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iHemp Michigan was launched prior to the passing of the 2018 US Farm Bill and the timing of our first event couldn’t have been better in January 2019. Since then we have hosted events in St Johns, Bad Axe, and Lansing. For the last couple of months, we have been communicating with members through email and phone calls to share resources and knowledge to get planted.
As hundreds of farmers around Michigan plant industrial hemp for the first time, we are all in a process of learning. iHemp Michigan was formed to help with that process of learning and understanding the market for industrial hemp. Through our workshops and seminars, we help answer many of the questions with the help of experts from other states who have grown. All with the understanding and knowledge that things might be a little different in Michigan.
Michigan was poised to take advantage of the 2018 US Farm Bill with the legislation passed in 2014, so we are off and running! MDARD released their Industrial Hemp Ag Pilot Program for the 2019 season and report that as of June 7th there have been 331 Grower Registration and 223 Processor-Handler licenses issued with more in the pipeline. There are 615 “growing locations” in Michigan that total over 25,000 acres!
MSU Extension has recently released an introductory bulletin about growing industrial hemp in Michigan, E3402 Industrial Hemp Production in Michigan. This effort has been led by Dr. Kurt Thelen. Other people involved in this effort are; Chris DiFonzo, Erin Burns, Marty Chilvers, Dean Baas, James DeDecker, Brooke Wilke, Marilyn Thelen, Eric Anderson. The bulletin can be found on the MSU Hemp Production website.
About sixty people interested in hemp attended the educational seminar in Benton Harbor. Many in the room are iHemp members. Eric reviewed the history and uses along with some interesting economic data that I will share. Chris Veley from Material Control Solutions, LLC explained his chipping equipment and the benefits of chipping prior to processing to maximize CBD extraction.
While many turn to CBD to avoid the many side effects of traditional medicine, you have to wonder what is in the CBD your buying. There have been many well-covered studies that show that CBD product labeling falls well short of the mark. Who can you trust? Understanding the labeling and finding products with clear third-party testing will help.
USDA Now Accepting Applications of Seed-Propagated Hemp for Plant Variety Protection
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that the Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO) will start accepting applications of seed-propagated hemp for plant variety protection.
The hard work from a wide variety of sources has paid off and the word could finally be made public on Thursday, April 18th. Of course it was that day, because we were on the road to Iowa to meet with the Iowa Dept of Ag, State Police, University and a group of farmers to talk hemp!
iHemp Michigan members will be the first to submit completed applications for MDARD approval and obtain a grower number. You will be given a raffle ticket to be drawn for the appointment order with MDARD in the afternoon. MDARD wants to use our members as the test run before taking hundreds of applications.
Ferrysburg— February 19, 2019 — iHemp Michigan is hosting educational conferences to benefit the farming community and promote the industrial hemp industry in Michigan. Industrial hemp is not psychoactive. It has less than three-tenths of one percent THC. The crop was traditionally grown for its strong fiber in the past. Demand for CBD oil is driving production of industrial hemp around the country.