Fiber & Grain Hemp

Hemp was widely produced in the US for textiles until prohibited in 1937 with the Marijuana Tax Act.  Since the 2018 Farm Bill was passed, US producers can now compete in a global market with this commodity.  Hemp production has been legal in Canada since 1998, so much of our more recent research and best practices stem from our neighbors to the north.  US research is rapidly catching up.  Several Eastern colleges, including The Pennsylvania State University, State University of New York (SUNY), University of Kentucky are evaluating best production practices as well as exploring uses for hemp.

Grain processing and fiber manufacturing industries in the US are still developing.  Fiber and grain hemp are used to make products like rope, textiles, paper, food and even plastics.  Hemp is being incorporated into building construction and automotive manufacturing.  Hemp is seen as a “green” product, with the hope that this crop will be a renewable resource and a boon to agricultural production.

Varieties for grain and fiber are grown like alfalfa or small grains.  Densely seeded at 30 to 65 pounds of seeds per acre, they grow five to 10 feet tall or more.  Hemp can be difficult to establish, as the crop is quite vulnerable in the seedling stage.  Seed quality, seed bed preparation, soil pH and fertility, planter accuracy, excessive moisture or drought as well as disease can affect the final crop stand.

King’s AgriSeeds offers hemp varieties that are dual purpose, meaning that the seed heads can be harvested for grain and the supporting plant can be harvested for fiber.  This type of harvesting equipment is specialized.  Fiber hemp can be harvested with discbines or sickle bar mowers, but the equipment must be modified to handle this tough, wiry plant.  Fiber hemp processing begins in the field with retting, or the natural breakdown of the plant.  Once hemp is sufficiently retted and dried, it is bailed or chopped, depending on the manufacturing purpose.

In the US, THC levels are also a concern with fiber and grain hemp.  Crops must be tested prior to harvest.  However, since our varieties have been bred primarily for fiber and grain, they routinely test low in THC as well as CBD.  State laws vary, and farmers are obligated to know and follow hemp regulations in their area.