Hemp: What we’ve learned about getting the most from your seed

Whatever we grow at Spinaca, my MO is to use the whole plant for multiple applications per our Root-to-Shoot philosophy. Hemp is slightly different, though. With hemp, seeds are bred for their end result, meaning some seeds support fiber production while another might support oil production. Yes, some seeds are hybrids, but they produce mediocre yields of both fiber and oil, so we’ll separate plantings to maximize yields independently. That being said, we’ll still be able to utilize every part of what each plant grows.

5 questions farmers have to ask about the newly-opened hemp industry

As I described in my last post, until very recently, the federal government considered industrial hemp a Schedule I controlled substance. But when Congress finalized the 2018 Farm Bill last December, all of that changed; the new bill de-scheduled hemp as a controlled substance and allows it to cross state lines for commercial purposes.

How hemp could change the vegetable industry

At the end of 2018, Congress passed a Farm Bill that differs from its predecessors in one remarkable way: it removes hemp from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and includes it as a viable crop “for agronomic rotational purposes and for use as a habitat for honey bees and other pollinators.” Furthermore, it opens the door for funding research studying the uses of industrial hemp as well as “emerging commercial products derived from hemp.”

Spinaca Farms, Inc.