Robert Celt
New Member
In a move ripe with history, four North Dakota farmers have been chosen to be the first to grow industrial hemp on their own farms.
Under the Department of Agriculture's new industrial hemp pilot program, these four were selected: Clarence Laub II of Elgin, N.D.; David H. Lommen of Maddock, N.D.; and Jamie Edwards and Lyle Edwards of Adrian, N.D., who submitted separate applications.
Seventeen producers applied for the pilot project and 11 of the applications were deemed eligible. Of those, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring approved the four after the advisory board met earlier this week.
Laub said he plans to seed 10 acres of industrial hemp on the family's southwest North Dakota farm this spring.
He and his parents, Clarence and Sandy Laub, grow spring wheat, corn and sunflowers, along with alfalfa hay, southwest of Elgin, N.D. They also have a commercial cattle operation.
Laub said, "I am very excited about North Dakota farmers being able to grow industrial hemp. It is a great rotational crop and we need that in southwestern North Dakota."
He also believes it can be very profitable for producers in North Dakota, saying the U.S. is the largest consumer of industrial hemp in the world.
The industrial hemp varieties from Canada that he plans to seed are CSX-1 and Alyssa.
"The varieties are adapted for this climate and latitude," Laub said. Both were grown last summer at the North Dakota State University's Langdon Research Extension Center.
Laub said he would be seeding the crop probably in May, when the ground warms up.
"Industrial hemp seed needs to be planted into warm soils such as what is needed for corn or it may not germinate," he said.
According to Laub, weeds could be the biggest problem he will encounter during the growing season. There are no herbicides approved yet in North Dakota to use on industrial hemp, he said.
"I am going to use some of the methods organic producers have tried for controlling weeds," he said.
But hemp is a very competitive crop. Once it is out of the ground, it will grow fast, and hopefully, crowd out weeds, Laub said.
Laub is searching for a cold oil extractor to extract the oil from the hemp seed on his farm. From there, he will market it. Hemp oil has many health benefits and is used in products from hemp milk, to cosmetics and lotions, he said.
"Our ag commissioner is talking with processors to make sure we can get a fair deal when we have our industrial hemp processed," Laub said.
Laub has done extensive work researching industrial hemp and his project was rated number one at the advisory meeting.
On Lommen's application, he said he plans to also plant the Canadian variety CFX-1 at 30 pounds an acre.
"We want to investigate the potential of using industrial hemp as a transition crop for conversion from conventional to organic acreage," Lommen wrote.
Lommen said the company "Healthy Oilseeds, LLC.," in Carrington, N.D., was interested in purchasing their hemp seed to crush and sell.
"We are also in contact with various producers that may be interested in the plant pulp for hempcrete," Lommen wrote.
Lommen also said he visited plots last summer at NDSU LREC, and was excited to see the pollinators loving the industrial hemp plants.
Jamie Edwards, in his application, said they plan to seed a previous corn field with industrial hemp seed because 'research has shown that hemp does not do well following sunflower or soybean rotation."
Edwards plans to seed the variety Canda from Canada, also grown at LREC last summer, and will seed it using a grain drill at a rate of 25 pounds per acre. They plan to harvest the crop with a combine using a flex draper head to harvest the seed from the plant.
Edwards also plans to market seed to Healthy Oilseeds or ADM in Enderlin, N.D.
Lyle Edwards had the same on his application.
Rachel Seifert-Spilde, plant protection specialist with the state Agriculture Department said they will be ordering the seed for the producers, but have yet to hear from the DEA if the Department need to go to Canada to pick up the seed, or if it can be sent to the individual farms.
"If seed needs to come to the Department of Ag, we will need to find storage here on the sixth floor," she said.
Seifert-Spilde said, according to Canadian agriculture researchers, producers should plant about 30 pounds of seed per acre for grain, and for fiber, 25 pounds per acre.
Laub said he wants to put in about 50 pounds per acre to be sure and have guaranteed germination.
The advisory committee met to go through the applications prior to Goehring's selection of the four producers.
Seifert-Spilde, Bryan Hanson, agronomist at NDSU LREC, and Burton Johnson, NDSU professor in the Department of Plant Sciences were on the advisory committee.
Johnson commented Laub's application was the most organized and complete.
Advisory members commented they liked the fact that Lommen wanted to transition into organic acreage, and they hoped Lyle and Jamie Edwards would use different soil types for their projects.
Concerns with some of the applications included the herbicide residual effect of other crops, having the proper equipment, and being vague about their goals of growing industrial hemp.
During the advisory meeting, Seifert-Spilde said there were some concerns and some issues that they are still waiting on answers from the DEA on.
A requirement on the application that producers had to put up extra security equipment including fencing to grow the hemp on their farms has been taken care of, she said.
"They will not need extra security fencing or other measures because of provisions in the farm bill," Seifert-Spilde said.
Laub said he plans to grow the hemp away from access from the public. He has an area where he can grow 10 acres of industrial hemp that is far away from the main road, and he will put a buffer zone of grass all the way around the acreage.
Laub would like to see more family farms become more profitable and feels industrial hemp could be one way to improve farm income.
"It could potentially be a good source of income for North Dakota farmers," he added.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Four ND Farmers First To Grow Industrial Hemp On Their Own Farms
Author: Sue Roesler
Contact: Farm and Ranch Guide
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Farm and Ranch Guide
Under the Department of Agriculture's new industrial hemp pilot program, these four were selected: Clarence Laub II of Elgin, N.D.; David H. Lommen of Maddock, N.D.; and Jamie Edwards and Lyle Edwards of Adrian, N.D., who submitted separate applications.
Seventeen producers applied for the pilot project and 11 of the applications were deemed eligible. Of those, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring approved the four after the advisory board met earlier this week.
Laub said he plans to seed 10 acres of industrial hemp on the family's southwest North Dakota farm this spring.
He and his parents, Clarence and Sandy Laub, grow spring wheat, corn and sunflowers, along with alfalfa hay, southwest of Elgin, N.D. They also have a commercial cattle operation.
Laub said, "I am very excited about North Dakota farmers being able to grow industrial hemp. It is a great rotational crop and we need that in southwestern North Dakota."
He also believes it can be very profitable for producers in North Dakota, saying the U.S. is the largest consumer of industrial hemp in the world.
The industrial hemp varieties from Canada that he plans to seed are CSX-1 and Alyssa.
"The varieties are adapted for this climate and latitude," Laub said. Both were grown last summer at the North Dakota State University's Langdon Research Extension Center.
Laub said he would be seeding the crop probably in May, when the ground warms up.
"Industrial hemp seed needs to be planted into warm soils such as what is needed for corn or it may not germinate," he said.
According to Laub, weeds could be the biggest problem he will encounter during the growing season. There are no herbicides approved yet in North Dakota to use on industrial hemp, he said.
"I am going to use some of the methods organic producers have tried for controlling weeds," he said.
But hemp is a very competitive crop. Once it is out of the ground, it will grow fast, and hopefully, crowd out weeds, Laub said.
Laub is searching for a cold oil extractor to extract the oil from the hemp seed on his farm. From there, he will market it. Hemp oil has many health benefits and is used in products from hemp milk, to cosmetics and lotions, he said.
"Our ag commissioner is talking with processors to make sure we can get a fair deal when we have our industrial hemp processed," Laub said.
Laub has done extensive work researching industrial hemp and his project was rated number one at the advisory meeting.
On Lommen's application, he said he plans to also plant the Canadian variety CFX-1 at 30 pounds an acre.
"We want to investigate the potential of using industrial hemp as a transition crop for conversion from conventional to organic acreage," Lommen wrote.
Lommen said the company "Healthy Oilseeds, LLC.," in Carrington, N.D., was interested in purchasing their hemp seed to crush and sell.
"We are also in contact with various producers that may be interested in the plant pulp for hempcrete," Lommen wrote.
Lommen also said he visited plots last summer at NDSU LREC, and was excited to see the pollinators loving the industrial hemp plants.
Jamie Edwards, in his application, said they plan to seed a previous corn field with industrial hemp seed because 'research has shown that hemp does not do well following sunflower or soybean rotation."
Edwards plans to seed the variety Canda from Canada, also grown at LREC last summer, and will seed it using a grain drill at a rate of 25 pounds per acre. They plan to harvest the crop with a combine using a flex draper head to harvest the seed from the plant.
Edwards also plans to market seed to Healthy Oilseeds or ADM in Enderlin, N.D.
Lyle Edwards had the same on his application.
Rachel Seifert-Spilde, plant protection specialist with the state Agriculture Department said they will be ordering the seed for the producers, but have yet to hear from the DEA if the Department need to go to Canada to pick up the seed, or if it can be sent to the individual farms.
"If seed needs to come to the Department of Ag, we will need to find storage here on the sixth floor," she said.
Seifert-Spilde said, according to Canadian agriculture researchers, producers should plant about 30 pounds of seed per acre for grain, and for fiber, 25 pounds per acre.
Laub said he wants to put in about 50 pounds per acre to be sure and have guaranteed germination.
The advisory committee met to go through the applications prior to Goehring's selection of the four producers.
Seifert-Spilde, Bryan Hanson, agronomist at NDSU LREC, and Burton Johnson, NDSU professor in the Department of Plant Sciences were on the advisory committee.
Johnson commented Laub's application was the most organized and complete.
Advisory members commented they liked the fact that Lommen wanted to transition into organic acreage, and they hoped Lyle and Jamie Edwards would use different soil types for their projects.
Concerns with some of the applications included the herbicide residual effect of other crops, having the proper equipment, and being vague about their goals of growing industrial hemp.
During the advisory meeting, Seifert-Spilde said there were some concerns and some issues that they are still waiting on answers from the DEA on.
A requirement on the application that producers had to put up extra security equipment including fencing to grow the hemp on their farms has been taken care of, she said.
"They will not need extra security fencing or other measures because of provisions in the farm bill," Seifert-Spilde said.
Laub said he plans to grow the hemp away from access from the public. He has an area where he can grow 10 acres of industrial hemp that is far away from the main road, and he will put a buffer zone of grass all the way around the acreage.
Laub would like to see more family farms become more profitable and feels industrial hemp could be one way to improve farm income.
"It could potentially be a good source of income for North Dakota farmers," he added.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Four ND Farmers First To Grow Industrial Hemp On Their Own Farms
Author: Sue Roesler
Contact: Farm and Ranch Guide
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Farm and Ranch Guide
