Reintroducing industrial hemp to Iowa?s landscape

by | Feb 14, 2020 | 5 Ag Stories, News

Iowa has a rich history of hemp production.

Iowans cultivated hemp during World War II, after United States officials unveiled ?Hemp for Victory.” Rural lands sustained the plant until the program?s end. Over seventy years later, state officials are reintroducing hemp.

Ethan Vorhes, director at the Iowa Hemp Association, speaks to hemp’s return, and the opportunities it presents to Iowa?s agriculture industry. (Listen to the full story here)

Ethan Vorhes, of Nashua, Iowa, is a director at the Iowa Hemp Association, Hemp Feed Coalition and Friends of Hemp. Vorhes hopes industrial hemp can regain its status as an agricultural commodity, as he believes it can help Iowans cleanup waterways and fix soils.

?This is going to be the first year. We get a chance to bring it back and cultivate it in our state,? Vorhes said. ?We?re excited to get that new crop and get our hands back in the dirt.?

Industrial hemp presents various opportunities to Iowa farmers. One area he is particulary excited about is the potential use in an animal feed.

?I?ve spent a lot of time championing animal feed; that?s where I see this market growing. When we get federal approval, we see an explosion in growth,? Vorhes said. ?There?s a lot of demand for CBD and the cannabinoids associated with it. There?s going to be a big fiber market in the future – Things like textiles, building materials (and) paper. (It?s) just a good, easy crop to organically cultivate.?

State officials will allow each farmer to plant up to 40 acres of industrial hemp. Vorhes encourages farmers to ?start small,? as you ?learn about the plant.?

?Plant with a corn planter (or) start it in trays and put it out. Start small, so you can learn the plant,? Vorhes said. ?I think a lot of people are planting for CBD or extracts. Then you have people that want to grow for grain. They?re using a combine. They don?t have to buy new equipment. If you want to try it and have a bean head, I think you could try the grain.?