flower
  • Bushwacker
  • Smokey Bodega

“I don’t look at them as competitors. The only competitor I have is myself… I look at them as friends, family. Anything they may need or help, I’m always here to help… We’re basically there to help each other. Any questions we may have, if we need genetics and we’re short on one end and they have it, then we just work together. I know they are passionate about this plant and I know they do what needs to get done to get the top quality that we’re looking for.”

A Culture of Collaboration

Chris’s relationships with top breeders and growers are deep. His partnership with Ryan (Doja) runs especially strong.

“[Ryan said], ‘You are my first New York cultivation partner. From here on out, I’ll send you all these strains. You keep pheno hunting for me and we’ll just keep dropping them.’”

They’ve already co-released Zelium, RC6, and Ivory. And more is on the way.

“Ever since that pheno drop, me and Ryan basically decided, ‘Hey look, this is no longer a collab. We are now partners.’”

He’s also gearing up for a major drop with BEazy on June 7th.

“This will be one of my biggest events… I’ll be premiering the Blue Chill [Blue Nerdz x Zkittlez] with BEazy, Paradise Nerdz [Tropical Nerdz x Runtz] with SherbMoney, and then also dropping Doja’s lineup… and three other strains from Fiya Farmer, which will be Crunch Berriez, Delish, and Kimber Slice.”

Educating the Market

Chris is passionate about closing the knowledge gap in New York’s rec market.

“I would suggest more pop-ups, meet and greets… giving the consumers more opportunities to actually meet you and face-to-face and ask questions. A lot of consumers do have questions like ‘How do you grow it?’ or ‘How long have you been growing?’ Things like that matter to them.”

He sees firsthand how different the new rec crowd is from the legacy scene.

“Most of the rec consumers are not really on social media… they’re like, ‘Oh, I need an indica,’ but they don’t really care about genetics. They just need something that’s going to put them to sleep at night [or] looking for something to smoke throughout the day.”

His long-term goal is to change that.

“We want to make these consumers more knowledgeable in what they’re smoking. ‘Hey, look, this is a Strawberry Colada crossed with Helium.’ ‘Yeah, I can taste the Strawberry.’ Teach them more so that they’re like, ‘Oh wow, this actually does taste like the genetics it states.’ So that next time… they’ll be like, ‘You know what? Let me look at this lineage. Maybe I want to try a different flavor this time.’ It’s all about having the knowledge behind it.”

The Next Frontier

International collabs may be next. Chris is in talks with Derry Brett from Barney’s Farm to tackle some of their most technical strains.

“He had been talking to Ryan [and told me], ‘Every time New York comes up, your name comes up… I know not anybody else could really grow these strains… I would like for you to see what you could do.’”

Even without an event confirmed, Chris says he’ll be heading to Berlin soon.

“Regardless of whether there’s an event or not, I was going to make my way out there just to meet with him.”

Vision: 2029

Chris doesn’t over-plan. He grows in the moment. But he’s got a clear sense of direction.

“I’ve been just mainly living in the moment… But I still want to keep creating some of the best flowers for the people of New York. For everyone, honestly, in this world.”

“I would love to just keep expanding, have more facilities where I could have my flower worldwide, and just still be known for what I am now: for growing the best flower.”