Industry Experts Say Most Farmers Still Face Barriers To Growing Industrial Hemp

As Wisconsin farmers start planning for next year’s growing season, industrial hemp is an option for the first time since lawmakers lifted a ban on the crop this fall.

But even if farmers are interested in growing hemp, it may not be as simple as planting and harvesting it for most producers next year.

“Before we plant it, we’ve got to have a market for it,” said Adam Kuzcer, a farmer who is interested in growing hemp on his farm near Pulaski. “There will definitely be people trying to get on it but it’s going to be a limited number (based on) what the processor will be willing to give out contracts for.”

Kuzcer, who is also on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, said farmers need to have a contract before growing hemp because they can’t count on selling their crop to the closest grain elevator. At least not in 2018.

“If it starts to be a bigger crop, we can develop more infrastructure. But this first year is definitely going to be experimental,” Kuzcer said.

Despite this uncertainty, Ken Anderson, president of the seed company Legacy Hemp, estimates 50 farmers will grow hemp grain in Wisconsin in 2018.

Anderson said growing hemp is similar to other popular grains and requires the same equipment.

“The difference is it’s profitable,” Anderson said. “A crop that is not subsidized and profitable, that is kind of an American agriculture anomaly.”

Anderson said his company plans to build a processing facility in the state next year.

But whether or not farmers are planting hemp in the spring will largely depend on the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

DATCP has until March to put in place regulations for the hemp industry.

Allison Pratt-Szeliga, researcher from the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, said it’s likely the state will create an application process and require farmers to obtain hemp seeds through DATCP.

“I suppose technically it’s possible that folks could be planting in spring,” Pratt-Szeliga said. “If the regulations are out and the application process is in place and people go through that process and are approved and are able to purchase seed within our planting windows. So there might be a little bit of a rush.”

Pratt-Szeliga said there are still a lot of unknowns, but she expects it will be easier for farmers to participate in 2019.