GREEN LAKE, Wis. — Renewed interest in industrial hemp farming in Wisconsin has brought about a flurry of activity related to dispensing information about growing hemp. There will be an informational meeting on growing industrial hemp on Monday, January 28, 2019 at 10 am at the Green Lake County Government Center, 571 County Road A, Green Lake.
Bryan Parr from Legacy Hemp will be presenting on best practices for getting industrial hemp to grow. A representative from DATCP will inform you on how to obtain licensing. The day will be rounded out with a couple of seasoned growers discussing what worked for them, what they might do differently, and which direction they hope the industry will go.
Industrial hemp isn’t a new crop for Wisconsin. In 1908, only six acres of hemp were grown in Wisconsin. In a 1918 bulletin from the University of Wisconsin Agriculture Research Station, Wisconsin jumped to the second largest hemp producing state. Hemp production was also centered in Green Lake, Fond du Lac, Dodge, and Racine counties. At the time Wisconsin was growing 7,000 of the 42,000 acres grown in the United States. In the early 1900s hemp was grown for the fiber. Industrial hemp interest today has since diversified to include other hemp products, including the grain of the plant.
Pre-registration for the industrial hemp program is required by Friday, January 25 to help with lunch and materials planning. The meeting cost is $15 per person, lunch included. This meeting will likely fill up fast, so register early! To sign up, call Green Lake County UW-Extension at 920-294-4032 or register online at https://goo.gl/B6URrj. Registration after January 25 would be $25/person and dependent on space availability.
The University of Wisconsin-Extension provides research-based information to help citizens of Wisconsin make informed decisions based on science. UW-Extension extends the boundaries of the university to the boundaries of the state, helping the people of Wisconsin and beyond access university resources and engage in learning, wherever they live or work.
— Marquette County UW-Extension
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