Three aspects of hemp farming were presented to area farmers Saturday at a Hemp Road Show held at Lamar Community College in Colorado
As The Prowers Journal reports, Rick Trojan, who along with his partners own about 300 acres of land dedicated to hemp plants in northeast Colorado - a fifth of the acreage in the state devoted to growing hemp for commercial use - outlined at the show the history of hemp, which was once a prominent U.S. crop until the Federal Bureau of Narcotics classified it as marijuana, making it illegal.
Trojan explained that Colorado leads the country in marijuana acreage and in hemp, which he called a hardy and versatile plant with 25,000 different uses including clothing, animal feed, and battery and electronic capacitor production in cell phones.
The potential for hemp as an alternative crop was stressed by Morton County, Kansas farmers who testified last month in support of House Bill 2182 that would allow research and development of industrial hemp products in Kansas, saying the plant would use less irrigation than corn and be potentially more revenue-yielding than wheat and milo.
According to the Kansas Legislature’s website, the bill was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development on Feb. 20.
