The General
New Member
Ryan Loflin is beginning to see more than the fruits of his physical labor on behalf of hemp. The Colorado farmer and entrepreneur says he can now envision a future in which industrial hemp once again contributes to this country's economic vitality. A year ago at his 1,200-acre Loflin Farms in Springfield, Colo., where the dominant crops are alfalfa and sorghum, roughly 40 volunteers helped the family-run agricultural operation harvest a 60-acre (illegal) hemp crop. Hemp activists and enthusiasts pointed to the event as the country's first successful outdoor industrial hemp harvest (by someone other than an American Indian) since the 1950s.
"People came from six different states last year," Loflin recalls. "It was impressive to see their dedication to this issue." In his mind, the push to reestablish the American hemp industry crosses social and political lines. "This is about job creation and (returning) America to its once powerful position," Loflin says. "I personally think the nation began to go downhill when they made hemp illegal." Now Loflin and other like-minded Colorado farmers are basking in the glow of state-sanctioned cannabis.
"This year we are completely legal and I was able to certify my seed cultivars" with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, says Loflin. That means that representatives from the state tested Loflin's plants and confirmed that their tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content is low enough for the crop to be labeled industrial hemp rather than mind-altering marijuana. "It's the culmination of a few years of work," says Loflin, who also runs a research, development and retail business called Rocky Mountain Hemp.
Loflin Farms, which has been in Ryan's family for 75 years, will mark his harvest this weekend with a work-hard/play-hard approach to taking down the plants. He expects more than 100 volunteers to show up, camp and help out with the work. Loflin also will be celebrating his 42nd birthday. So he hired a band and will provide the barbecue. Although the Loflin Farms event is private, "hempies" also plan to celebrate the harvest of hemp in Colorado with two other upcoming events open to the public, including one in which Loflin will receive an award from his peers for "Most Acres Planted and Harvested."
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Thecannabist.co
Author: Elana Ashanti Jefferson
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Hemp in Colorado: "Hempies" celebrate harvest with fall events
"People came from six different states last year," Loflin recalls. "It was impressive to see their dedication to this issue." In his mind, the push to reestablish the American hemp industry crosses social and political lines. "This is about job creation and (returning) America to its once powerful position," Loflin says. "I personally think the nation began to go downhill when they made hemp illegal." Now Loflin and other like-minded Colorado farmers are basking in the glow of state-sanctioned cannabis.
"This year we are completely legal and I was able to certify my seed cultivars" with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, says Loflin. That means that representatives from the state tested Loflin's plants and confirmed that their tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content is low enough for the crop to be labeled industrial hemp rather than mind-altering marijuana. "It's the culmination of a few years of work," says Loflin, who also runs a research, development and retail business called Rocky Mountain Hemp.
Loflin Farms, which has been in Ryan's family for 75 years, will mark his harvest this weekend with a work-hard/play-hard approach to taking down the plants. He expects more than 100 volunteers to show up, camp and help out with the work. Loflin also will be celebrating his 42nd birthday. So he hired a band and will provide the barbecue. Although the Loflin Farms event is private, "hempies" also plan to celebrate the harvest of hemp in Colorado with two other upcoming events open to the public, including one in which Loflin will receive an award from his peers for "Most Acres Planted and Harvested."
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Thecannabist.co
Author: Elana Ashanti Jefferson
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Hemp in Colorado: "Hempies" celebrate harvest with fall events
