Penn State Extension holding industrial hemp workshop for farmers

Capitalizing on the recent legalization of industrial hemp, Penn State Extension is holding a Hemp Research Field Day for interested farmers on Aug. 6.

The second annual event, scheduled for 4:30-8:30 p.m., will be held at the Penn State Southeast Research & Extension Center in Manheim, Lancaster County. Cost is $10, and registration is required.

Participants will learn about the potential for growing and marketing hemp products from experts at Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, as well as hemp industry professionals. Field tours of Penn State hemp test plots also will be given.

Interest in hemp on the part of Pennsylvania farmers has grown rapidly since the crop was legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill. Hemp is still a regulated crop in Pennsylvania, so a permit is necessary to grow it. Some of the restrictions, however, have been lifted, including the 100-acre cap and the cap on the number of applicants.

This year, the state Department of Agriculture issued 319 hemp growing permits — nearly 10 times the number from last year. More than 20 of those permits are for operations in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.

Among those scheduled to address the workshop are Penn State scientist Alyssa Collins, Penn State Extension educators Jeffrey Graybill and Krystal Snyder, Pennsylvania Hemp Council officials Erica McBride and Geoff Whaling, and Rodale Institute hemp manager Jeff McConnaughey.

For more information, call 1-877-489-1398.