On Saturday, April 16th LA weed seed cultivator Masonic (Masonic’s on Fairfax) held a “Free Seed Day,” the second of a regular giveaway that people travel from all over to attend.
The event was attended by around 700 people, including locals and many who traveled from out of state.
Masonic’s Free Seed Day first began last September. The valuable giveaway is a chance for small growers to get a large quantity of top-quality genetics by Masonic and others growers in the community.
Masonic has a cult following of loyal growers who look to him for advice, knowledge, and affordable, fire genetics. Most enthusiasts of Masonic’s brand describe the community that comes along with it as the reason they’re so dedicated to Masonic genetics.
Raymond Castaneda came from Kansas City, Missouri specifically to be first in line for Free Seed Day.
“Masonic’s been a really big influence to small batch growers and new growers. I was one of those new growers at one time. I came across his IG, and he’s always been very personal with the community,” Castaneda said.
Solomon Contreras from Santa Ana, California arrived Tuesday afternoon to wait for Saturday’s event. He says that people really began lining up by Thursday.
Contreras shows up, he said, for the community. “There’s a lot of really honest and really nice people out here,” Contreras said, adding that Masonic has “probably some of the best genetics around.”
Tyree from South L.A. camped out with his girlfriend to get free seeds but says that he also enjoys being an active part of the community. He comes for “the genetics, the people, the environment, the community,” he said.
Tyree said he’s not surprised that people line up.
“People are smart, they see the value in all of this. If you’re smart, you’ll line up,” he said.
Rory, a college student from San Diego, agreed. “If people were smarter, there’d be triple the amount of people out here,” Rory said.
Rory said that people in the know make a point to attend Free Seed Day. “If you’re doing anything with weed and you don’t know about an event like this, you’re missing a big one.”
If you’re doing anything with weed and you don’t know about an event like this, you’re missing a big one.
Rory on Free Seed Day
Rory said that the first Free Seed Day was a “pivotal moment for me personally,” because it helped him get started growing.
Tyree noted that the bounty of 60 or so seeds was enough to build a business.
“If you know what to do with it, you can start a whole career,” Tyree said.
Masonic said that the idea for Free Seed Day came to him last year “on a whim, sitting at my store missing out on Free Comic Book Day.” An avid comics collector, he was sad to miss out on the annual event, which the comics industry came up with as a way to promote indie comic book shops.
If you know what to do with it, you can start a whole career.
Tyree on the free giveaway
Hit with inspiration, Masonic said that he consulted his “Rolodex of friends and seed makers and put the Batman signal out to see who wants to be a part of this bright idea I had of Free Seed Day, which was just a page out of Free Comic Book Day.”
The first Free Seed Day quickly took on a life of its own. “It turned into some type of movement,” Masonic said.
Held in September, the first Free Seed Day brought out the community and had a line in the hundreds. Saturday’s giveaway had a much bigger turnout compared to September’s, despite that Masonic did less to promote it.
“I didn’t ask anybody this time, I just let it flow. I didn’t hype it, I just let it be,” he said. “All this happened naturally.”
Along with Masonic seeds, attendees got products from real OG seed producers who are part of the community including DazMephisto/Night Owl Seeds, and El Mexicano Genetix, both of whom Masonic cites as influential to his own work. LA’s Capulator, hugely influential to the grower scene, was also a big supporter of and participant in the event.
“Cap came to show love and spread his OG bio War beneficial microbes, and Sungrownmidz is another big muse,” Masonic said.
I didn’t ask anybody this time, I just let it flow. All this happened naturally.
Masonic
Masonic says that the event is his way to give back to the community. As an independent business and as someone who has a voice in the community, he wants to use his role to help give a leg up to people like himself.
“I’m a man of the people, I like to think. And with great power comes great responsibility. So I gather my resources and do what I can to give back to the people that support me,” Masonic said.
“It’s not a charity, but we make enough to give back in the way we do,” he said.
Masonic’s on Fairfax is open Friday-Sunday at 369 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Follow @freeseedday and @masoniconfairfax on Instagram.
