The Northern Hemp Summit invites those who may be interested in adding hemp to their operations to attend their event on December 13-14 in Fargo, North Dakota. The event will highlight cannabis production, processing, marketing and policy. In addition, experts from all over the region and the country will attend to share their knowledge about the crop.
“The goal of the Northern Hemp Summit is to truly be an event that is actively engaged in the industry or interested in cannabis to learn and network,” said David Ripplinger, NDSU Extension Specialist Bioproducts and Bioenergy Economics.
Ripplinger stated that there are many producers and farmers interested in adding the crop to their operations, but that education is needed before a final decision is made on whether cannabis is right for them. General hesitation is also very common for those considering growing the crop.
“As a farmer, you have to have a market for your crop. In some ways, we have a bit of a chicken and egg problem. Hemp has a number of uses: cannabidiol, fiber, and oil seeds.” For farmers, they need to understand that you have to make sure you have this, he said. market. This is not a commodity like corn or wheat that you can take to the elevator.”
The USDA recently made a big step forward in terms of securing crops for cannabis producers. Response from feedback from current cannabis producers. According to a USDA press release, they will add flexibility about how producers work with processors as well as improve consistency with the latest USDA hemp regulations.
“Cannabis is an emerging crop, and we are working with cannabis producers to provide insurance options that make sense for producers and insurance providers,” RMA Director Marcia Bonger said in the statement. “RMA has expanded and improved our offering to be responsive and dynamic.”
Ripplinger sees this as a huge win for current cannabis producers and a huge opportunity for future cannabis producers to take advantage of it.
“I think it’s so critical here, especially in the Northern Plains, it’s basically taken for granted. Farmers would really be reluctant to grow a crop without that kind of protection,” he said. “It was really really impressive how quickly the policies were set up and made available. In most cases, I suppose most farmers will secure their crop.”
