Hemp! Is it just a craze? Or will it be a sustainable crop with industry to back it?
Who has grown it and for what? Grain, fiber or CBD?
I'm a farmer and a banker and the discussion about hemp in Wisconsin is really interesting right now. Bankers are trying to bank it(without criticism) and most farmers view it as a pain to grow. Everyone is excited because the CBD side of the industry is very profitable but few are in it. I believe there is tremendous upside if infrastructure to make food grade grain, plastic, cement and other products can get in place. The plastic is biodegradable and hemp cement is 1/3 the price of regular cement with the same or better quality. I'm preparing on both the farming and banking side for when the crop becomes more mainstream in Wisconsin. Also, quality CBD oil and cream has helped alot with pain management.
I ******* your figured on hemp cement. You may be correct, my understanding is that you still use cement to make concrete and hemp fibers replace the fiberglass strands we’ve used for years..If it’s different than that,,it still needs to be price competitive. You may be correct, I don’t know.
I did a little research, and “hempcrete” typically has 1/20th the compression stength of “typical” concrete, and is not structural as well. It does help to minimize the small cracks in the same manner that glass fibers do. I think to gain any real market share, there needs to be standards for the oil.
We are growing Hemp for the first time this year for the CBD oil. It has been major learning curve. We’ve learned a lot more “what not to do” than we have “what to do”. There has been, and still is, a lot of work involved. But, as it is with all new crops, it’s exciting learning how to grow it right. We went through the same learning pains 17 years ago when we started growing turf grass.
Not only are we growing Hemp for the profit side, I also believe in what the oil can do. I have fibromyalgia and degenerative discs in my lower back. I sorted taking the CBD oil about 2 1/2 months ago. Since then, I have had very little pain associated with the fibromyalgia.
How many acres of hemp did you grow this year?
5
What strength is the oil that you are using?
Good question!
On 6/20/19 we asked FBN members in 11 US states & 4 Canadian provinces if they were currently growing, interested, or not interested in growing industrial hemp.
Click the image to enlarge the poll results.
We are growing 70 acres for seed. We planted it Mid July following a greenbean crop. We also planted 30 acres for fiber. It was also planted mid july, but it was following wheat. It was was probably to wet when we planted it, than it rained a few inches. The stand is very poor.
The seed harvest will be a learning experience.
So who assumes part of that risk?
Seed company?
No insurance correct
Thanks for your responses. The pictures above is our crops. The one on the left is last year industrial hemp crop that we grew for the grain and the picture on the right is this years crop that we are growing for CBD oil. It’s all been a huge learning curve.
I attended a forum in Pilger, NE on 08/16. Lots of good information available and it was free of charge to attend. Hemp defiinitely has a lot of potential I think but there are some caveats that need to be sorted out first. From my perspective they are:
-Hemp has a 25 miles pollination radius so if you're growing all female plants for CBD oil, you cannot have any males nearby either feral or within your planted seed. Male plants are a death knell as the female flowers cannot be pollinated so they produce seeds.
-In the heart of Corn/SB country like we are in NE Nebraska, your neighbors will be spraying herbicides designed to kill your crop quick and fast. You'll need buffered land/area or a greenhouse and cooperation with your neighbors to keep your investment protected.
-Growing female plants for oil is most of what they talked about at the forum and while you can also grow Hemp for Fiber and Seeds (which I think is more feasible here in Nebraska) the real big money is made in CBD oil production right now.
Bottom line is if you're producing the plant for any type of human consumption it becomes a LOT more work. Growing for fiber and seeds I think could be a better complimentary fit for the Corn/SB producing states but companies that can use it for input (hempcrete, hemp for paper rather than wood, basically anything that made that currently uses plastic now can use hemp instead as well, many more uses) need to become contract buyers to create the non-oil market. Until that happens it's going to remain as a niche market.
I attended the meeting also and reached the same conclusion. Farmers will get on board if the market is there. I think the infrastructure needs to come first.
Thanks for you both attending and helping promote hemp across Nebraska, it may be legal here but it's still a perception battle so we need all the support from farmers statewide that we can get!
I agree with both your opinions, in particular that we need to have a buyers (first-purchasers) market for it first. Our company (HempConsultants.com) sent a few members including myself, to attend one of the events in York, NE. We were pleased that the information was factual, positive, and the turnout was great (see pic below). We consult nationwide and attend these events often, many times as the speakers but also as interested attendees, and can attest that the speakers at this event we're well informed. We operate hemp production farms in Oregon and Colorado, but we are a Nebraska based company so we were pleasantly surprised at the number of attendees in such a conservative area. That was very very promising sign.
The primary feedback we heard from most attendees was that they wanted more of a direct question and answer session. We had numerous farmers and landowners approach us afterwards regarding our consulting services so they could get some one-on-one Q&A time, in particular the license acquisition part. I'll be the first to admit that most farmers in Nebraska have the agronomy side down (heck, they can bend over and smell their dirt and provide a soil analysis on the spot!), but the license acquisition and end-buyer contracts seem to be the part we consult most on. If you have interest in hemp please check out our site, it's full of useful information and resources: www.HempConsultants.com
The public sector desires it so the private sector will provide it. Hemp will pave the way for other crops to emerge as viable revenue streams with the infrastructure it provides or awareness it promotes. Farmers need a revival. Hemp is the flag that will fly atop the tent. 400,000 acres in 2019 is not a flash in the pan.
Planted 4.5 acres and not very proud of it ! Will be the first to admit it got away from us the the spring we had . Growing for the CBD - wish the US would approve the chemicals allowed in Canada they have used without any issues to my knowledge -would make it ALOT better crop to grow . Germination is less then stellar - maybe 40-50 %
3rd year growing it. Growing for seed and fiber. Most of the uses for hemp are in the stalks themselves, the U.S. isn’t even scratching the surface of what this plant can do.
Very nice, what's your spacing?
I had one of those farm economy talks with my banker and small scale hemp production was something I brought up with the idea that we need a 3rd crop. He said the bank wouldn't back it and would instead frown on their customers going in that direction. They want provable numbers with history to back it up, plus the infrastructure in place that proves it's sustainable.
Are you dealing with Agribank?
No I’m not.
I’m dealing with an association under AgriBank. I was told “AgriBank doesn’t loan money for Hemp production “.
Can a person grow large scale oil without having a 1000 man power?
It depends your perspective or large scale. We've consulted on a 10-acre farm (approx 30,000 plants) that was maintained by only 2 full time (live in) farmers and temp workers for harvesting. That said, they were workhorses! For more info on hemp, check us out at www.HempConsultants.com
tried growing it here in wi for cbd oil but stand was so poor from lack of germination. seed company assumed the risk but I didn't get a crop on those 6 acres ether.
Ugly v
Hemp is the answer to struggling farmers as well as successful farmers looking to expand their revenue streams. This is a commodity we simply have to push to the forefront of the agricultural sector. The recent push for the legalization of hemp and it’s future benefits to hemp farmers and industry professionals are just at the beginning so our efforts should not cease with the recent hemp victories in national and local legislature. Now is the time to capitalize on that momentum and keep the direction of this monumentous moment moving forward at full speed.
We here at HempConsultants.com not only consult, but we are also active cultivators with a deep appreciation and respect for not only the benefits of the product but also for having a deep understanding of the governing regulations surrounding hemp business operations. Just like the old TV ad said, “we’re not only the company president, but we’re also a client”. Being active in the hemp industry allows us to create high-producing ultra-efficient systems in our hemp businesses and cultivation practices. We invite and encourage all of our friends interested in hemp and prospective clients alike, who want to learn more about hemp and get hands on with the product, to visit our Outdoor Nebraska Test Farm, Indoor Colorado Cultivation Facility, and Oregon Outdoor and Greenhouse Production Operations.
For more info visit our site at www.HempConsultants.com