On this week's hemp podcast, Lancaster Farming talks to Steve Groff from Cedar Meadow Farm in Holtwood, Lancaster County, where he is getting ready to plant 70 acres of industrial hemp.
"This year it's all fiber. And we'll probably plant about 10 varieties," Groff said.
Of those 10, about a third will be what he calls his "core varieties" that have performed well previously on his farm or in the Mid-Atlantic region in general.
"We are going to be testing several other newer varieties that might perform well, that we need to basically, I'll say, ground-truth and see how they work," he said.
As the post-prohibition hemp industry puts itself back together, one of the many riddles to solve is what plant genetics will work where, which is why Groff is so keen on trying new varieties — he enjoys figuring stuff out, and if his work on the farm can help grow an industry, that's even better.
Groff, well known for his pioneering work and educational efforts in no-till farming and cover crops, has been growing hemp on his farm since 2019, the first season it was legal to grow commercially in Pennsylvania.
His interest in hemp is full spectrum. He's grown hemp on his farm for CBD, grain and fiber, but this year his focus is exclusively on fiber — not just growing it, but also how to process.
Groff is a partner in Hemp Katalyst, an aspirational hemp processing company focused on research and development.
"So we've been experimenting with several different variations of processing. And as everybody knows, there's a lot involved," he said.
Groff said that ultimately the varieties that farmers grow will be determined by how it's used, and that manufacturers will provide specs for processors.
But the industry is not there yet, so Groff pushes forward with "experimental micro processing."
"And so we're trying to back up from what our customers want and figure it out so that when we do invest in larger scale machinery, we get it right the first time."
"I love doing the cover crops because it helped farmers. It helped the environment. It checked all the boxes," Groff said. "And the nice thing about hemp is it does all those things too, but it's enhanced because it a stronger connection to everyone."
Or, as we say on the podcast, cannabis loves community.
Groff also discussed his recent work with Penn State's College of Medicine. Groff grows CBG and CBD varieties of hemp for their medical research.
From food, fiber and fuel to building materials and medicine — the list goes on and on — Groff said he can't think of another plant that God made that benefits humanity in more ways than hemp.
Learn more about Cedar Meadow Farm
https://cedarmeadow.farm/
Learn more about Hemp Katalyst
https://www.hempkatalyst.com/
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Commercial Operations Begin at Panda Biotech's Massive Wichita Falls Hemp Gin
https://dallasinnovates.com/commercial-operations-begin-at-panda-biotechs-massive-wichita-falls-hemp-gin/
Thanks to our sponsors!
IND HEMP
https://indhemp.com/
National Hemp Association
https://nationalhempassociation.org/
Mpactful Ventures
https://www.mpactfulventures.org/
Forever Green, distributors of the KP-4 Hemp Cutter
https://www.hempcutter.com/
Music Courtesy of Tin Bird Shadow.
