[Listen] AM Minnesota Growing Industrial Hemp In Minnesota

Assistant Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture Whitney Place was my guest on today's AM Minnesota Program. It had been around a year since I last talked with Whitney about growing Industrial Hemp in Minnesota. We have seen a significant increase in acres of Industrial Hemp grown in Minnesota over the last 5 years. We have also seen the  number of processors increase in Minnesota too.

That many times is the piece of the puzzle that is missing when farmers are looking for another crop to work into their corn soybean rotation. When I harvest a crop I need someone to buy it so I can pay bills. Whitney said new uses are being developed for Industrial Hemp, clothes, replacement for lumber and the seed can be ground up and sold in the health food market.

There is a lot to learn about growing Industrial Hemp in Minnesota. The University of Minnesota is working on developing varieties to plant, the fertility requirements and herbicides to use. AURI is working on developing new uses and the USDA is also involved. I wish my Grandfather would be here as back during WW II he grew Industrial Hemp for the war effort. In fact, to this day the "old hemp plant" located just North of Wells is still there and now used for storage. In addition there is a former Hemp Plant just west of New Richland.

This reminds me of the old phrase "what goes around comes around." In the picture is the Minnesota Department of Agricultures plot of Industrial Hemp growing at Farmfest in 2019. The other picture is the old Hemp plant just west of New Richland. Click on the links and listen to Minnesota Assistant Commissioner Whitney Place discuss growing Industrial Hemp in Minnesota.