Hemp Farming

BY ALEXANDRA CLARKE (@THEHEMPFARMERSWIFE)

As Texas enters the second sea son to legally grow industrial hemp under the Texas Department of Agriculture’s hemp program, it’s timely for me to share my family farm’s experiences. Please let our mistakes, triumphs, and everything in between help inform your hemp ambitions. Our farm, Colorado Hemp Solutions, has seen it all since 2016. It has been everything but easy, but the fact that I am still here to share our experience must mean something. Before a seed is ever propagated or planted, consider this:

1) You will create a strain on your existing businesses and crops. In order to build a model that works for the long term, good and reliable teammates will be your greatest assets. Choose them wisely. You’ll need ready hands, committed partners, willing bankers, and realistic forecasts and expectations.

2) Start small and intentionally learn lessons on a small scale. Only gamble what you’re willing to lose.

3) Hemp farming is a lot more work than you might imagine. The time and effort required is more similar to gardening and nursery work than row crop farming. One acre of hemp grown for extraction is not equal to one acre of wheat, cotton, corn, etc. when considering labor and other inputs. In animal terms, my husband often tells people that hemp farming is a lot like running a dairy, whereas other crops might be more akin to running a feedlot.

4) The rules will constantly change; you need to be ready to pivot. The FDA, DEA, USDA, and state agencies continue to change their guidelines as we all learn more about the plant and its molecular behavior. We should anticipate the FDA will present strict guidelines as they learn more about side effects, maximum daily dosage, and THC levels. All of that affects how hemp is farmed for its derivatives. When considering hemp grown for fiber, the market still has a long way to go before we can consider it stable. Forecasting is difficult; be ready for each grow season to look very different than the last.

5) Even though the hemp industry is still considered new in states like Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Florida, it’s much more mature in states like Colorado, Kentucky, and Oregon. Industry-wide, the only growth in acreage accounted for in 2020 came from states with new hemp programs. This illustrates

that the hemp industry is no longer a shiny new ball; it is beginning to define itself. 6) You are likely to encounter bad actors who exist to take advantage of the ignorance and eagerness of farmers. Talk is only talk. Anytime you hear promises of making $50,000-$100,000 per acre, a screeching alarm should go off in your head. Don’t get caught up in the money in the sky; it is not real.

7) Hemp is very difficult to sell, and impossible to sell if you do not understand what you are selling. Study the plant beyond the farming of it. Gain a good understanding of extraction and processing science and techniques so you are better prepared to serve your customers. Study industry leaders and support trade organizations; you do not have to exist on an island.

8) You must have faith in the plant and the molecules it produces that help people and animals. Other motivators like money, fame, and fortune will fail you. You know farming is not easy, and I am here to tell you that “hempin’ ain’t easy” either. Faith in the good that you are doing will be necessary to carry you through the hard times.

I am not here to scare anyone away from the hemp industry. In fact, we need more like-minded and hardworking farmers to join us. Good people want to do business with good people, and there are none finer than y’all.