Hemp

The University of Wisconsin-Madison and partners in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan are seeking licensed and experienced grain and fiber hemp growers to conduct on-farm variety trials.

Over its 50-year history, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance’s causes may have shifted, but it has never lost its focus on advocating for local farmers and communities.

Berkeley Boehne harvested an excellent wheat crop in July and his corn and soybean crops also look good at the start of August.

A new group of ag industry leaders is ready to make a difference in their communities after graduating from the AgrIInstitute’s Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program.

Hoosiers celebrated National Ag Day on March 19. Gov. Eric Holcomb issued an official proclamation to celebrate the event.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Agriculture shared accomplishments made in 2022 to support the state’s No. 1 industry.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will send the Hemp Production and Disposition Inquiry to 382 Illinois producers on Jan. 19.

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture is already planning for the 2023 farm bill, where the organization will advocate for 10 specific areas of agriculture.

As the sun came up over my farm the other day, it reflected off the wet grass and I heard the familiar chirping of the birds. My entire life, I’ve experienced mornings like this. For a long time, it was with my father as we were wrapping up the morning milking.

The Illinois State Fair, an 11-day showcase of agriculture and family fun, kicked off Aug. 11 with the theme “Grow With Us.”

Multiple events have been scheduled for the University of Illinois’ Agronomy Days. The Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and U of I Extension will host a series of events all season long.

Over the past few years, Jonny Griffis has invested millions of dollars in his legal marijuana farm in northern Michigan, which produces extracts to be used in things like gummy bears and vape oils.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture is committing more resources to support the industrial hemp industry, including the addition of a testing lab to work in conjunction with private sector labs.

Indiana Farm Bureau plays an active role in the state’s hemp industry. Jeff Cummins, associate director for policy engagement for INFB, discussed hemp during a podcast hosted by Midwest Hemp Council.

Hemp at the Crossroads conference will be held Dec. 1-3 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Plainfield. The event will include a trade show and educational sessions. Topics include insurance, CBD, business and more.

This harvest season, pumpkins and apples aren’t the only autumn commodities available to pick yourself in Johnson County.

Researchers at Southwest Purdue Agriculture Center are studying hemp and the benefits of growing it.

Global Smart Commodity Group announced the inaugural launch of its hemp spot market.

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the Interim Final Rule for the Domestic Production of Hemp, legalizing hemp production — grain, fiber and cannabinoids — in the United States for the first time in nearly 70 years.

The transportation link in the industrial hemp supply chain is more complex than shipping corn or soybeans.

The industrial hemp industry is still in its infancy in Illinois and a new venture is underway to create viable models for its success. Mississippi Fiberworks was developed last year at the Savanna Industrial Park, and Robert Davies detailed the new initiative at the recent Illinois Hemp Summit, hosted by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Fasteners, composites, plastics and biofuel — all made with industrial hemp fiber — will come under the spotlight at Eastern Illinois University this year.

For nearly five decades, Ivy League Farms has been growing fruits and vegetables in rural Kankakee County. The family owned operation added another crop — industrial hemp — in 2019, and Evera Ivy shared the family’s experiences at the recent Illinois Hemp Summit, hosted by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

The industrial hemp industries’ sophomore year saw a production reduction due to pandemic-related impacts on the market, workforce safety challenges, and other issues.

Industrial hemp is one of the fastest growing crops across Midwestern fields, and researchers are recruiting producers in the race to learn more.

This is the first year that hemp is allowed to be grown in Indiana as a commercial crop, not just a research crop.

Through Purdue Global, a new online course is being offered that takes a deep dive and a comprehensive look at hemp as a crop and a product.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture published a rule Jan. 15 that provides hemp production regulations. The rule incorporates modifications based on public comments and lessons learned during the 2020 growing season.

In 2015, Marty Mahan was an aspiring hemp farmer with dreams of a prosperous hemp industry in Indiana. A lot has changed in six years. It’s legal to grow industrial hemp, thanks to the 2018 farm bill.

The Office of Indiana State Chemist is warning the public about predatory hemp seed vendors known to be currently active in the state.

A new, old industry. That’s how the U.S. Department of Agriculture characterizes hemp, a versatile crop grown around the world for thousands of years, including in the United States, before being effectively outlawed in the 1970s because hemp and marijuana are from the same plant.

State lawmakers will have a lot on their plates during the 2021 General Assembly, including hemp farming legislation.