BELFAST, Maine — Future Farm Technologies Inc. is pleased to announce that it has begun preparations for the propagation of industrial hemp at its Belfast, Maine facility.
As previously announced, the Company entered into a lease agreement for an initial 12,960 sq. ft. of space in a 60,000 sq. ft. building in Belfast, Maine. The Company has engaged GGS Structures of Vineland Station, Ontario to outfit planting trays, which will house over 200,000 hemp seedlings for the 2018-growing season. In addition to ordering the seeding tables, Future Farm has also engaged a local electrician and contractor to begin the build-out of its propagation room, which Future Farm anticipates will be completed by May 1st. This schedule should allow sufficient time to grow the seedlings to a point where they are hardy enough to be planted outside at the Company’s Amity 120-acre and Hersey 100-acre farms before Maine’s June 1st deadline.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that he will introduce legislation to legalize hemp as an agricultural commodity. The Republican made the announcement in his home state of Kentucky, which has been at the forefront of hemp’s comeback. McConnell says the legislation would also remove the federal barriers in place, which will help expand the domestic production of hemp. It will also give hemp researchers the chance to apply for competitive federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, allowing them to continue their work with the support of federal research dollars.
Looking forward to 2019, the Company expects to exercise its option to expand within the Belfast facility and to double production in 2019 at this location. With over 100 organic certified acres ready to plant in 2018 and an additional 1,000 acres available for expansion, Future Farm is poised to become the largest hemp farm in the North East.
“We have been working day and night to capitalize on this year’s growing season,” Derek Ross, President of Cannatech and Future Farm’s joint venture partner in Maine comments. “It’s great to see a plan come together and I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work with the local community to develop this project.”
On behalf of the Board,
Future Farm Technologies Inc.
William Gildea, Chairman & CEO
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