Lucia Vignale and the Cornell Hemp Webinar Series

Lucia Vignale and the Cornell Hemp Webinar Series

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor January 22, 2025 Duration: 31:33

This week's guest on the Industrial Hemp podcast is Lucia Vignale, a third-year PhD student at Cornell University, where she studies plant breeding, genetics and pathology.

"I'm interested in searching for, mapping, and characterizing new sources of resistance against hemp powdery mildew," she said.

Vignale earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in molecular biologist in her native Uruguay, and in 2022 she came to Larry Smart's hemp lab at Cornell on a Fullbright scholarship to pursue her PhD.

Her passion for hemp is intertwined with her passion for science.

There's so much that we don't know about hemp, she said, "so I want to answer questions. I want to solve problems."

She said with other crops like corn, cotton or soy, there is already so much research out there, so much is already known. But hemp, she said, "has been largely unexplored due to legal issues," and the untapped potential excites her.

"There's so many things that we can do and learn from it, and we are seeing that in person now with all the new products and applications that we can get from it, she said.

One of her jobs in the Cornell hemp lab this year was to plan and execute the fourth annual hemp webinar series, which starts January 29 and runs biweekly until May 7.

This year's webinar series will focus on hemp grain and will include presentations from hemp grain experts. (see full list below)

The webinar series is free but registration is required.

Go here to register: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0vJzjCiA0SLCOua

2025 Hemp Webinar Series Schedule

January 29: IND Hemp, founding and mission – Morgan Tweet, IND HEMP

February 12: Pathogens affecting hemp cultivation – Nicole Gauthier, University of Kentucky

February 26: Hemp products as food ingredients – Chadwick White, Nepra Foods, Ltd.

March 12: Screening of seed related traits in wide germplasm – Tyler Gordon, USDA-ARS

March 26: Novel high oleic acid seed oil trait – Ian Graham, University of York

April 9: Hemp seed meal as a feed ingredient in animal diets – Nathalie Trottier, Cornell University

April 23: Best agronomic practices – Bob Pearce, University of Kentucky

May 7: Hemp products as food ingredients – Kendra Meier, HPS Food & Ingredients


Learn More about Cornell Hemp: https://hemp.cals.cornell.edu/

News Nuggets:

13th Annual International Hemp Building Association Symposium to Be Held at Lower Sioux Indian Community

https://internationalhempbuilding.org/

https://lowersioux.com/hemp-program-and-housing-project/

Thanks to our Sponsors!


There’s a quiet revolution happening in fields and factories, and it’s centered on a single, versatile plant. Industrial Hemp Podcast, guided by Eric Hurlock, the Digital Editor at Lancaster Farming, moves beyond the headlines to explore what’s actually happening on the ground. This isn’t just theoretical discussion; it’s a direct line to the people driving the industry forward. Each episode features conversations with the farmers who are planting and harvesting these crops, facing very real agronomic challenges and opportunities. You’ll also hear from researchers, processors, and policy experts who are shaping the future of hemp for fiber, grain, and other industrial applications. The dialogue digs into the practicalities-from planting techniques and harvesting equipment to market trends, regulatory hurdles, and technological innovations that are changing the game. It’s a clear-eyed look at an agricultural sector finding its footing, reported by journalists with deep roots in farming communities. For anyone curious about the business, science, and sheer hard work behind industrial hemp, this podcast serves as an essential, grounded resource. Tune in for honest talk that cuts through the hype and gets to the root of this growing field.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Industrial Hemp Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Winds of Cansayapi (Part Three) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:31
Welcome to part three of our Cansayapi Trilogy in which we explore the 13th International Hemp Building Symposium, held Oct. 3-5, 2025, at the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Southwestern Minnesota. Part Three opens wher…
Voices from Cansayapi (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:32
On this episode we continue on our journey with host Eric Hurlock to Cansayapi, the place where they paint the trees red, the Lower Sioux Indian community, the home of the Medewakantan Band of Dakota people in Southweste…
The Road to Cansayapi (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:43
This week on the Hemp Show, you are stowing away with me as I retell the tale of my trip to the 13th International Hemp Building Symposium, which was held for the first time ever in the United States — and specifically o…
USDA Hemp Report: Garbage In, Garbage Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:10
This week on the Hemp Show, we're talking to Brad Truman, a data analyst with CannaMarkets Group, about his recent deep dive into USDA's hemp import data. His report, published in HempToday under the title When the Numbe…
Inside Cornell AgriTech: Germplasm, Robots and Hemp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:36
On this week's podcast, we continue our trip to Geneva, New York, for part two of the Cornell story. I spend some time with Christine Smart, director of Cornell AgriTech, and her husband Larry Smart, professor of plant b…
Grain & Fiber Hemp Field Day at Cornell 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:32
On this week's podcast, host Eric Hurlock travels to Geneva, New York, on the top of Seneca Lake to take part in Cornell's Hemp Field day, held Thursday, Sept. 11. This episode covers both the morning and afternoon sessi…
In Search Of: A Pennsylvania Hemp Textile Supply Chain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:41
This week on the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, we're chasing down the beginnings of a Pennsylvania hemp fiber supply chain. We start the day in southern Lancaster County at Steve Groff's farm, standing in th…