2019 fall farm

Page 20 2019 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine Lincoln Daily News Nov. 1, 2019 Growing hemp With the uses and versatility of hemp, there is a need for more hemp production, but there are some hoops for farmers to jump through. Christopher Enroth, Horticulture Educator for the University of Illinois Extension says the Illinois Department of Agriculture requires all hemp farmers to be permitted to grow this crop and the permit specifies a minimum of 500 square feet for growing hemp. When starting out growing hemp, it is better to start small with no more than an acre or two. Hemptech laboratories says, “If you have 100 acres that’s great but there is a massive amount of preparation, work and understanding that must be done in order to be able to produce on such a massive scale.” There are benefits to growing hemp though. The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center states, “Industrial hemp may be an excellent rotation crop for traditional crops, because it suppresses weeds and decreases outbreaks of insect and disease problems. Hemp may also rebuild and condition soils by replacing organic matter and providing aeration through its extensive root system.” Soil content is important for growing hemp. According to the Modern Farmer article “So You Want to be a Hemp Farmer,” the best growing conditions for hemp are in “well- drained soils that are high in organic matter.” Once established, “hemp plants are very drought tolerant” though “seedlings require irrigation for the first six weeks whenever the soil is dry. Enroth says this year some farmers planted on marginal, low-yielding land, and the crop did not thrive. He says in terms of varieties that do well in Illinois, there has not been a variety trial for hemp since it was deemed illegal in the early 1900s, but research is ongoing to develop this body of knowledge once again. Other considerations Before you decide to grow hemp, there are certain considerations such as costs, space needed, storage, processing, equipment and financing. Alberti says if you plant 1,000-2,000 plants per acre at $1 to $2 per seed, just the seed input costs may be between $1,000 and $4,000 per acre. Hemp plants are “typically planted between three and five feet away from one another,” since, as Alberti says, “they are like little Christmas trees.” Storage is more complicated than it is with corn or beans. Alberti says you cannot just take it to an elevator, so you need to consider whether you have room to store the hemp and a place to dry it. Additionally, with the Illinois Department of Agriculture opening applications for hemp late spring 2019, Alberti says many did not have time to look for processors. Hemp farmers in Continue 8