Three days of South Dakota industrial hemp events will highlight the rapidly growing industrial hemp industry both in South Dakota and in the U.S.
Events Aug. 3-5 at Horizon Hemp Seeds in Willow Lake, South Dakota, and Complete Hemp Processing in Winfred will demonstrate the supply chain of the expanding industrial hemp industry in South Dakota from the seed to product, including a demonstration of hemp's use in building materials.
Horizon Hemp Seeds is a provider of certified seeds while Complete Hemp Processing, under A.H. Meyer & Sons, is a fourth generation family-owned business with over 90 years of experience in the agricultural Industry, starting with beekeeping. The company built a decortication facility for processing industrial hemp fiber, which opened this spring.
"This will be an opportunity to tour the first hemp fiber processing facility in South Dakota, to hear from three successful South Dakota hemp farmers, to tour hemp fields and to learn about hemp building materials," said Ken Meyer, vice president of Complete Hemp Processing.
Events are free and open to the public with online registration. The hempcrete workshop costs $50.
Speaking at the conference will be leading hemp industry experts from South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, California, Colorado, Tennessee, Utah, and Pennsylvania. The event will also feature live music and catered food available for purchase.
South Dakota is a national leader when it comes to growing industrial hemp.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service's Hemp Acreage and Production 2022 Survey, last growing season, South Dakota farmers planted 2,800 acres of industrial hemp, and it was the number one state harvested acres at 2,550 acres harvested.
Preliminary data showed that South Dakota planned to plant even more acres of industrial hemp this year. South Dakota farmers see good profit potential in adding industrial hemp as another cash row crop into their rotation with corn and soybeans.
Infrastructure for processing industrial hemp fiber is keeping pace with South Dakota’s hemp farmers and is one of the success stories celebrated by the hemp events Aug. 3-5.
Source: farmforum.net
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jessicahyde
Categories: South Dakota, Business, Crops, Corn, Soybeans