Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
DUPLIN COUNTY, NC - The rich agriculture in North Carolina has seen major changes in the past few years, and now some farmers will be given the opportunity to grow a crop used in a variety of products but had been previously banned.
In the 1800s and early 1900s, farmers across America cultivated hemp for various uses, but hemp cultivation was shunned in the '60s and '70s and generally outlawed due to its close relation with marijuana.
Two years ago, hemp production was legalized in 20 states, including North Carolina, with the crop to be strictly regulated and used for commercial purposes only.
Last week, farmers began submitting applications to join the state's hemp research pilot program.
"Our aim is to see some industrial hemp grown in North Carolina this year, the only way you can grow it is thru a pilot research program and that," said Brian Long, of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. "Actually, so it will coincide with federal law, it was another thing that was in the last farm bill, opening the door to industrial hemp research across the United States."
Years ago, hemp was mainly used to make rope. Now it is a fiber for clothes and can also be utilized in the production of paper and fiberboard, as a plastic substitute and ethanol. Additionally, the seeds are high in protein and can be used in many foods.
While hemp looks similar to and is a relative of marijuana, the plant lacks much of THC, the active ingredient that makes marijuana a recreational drug.
Being able to grow industrial hemp is a clear indication of the changing landscape of North Carolina farming.
In the '60s, tobacco was king, generating over a billion dollars annually to farm families. But new research about the dangers associated with smoking resulted in a major decline in revenue from the golden leaf and led to the federal government's tobacco buyout program, where farmers were paid to transition out of growing the crop.
Despite the reduced tobacco crop, about 49,500 farms spread across 8.4 million acres of land across the state, with each farm averaging about 168 acres in size. All these farms strongly contribute to agriculture's economic impact on North Carolina, which rings in at $76 billion annually.
At the beginning of the year, North Carolina still ranks first in the nation in farm cash receipts for tobacco, but a growing number of farmers have now begun producing even larger amounts of sweet potatoes.
The state is also second in the nation for poultry and eggs, and third for pork. Along with these commodities, North Carolina's hardworking farmers produce cotton, soybeans, peanuts, hogs and pigs, nursery products, aquaculture products, and more.
In just a few short years, the number of vineyards in the state has grown from a handful to now nearly two hundred, and on land that used to grow a variety of row crops, with the number of new vineyards continuing to increase annually.
Despite the hardy performance from our farmers, agriculture leaders do have some concerns. More people are moving to North Carolina, which now ranks ninth in the nation in population, and agriculture leaders say this has led to a continuing loss of farmland acres.
They are aware the average age of a farmer in the state is now in the upper 50s, so a big question is the direction of farming in North Carolina.
The state's urban growth has led to the need for more energy sources. And with farmers getting older and not having anyone to pass their farming traditions down to, some of them have decided the best use of their land is the guaranteed financial security that a solar farm operation will provide.
It helped lead North Carolina to become the second biggest state for solar production.
"We recognize that farmers have to look at their bottom line, it is their property and they can do what they want to do with it in their best financial interest, and what we hope is that the farmers are looking at some of their more marginal land, not some of their prime farm land, but there is no doubt that solar energy is another player that is out there competing with more traditional uses for how farmers use their acreage," Long said.
Agri-tourism, agricultural exports, healthy eating incentives and research are just a few of the areas that state agricultural leaders are focusing on to keep farming a viable industry.
Industrial hemp will also give some farmers another viable summertime crop, especially since it can be grown on marginal use land.
And despite the challenges that farmers face year after year, from the weather, from insects and disease, from fluctuating commodity prices and government policies, it appears the farm's future is bright with big plans on the horizon.
"We are very optimistic about the future because we have the combination of expertise, climate, soils and partnerships to meet the world's growing demand for food, we have a lot to be optimistic about," Long said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 2017 Will See Industrial Hemp Grown In North Carolina
Author: Bob Townsend
Contact: (910) 791-8070
Photo Credit: WECT
Website: WECT 6
In the 1800s and early 1900s, farmers across America cultivated hemp for various uses, but hemp cultivation was shunned in the '60s and '70s and generally outlawed due to its close relation with marijuana.
Two years ago, hemp production was legalized in 20 states, including North Carolina, with the crop to be strictly regulated and used for commercial purposes only.
Last week, farmers began submitting applications to join the state's hemp research pilot program.
"Our aim is to see some industrial hemp grown in North Carolina this year, the only way you can grow it is thru a pilot research program and that," said Brian Long, of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. "Actually, so it will coincide with federal law, it was another thing that was in the last farm bill, opening the door to industrial hemp research across the United States."
Years ago, hemp was mainly used to make rope. Now it is a fiber for clothes and can also be utilized in the production of paper and fiberboard, as a plastic substitute and ethanol. Additionally, the seeds are high in protein and can be used in many foods.
While hemp looks similar to and is a relative of marijuana, the plant lacks much of THC, the active ingredient that makes marijuana a recreational drug.
Being able to grow industrial hemp is a clear indication of the changing landscape of North Carolina farming.
In the '60s, tobacco was king, generating over a billion dollars annually to farm families. But new research about the dangers associated with smoking resulted in a major decline in revenue from the golden leaf and led to the federal government's tobacco buyout program, where farmers were paid to transition out of growing the crop.
Despite the reduced tobacco crop, about 49,500 farms spread across 8.4 million acres of land across the state, with each farm averaging about 168 acres in size. All these farms strongly contribute to agriculture's economic impact on North Carolina, which rings in at $76 billion annually.
At the beginning of the year, North Carolina still ranks first in the nation in farm cash receipts for tobacco, but a growing number of farmers have now begun producing even larger amounts of sweet potatoes.
The state is also second in the nation for poultry and eggs, and third for pork. Along with these commodities, North Carolina's hardworking farmers produce cotton, soybeans, peanuts, hogs and pigs, nursery products, aquaculture products, and more.
In just a few short years, the number of vineyards in the state has grown from a handful to now nearly two hundred, and on land that used to grow a variety of row crops, with the number of new vineyards continuing to increase annually.
Despite the hardy performance from our farmers, agriculture leaders do have some concerns. More people are moving to North Carolina, which now ranks ninth in the nation in population, and agriculture leaders say this has led to a continuing loss of farmland acres.
They are aware the average age of a farmer in the state is now in the upper 50s, so a big question is the direction of farming in North Carolina.
The state's urban growth has led to the need for more energy sources. And with farmers getting older and not having anyone to pass their farming traditions down to, some of them have decided the best use of their land is the guaranteed financial security that a solar farm operation will provide.
It helped lead North Carolina to become the second biggest state for solar production.
"We recognize that farmers have to look at their bottom line, it is their property and they can do what they want to do with it in their best financial interest, and what we hope is that the farmers are looking at some of their more marginal land, not some of their prime farm land, but there is no doubt that solar energy is another player that is out there competing with more traditional uses for how farmers use their acreage," Long said.
Agri-tourism, agricultural exports, healthy eating incentives and research are just a few of the areas that state agricultural leaders are focusing on to keep farming a viable industry.
Industrial hemp will also give some farmers another viable summertime crop, especially since it can be grown on marginal use land.
And despite the challenges that farmers face year after year, from the weather, from insects and disease, from fluctuating commodity prices and government policies, it appears the farm's future is bright with big plans on the horizon.
"We are very optimistic about the future because we have the combination of expertise, climate, soils and partnerships to meet the world's growing demand for food, we have a lot to be optimistic about," Long said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 2017 Will See Industrial Hemp Grown In North Carolina
Author: Bob Townsend
Contact: (910) 791-8070
Photo Credit: WECT
Website: WECT 6
