PLANTING

The ways in which traditional crops are planted have a vast array of SOP’s revolving around them and this helps tremendously when ascertaining the proper ways for a farming operation to go about doing things, however, that is not the case with hemp grown for fiber. The equipment used, row-spacing, seed bed preparation, follow on crops, cover crops, fertilization regiments, method of planting (drilling/broadcasting) all become fair game when speaking about hemp, as there is very little historical data to reference. That is why we, not being farmers per se, decided we needed to understand all of these factors and hence, our decision to plant in 2019 and again in 2020. This also spurred us to build relationships with and visit multiple farms, in state and out of state, as well as in other countries in order to pull together collective planting resources. Our whole intent and purpose, is to be able to provide our farmers with the best and most up to date information as it relates to every portion of their season, but specifically here, for planting. We have tested drilling, broadcasting, different soil types and a long list of different variables within our test plots. We have a set of standards that we believe is at the very least, baseline for understanding what will allot the best results. We challenge ourselves, our colleagues and the industry in general to always push forward, continue to test, collect and disseminate information as it comes in. We feel a sense of pride in being involved in these conversations and helping add value by sharing our learned experiences. This in essence is truly the basis for compounded learning and success within the industry.