Congress Examines USDA Hemp Program

Last week, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research held a hearing to examine the USDA Hemp Production Program. The subcommittee heard from a panel of producers, researchers, tribal members, and state ag commissioners that gave an overview of the hemp industry and offered insight toward the 2023 Farm Bill. Noting the absence of representatives from USDA and FDA, ranking member Jim Baird from Indiana said, "I do believe it is a missed opportunity that we don't hear from the federal agencies tasked with implementing provisions on hemp today." On this week's podcast, we will listen to highlights from the hearing, including testimony from Colorado Ag Commissioner Kate Greenberg, who offers five recommendations for how Congress can provide support to federal agencies to allow for greater flexibility and improve state-run hemp programs. First on her list is removal of DEA requirements for testing labs. "Our state-of-the-art laboratory began the process of obtaining DEA certification in 2019. However, as of this hearing we still await their approval," Greenberg said. All panel experts expressed the need for clarification from the FDA concerning the regulation and use of CBD. Also on this week's show, we check in with Lancaster County hemp farmer and cover crop coach Steve Groff, who this week used a sickle bar mower to cut 5 acres of hemp on his farm in Holtwood, Pennsylvania. Groff's hemp was direct-seeded in 15-inch rows, roughly 50 pounds per acre, into a cover crop of black oats and hairy vetch on May 18. The crop reached a height of 12 feet in 75 days and had not started to flower before being cut. He will rake the cut hemp into narrow swaths and turn it a few times, allowing the stalks to ret before baling with a New Holland wet baler. Lancaster Farming also talks to Morris Beegle, organizer of the fourth annual Southern Hemp Expo, taking place in Nashville Aug. 18-20. Learn More: Watch the Congressional Hearing https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming/industrial_hemp/an-examination-of-the-usda-hemp-production-program/video_24fe545c-14d8-11ed-8f65-b7c948bba48f.html Watch Steve Groff Cutting Fiber at Cedar Meadow Farm https://www.lancasterfarming.com/community/videos/cutting-hemp-fiber-at-cedar-meadow-farm/video_b16f1980-14ce-11ed-acf3-fbdebeb1cdb1.html Southern Hemp Expo, Nashville, Tennessee, August 18-20, 2022 https://www.southernhempexpo.com/ Kings Agriseed's Field Day, August 16-17, 2022 https://kingsagriseeds.com/ Penn State's Twilight Hemp Walk August 16, 2022 https://extension.psu.edu/hemp-research-field-walk Thanks to our Sponsors All Walks Hemp Bedding https://allwalkspet.com/ IND HEMP https://www.indhemp.com/