FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2020
Contact: Rachel Wobeter, 970-392-5627, rwobeter@acresusa.com
GREELEY, CO – Acres U.S.A. will host the Advancing Industrial Hemp event on May 18-19, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Greeley at Lincoln Park.
Industrial hemp is the fastest growing crop in United States agriculture. From 2018 to 2019, the number of acres planted in industrial hemp increased by 350% in the United States. This “green rush” comes after the 2018 United States Farm Bill that removed hemp from the Schedule 1 controlled substances list. This change made hemp an ordinary agricultural commodity and allowed farmers to grow hemp legally. With tremendous growth and interest in this adolescent agricultural sector, farmer education is key to making hemp a profitable, long-term cash crop for U.S. farmers.
Acres U.S.A.’s event will address the gap in experience and technical skills that is common within the hemp industry. This event will provide hemp growers with practical, applicable management strategies and techniques for growing hemp in a profitable, ecological manner. Specific topics that will be covered include hemp seed management and germination techniques; soil nutrition and humus development; plant nutrition case studies; regenerative processing techniques; and proven tactics for creating marketplaces.
Joining the speaker line-up is Doug Fine, farmer, author and well-regarded hemp researcher and consultant for projects across the world. His latest book, “American Hemp Farmer,” is coming out this spring. Fine is a pioneering voice in cannabis/hemp and regenerative farming and will provide a comprehensive overview of the hemp industry and opportunities for hemp to regenerate the agricultural system. Bill McKibben, Ohio-based soil fertility consultant and Noel Garcia, certified crop advisor with Texas Plant & Soil Lab, will present on soil health management techniques for hemp and plant nutrition and care.
A hemp farmer panel will highlight lessons from the field including advice on seed selection, harvesting, processing, and the tumultuous hemp market. Special guests, Jamie Perkins and Sarah Cotterill, owners of Lineage Hemp in Indiana, will discuss their vertically integrated hemp company and how they have harnessed generational wisdom and agricultural innovation to produce and distribute high-quality hemp (fiber, grain, and CBD) using regenerative organic methods.
Brian Koontz, Hemp Program Manager at the Colorado Department of Agriculture, will provide critical hemp policy and regulation updates. Colorado was one of the first states to allow production of hemp and is seen as a leader in developing government regulations for hemp. Koontz will discuss the future of hemp policies.
The day before the event, on May 18th, Acres U.S.A., will host a Hemp Farm & Industry Tour. This tour will feature hemp farms in Northern Colorado and hemp processing facilities to provide a personal, in-depth look into hemp farming techniques and support open dialogue on successes and failures in the hemp industry.
Learn more and register at ACRESUSA.COM/HEMPEVENT or call the Acres U.S.A. office at 1-800-355-5313. Early bird tickets are on sale through March 25th.
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About Acres U.S.A.
Acres U.S.A. is North America’s premier publisher on production-scale organic and sustainable farming. Our monthly magazine on regenerative agriculture has been published since 1971. For more than four decades we have helped farmers, ranchers and market gardeners grow food organically, sustainably, without harmful, toxic chemistry. www.AcresUSA.com
The company is also hosting these 2020 events: Rodale Institute & Acres U.S.A. Field Day and Intensive in Kutztown, PA, July 15-17; Healthy Soil Summit in Sacramento, CA, August 25-26; and Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show in Columbus, OH, December 1-4.
