Take ActionPlease take a moment to submit comments on USDA's proposed hemp production regulations. We have provided sample comments, but we encourage you to customize them to fit your business. Comments are due by 11:59 p.m. on December 30.
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Agencies clarify requirements for providing financial services to hemp-related businesses
WASHINGTON—Four federal agencies in conjunction with the state bank regulators today issued a statement clarifying the legal status of hemp growth and production and the relevant requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) for banks providing services to hemp-related businesses. READ MORE...
Moving forward with 2020 as a research year for Indiana Hemp
Hemp At The Crossroads A Huge Success!
Thank you to all the participants, sponsors and attendees who made the inaugural Hemp at the Crossroads education and trade show a huge success! We hope you enjoyed meeting vendors in the trade show, networking with other hemp growers and two days of learning about the business and regulation of hemp in the Midwest. Sessions topics covered everything from legislative and regulatory issues to the use of hemp as animal feed. We also discussed insurance, grant opportunities for hemp as a new crop, legal considerations for hemp growers and even chromatography for potency profiling.
Hemp hits Kokomo: Large facility opens to process and dry state's first legal hemp crop
Trent Paasch and Mike Lewis - co-founders of Third Wave Farms
"[Mike] Lewis said the company opened its first processing facility in Kokomo because of its relationship with Purdue University and the Midwest Hemp Council, which sold them on the idea of opening the plant in the city."
Justin Swanson visits WIBC-FM to promote Hemp at the Crossroads!
USDA Domestic Hemp Production Program
Click to watch video
Under the 2014 Farm Bill, state departments of agriculture and institutions of higher education were permitted to produce hemp as part of a pilot program for research purposes. On October, 31, 2019, USDA formally issued an interim final rule establishing the USDA Domestic Hemp Production Program. The video above is a basic overview of the program.
The 2020 Midwest Hemp Council Calendar Now Available!
Subject: U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program
Click to see full PDF Report
The long wait is over—almost. USDA has released the draft interim rule for domestic hemp production today. To be clear, the attached document is only a draft and the interim final rule published in the Federal Register may include changes from the draft version.
So what does this all mean? The 2018 Farm Bill required USDA to establish a program and issue rules for the production of hemp in the United States. The issuance of the interim rule, once published, satisfies USDA’s requirement to establish a program and provide guidance to those states wanting to be the primary regulator of hemp production in their respective jurisdictions. The draft interim rule also establishes USDA’s program for those states that do not submit a state plan for approval. Furthermore, once the interim rule is published, states are able to submit their state plans to USDA for approval within 60 days. USDA is actively seeking public feedback on the interim rule once it has been published in the federal register. Public comments will be accepted if received within 60 days of the interim rule being published in the federal register. The interim rule will be effective for 720 days after publication. After this period is over, USDA will issue a final rule. Be sure to tune into Midwest Hemp Council’s weekly podcast this Thursday for an in-depth breakdown on the draft interim rule. Click HERE to read the full PDF report Year to Date Hemp Testing Results Are In!
The results are in for this year to date of the testing from the OISC hemp lab. The GC column shows all test results from that variety. The UPLC column shows the second test from only the ones that went hot. You can tell how many samples went hot per variety by looking at the ratio column to the far right. This is preliminary data but points heavily to the need for knowing your genetics before planting. Also, I have embedded some links to the harvest/destruction report that needs to be filled out.
https://www.oisc.purdue.edu/hemp/pdf/post_harvest_destruction_hemp_report.pdf The USDA rules set was released yesterday. They can be found on the USDA website https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp. There is a 60-day comment period on the new rules. Please feel free to use this period to read the rules and make comments if you would like. OISC will review the rules in depth and report back in the near future. Finally, a year-end research report will be emailed to you as a survey by early next week. We decided to go with a survey format to make it easier on you to complete. We will still need a written version of the findings from your research as we are asked by the USDA to complete a state report. The survey will take about 15-20 minutes to complete and is mandatory for growers as part of the hemp research pilot program. Regards, Don Robison, MBA Seed Administrator Office of Indiana State Chemist & Seed Commissioner Hemp for profit? New crop faces questions over market viability, sustainability
“Our most innovative farmers are always evaluating opportunities to diversify their farms for additional stability,” said Indiana Farm Bureau President Randy Kron. “For some farmers, hemp will become just that. It’s an individual decision for each farmer whether hemp will work for their business, but it’s great to have another option for a crop.” Read More
The Office of Indiana State Chemist has received over 13,000 emails asking about hemp since last year
The Office of Indiana State Chemist has received over 13,000 emails asking about hemp since the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill was signed last year. “The demand for knowledge, the desire to find out more about this crop, far exceeds any other crop we grow in Indiana,” Don Robison, seed administrator at the Office of Indiana State Chemist, said. Read more...
Hemp Processor Announces Expansion
Indianapolis-based BDX Indiana has announced plans to bring more than 100 new jobs to central Indiana, with about a third of those going to a planned hemp extraction facility in Westfield. BDX extracts CBD oil from Indiana-grown hemp and is a sister company of Biodynamic Ventures, the largest hemp grower in Indiana.
“With our experienced partners, we plan to meet the growing demand of hemp products while creating jobs for the City of Westfield and State of Indiana,” said Ken Thieneman, president, BDX-Indiana. Read more ... After the recent legalization of hemp production, new and beginning farmers are following the green rush
“It is hard to believe how many people planted this crop without a harvest, post-harvest, or marketing plan,” Lewis said. “It is easy to say it is a processing bottleneck, but the reality is the bottleneck was caused by overproduction and poor early-stage planning. The bottleneck was caused by people speculating planning on the production side as well. After this season, a lot of people may be a bit more wary of jumping in.” Click to read full article...
Hoosier farmers now harvesting Indiana's first legal hemp crop in 80 years
Tuesday afternoon, Jim Trietsch did something that hasn't happened in Indiana for more than 80 years. Equipped with garden shears and his two sons by his side, Trietsch is now commercially harvesting a large field full of hemp in Owen County, and he's been waiting for this moment for a long time. "We're excited to get in here and finally start harvesting," he told WTHR. "It's been a really long year."
Hemp Start-Up Third Wave Farms Using Crop, New Technology, and Regenerative Agricultural Practices
Mount Vernon, KY (October 3, 2019) – Third Wave Farms was founded in 2017 by Mike Lewis, a proud Kentucky farmer and the first federally permitted hemp farmer in the U.S. since prohibition, and his colleague and friend, Trent Paasch, a successful food industry and commodities entrepreneur.
Inside the 'wild wild west' of Indiana's first major hemp harvest
Legal changes in the past year at both the federal and state level have opened the door on hemp, marijuana’s non-psychedelic cousin, for the first time in decades. There are numerous crop varieties that can be used for countless products: CBD oil, food grade oil, hemp milk, protein powder, rope, clothing, paper. It's even used in concrete. So hemp seems destined for an agricultural gold rush, and officials in Indiana and across the country are preparing for an onslaught of interest. Read more in IndyStar.com...
Extensions will be granted to indoor Growers/Handlers
It has been determined that a temporary one time extension will be granted to indoor growers/handlers on your 2019 Indiana Hemp License until the crop you have now is harvested. This is not a 2020 license at this time or an opportunity to start a new indoor crop for 2020. With this extension, a compliant indoor crop can continue to grow and be processed when the 2019 license period was to of ended December 31, 2019. Please communicate back with Teresa Thompson or Don Robison your desire to accept this extension offer. The type of 2020 Licensing, research or commercial, will be dependent upon requirements from the USDA rule set and the Indiana plan that we expect by the end of 2019. With the USDA rule set not yet in place there would not be time to apply for 2020 in time to keep the crop going. This extension will stay in place until the 2020 licensing application process is available, at which time you will need to re-apply and complete the forms online and pay any fees required. Indiana, Michigan farmers harvest first legal hemp crop since WWII
“There’s a huge learning curve and a lot of infrastructure that is just beginning to develop,” said Justin Swanson, referring to businesses that might become trusted sources of seeds, plants, equipment and processing. “But you won’t get a mature supply chain unless some pioneers take risks.”
Thanks to Midwest Hemp Council pioneers, like Mark Boyer and Don Zolman for working in collaboration with Purdue Hemp and other Midwest farmers growing to gather many lessons and carry them forward into 2020! Read more here ... Robert Colangelo this week's MHC Podcast Guest
This week's podcast features Robert Colangelo, founding farmer and CEO of Green Sense Farms - based in Portage, IN. Robert talks about seed propogation, as seed stability is a huge issue right now in the hemp industry. robert will also talk about the Green Sense Farms vertical farming operation and their involvement in other areas of the ag business as well.
< --- Listen to podcast Former Tobacco Farms Cashing in on CBD Craze
More farmers are planting hemp as the popularity of the crop continues to grow. NBC’s Kerry Sanders reports for Weekend TODAY.
Natural. Misunderstood. Legal. This video is the story of hemp in the United States. A forbidden fiber in the U.S. since 1970, hemp has taken the heat for almost five decades. Until the Farm Bill passed in December of 2018, hemp was federally illegal to grow for commercial purposes, making it risky for businesses to invest in a new crop that was incorrectly classified as a drug.
Grand Opening & Video for Elite Health and Wellness
Check out Midwest Hemp Council member Elite Health and Wellness at their NEW location in McCordsville! Stop by for their Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, October 19th from 12pm-7pm.
Halloween themed event for all ages with swag bags, samples, and more! Let Elite's dedicated staff educate you on their products at this fun event. You'll also want to check out their latest promotional video highlighting their new location, products and great service! Hope to see you there! Eric Steenstra this week's MHC Podcast guest
This week's MHC Podcast features Eric Steenstra, president of Vote Hemp, a political advocacy organization he co-founded in 2000. Eric is a true pioneer in the hemp industry, and has been involved from the beginning, leading the effort to pass hemp farming legislation nationwide. Listen as he talks about the progress of hemp across the country.
< ----- Listen to podcast From the Office of the Seed Administrator
Recently the Hemp Website on the Office of Indiana State Chemist website has been updated. Links are provided below for some of the more interesting new postings. Currently the USDA has not posted regulations to go along with the 2018 Farm Improvement Act (Farm Bill). This is expected in the fall sometime. Once regulations are posted there is a 90 day comment period. Indiana, and other states are requested to not put forth our plan until the USDA process is complete.
Once Indiana’s plan is submitted to the USDA for approval, they have 60 days to approve. Adding up these numbers it can be as much as 150 days from the USDA original regulation posting before the Indiana plan is approved and hemp is fully commercial here. That is said, so you will understand the reasons why we may not be accepting applications for commercial hemp growing in January as first thought. Read the entire letter here ... Rep. Judy statement on federal court’s hemp ruling
 State Rep. Chris Judy (R-Ft Wayne)
Representative Chris Judy is our guest on this week's Midwest Hemp Council Weekly Podcast - Click here to listen! STATEHOUSE (Sept. 19, 2019) – “It’s important that hemp is treated like any other regulated agricultural crop in Indiana, just as Congress intended with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. Ideally, this ruling will provide guidelines to the rest of the country as states begin developing or amending their current regulatory structures. If Indiana is going to continue to attract substantial investments and jobs into the state like the potential $52 million project in Jeffersonville, our laws and regulations must treat hemp like any other federally regulated agricultural crop. I look forward to ensuring the entire hemp market remains open to Hoosier farmers, small businesses and other entrepreneurs.” Court grants hemp growers injunction against state law
Click image to read full article
“We always have the desire to work alongside government and supportive organizations to move hemp forward as efficiently as possible. Our legislators and the state have done great work over the past sessions to engage Indiana in this agricultural revolution. Our desire is to be solution-focused and help strategize and find answers that both encourage the economic impact of hemp businesses in Indiana as well as continue to help solve the state’s concerns.” - Austin Rhodus, Owner of Dreem Nutrition, Midwest Hemp Council Member
Indiana’s Hemp growers are committed to learning the crop
Click to read full article
In Indiana’s Miami County, Mark Boyer manages 1,250 acres, which he mostly devotes to corn, soybeans and wheat like the slew of midwestern farmers all around him. On 350 of these acres, however, Boyer cultivates sunflower and canola, using his on-farm cold press to extract oil from the crops’ seeds to supply his line of specialty cooking oils, Healthy Hoosier Oil. Over the past two seasons Boyer has dedicated a portion of these fields to hemp, a crop that was illegal for decades but is now enjoying an American agricultural renaissance thanks to recent federal and state legislation.
As Harvest Nears, Farmers Mull Putting A New Crop In Their Fields Next Year
Click video to watch
Farmers across the state are searching for ways to boost their bottom lines in the wake of retaliatory tariffs and poor weather this spring that delayed planting. “Our goal is to make sure we get the infrastructure in place so our farmers can grow this crop, so they have this opportunity,” said Jamie Campbell Petty, co-founder of the Midwest Hemp Council.
Important Information: How to Label Hemp Seed
It has come to my attention that hemp variety names have been changed to make a variety look like it is “new” or “different”. Additionally, people have changed variety names so that customers cannot easily tell what it was and then buy around the seller. These are egregious acts in violation of the Federal Seed Act and the Indiana State Seed Law! This act can result in penalties from the USDA, Plant Variety Protection Act enforcement and loss of Indiana Seed Permit for future years. A variety name is assigned by the owner and cannot be changed by the owner or by anyone else. I have copied the USDA Director of Seed and Regulatory Testing Division on this communication as this is a very serious matter that will not be tolerated in Indiana. I have also blind copied the Director of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies. As a reminder, I have also attached the document we have created as an example of how to label hemp seed for sale in Indiana. Again, this is state law. Starting in 2020, the Office of Indiana State Chemist inspection staff is directed to put a stop sale on hemp seed that is not properly labeled. Regards, Don Robison, MBA Seed Administrator 
INDIANA HEMP VICTORY TOUR
We introduced ourselves to you last year with the goal of legalizing the commercial production of hemp in Indiana and providing accurate information to our neighboring states to ensure ease in commerce of hemp and hemp products. In April of 2019, because of dedicated supporters like you, we were successful in legalizing the commercial production of hemp in Indiana.
Last night, we celebrated this achievement, and recognized those who have championed for us along the way. Thanks to all who participated in our eventful evening at the Indiana Historical Society. What better venue to bring back a rich Indiana history! |
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