Industrial Hemp (i.e. High Cbd / Low Thc) Production

[seth.oregon]

Are you growing industrial hemp in Oregon? If no, why not??? Unlimited canopy size, $500 license fee, no cameras, no county or city bans, no fences...seems like the sky is the limit.

 

[1diesel1]

Are you growing industrial hemp in Oregon? If no, why not??? Unlimited canopy size, $500 license fee, no cameras, no county or city bans, no fences...seems like the sky is the limit.

I'm listening tell me more.

 

[seth.oregon]

The only catch is that you have to pass a field test administered by ODA to test THC concentrations. They must be 0.3% or less. That's pretty hard to do...but...ODA testing protocol calls for samples that are 8 inches in length at least 2 weeks before harvest time. The samples include at least 27% stem (on average) by weight and are taken before cannabinoid levels peak--especially if it takes you a couple weeks to harvest (wink wink). We like to get our plants tested around week 4 of flowering, just to be on the safe side. With most solid high CBD producers (15% and below, 20:1+ ratio), you can grow fields of high CBD plants with no restrictions....

The biggest impediment is imagination and dealing with industrial scale farming.

 

[1diesel1]

I like it, tell me more I like where your going.

 

[seth.oregon]

We started last year and grew 3.5 acres using one ultra high CBD clone. We expanded to about 70 acres this season at 5 separate locations (all under the same $500 license). I'm already in the hemp game, just looking to bring more people with me! There were only 3 farms in Oregon that successfully harvested, but the program expanded to over 70 registered growers this year--I'd like to see that even bigger in 2017. Did I mention that Oregon allows unlimited greenhouse production as well?

 

[1diesel1]

i like it

 

[GT21]

Me too

 

[Trixxi]

What do you do with your harvest? I know of friends growing hundreds of acres of hemp and wanting to invest in a decorticator ...

I would genuinely like to see the hemp harvests be put into building materials for homes and insulation but trying to get into that market is not cheap or easy

 

[Trixxi]

I see you are doing seed production my question is in regards to harvesting for fiber

 

[seth.oregon]

The fiber side depends on your market segment. The highest quality fiber (clothing, rope) is derived from stalks harvested just after flowering initiates--i.e. after plants have stretched, but before flowers proliferate. Dual purpose crops (seed/oil + fiber) produce a low quality fiber that is only suitable for pulp/paper. Hempcrete is great; this is made from the woody core (high in silica, so it binds well with lime) and can be derived as a secondary product from any cannabis crop. As you said though, the equipment is spendy and cannabis stalks have a tendency to quickly destroy any implement they come in contact with...a great testament to the strength and durability of the plant!

We donate our stalks to nearby hempcrete builders at the end of the season. We grow sinsemilla, just like other cannabis farmers, solely for CO2 extraction. Our seed production sites are for breeding purposes; we produce these for ourselves and other growers to ensure a steady supply of affordable, CBD -rich, "industrial hemp qualified" seed.

 

[seth.oregon]

Here's a pretty decent overview on fiber production from the USDA-ARS:

 

[Tomba]

Very cool