Industrial Hemp Podcast

Episode 7 continues with industrial hemp as we visit with Dr. Alyssa Collins, agronomy professor and director of the Penn State's research farm in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. We discuss the hemp research trials, the agronomics of hemp, the differences between hemp and marijuana and what farmers could be doing now to prepare themselves for what could be the next big commodity crop headed their way.

Hemp was grown throughout Pennsylvania for nearly 300 years, but in the past 80 years it's been illegal to grow. Today we talk to hemp historian Les Stark who has documented the history of hemp in the state in his book Hempstone Heritage. We also discuss why hemp disappeared 80 years ago. Was it a conspiracy? Stark has been on a 20 year mission to bring industrial hemp back into production in the Pennsylvania.

We talk to Erica McBride, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council, about the many uses of industrial hemp, from fiber to fuel, manufacturing to medicine.

How can farmers make sure they don't get the short end of the stick when it comes to industrial hemp? We talk to Rodale Institute farm manager Ross Duffield, National Hemp Council chairman Geoff Whaling, and Senator Judy Schwank to find out.

We continue our discussion of industrial hemp, talking to Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding, who shares his unique perspective on hemp. We discuss the marijuana stigma, how to build a supply chain and what farmers can be doing to now to prepare for this new yet old crop.

Click for show notes. We talk to Geoff Whaling, chairman of the National Hemp Association, who offers his insight into building a supply chain for the nascent hemp industry in Pennsylvania and how the legal landscape has changed for industrial hemp just in the past few years.

Click for show notes. We talk with the farm manager at the Rodale Institute about growing industrial hemp. Rodale was one of 14 permit holders in the 2017 Hemp Pilot Program in Pennsylvania.

Podcast host and creator, Eric Hurlock sketches out his vision for what will ultimately become the Lancaster Farming Podcast. It's a quick glimpse into the history of farming and just how crucial agriculture has been in the development of humankind.