How to grow Hemp?

Tristan Franklin

Hemp Social Expert

The hemp plant has been grown for thousands of years for a range of purposes, and while it fell out of favor in the 1950s and was banned for a number of decades, farming and cultivation of hemp has hit its straps and is a fast growing industry across the USA and globally. A popular plant of farmers for thousands of years, hemp has been a durable and easy to grow plant that offers plenty of industrial applications.

A sustainable and versatile crop that can grow in basically any conditions, hemp is low in THC, which means that it does not have the high that marijuana offers users. This means that hemp can be used in a wide range of industrial uses safely including clothing, building materials, jewelry, cooking and much more. As of the world’s most sustainable and versatile crops, thanks to its ‘not-so-good’ cousin, marijuana – hemp has been getting a bad rap for a very long time – but it is all misguided, to say the least. Hemp farming is consistently growing year on year as farmers around the world cotton on to the demand for hemp and all of the wonderful products the fibers and oil can create.

What is hemp farming?

Hemp farming is the process of growing, cultivating and harvesting commercial quantities of hemp for the production in a wide range of industrial, manufacturing and medicinal applications. Farmers grow and cultivate hemp just as any other plant in the farming industry and provide it to consumers for a wide range of industrial purposes.  Thanks to the 2014 and 2018 Farming Bill that legalized the growing and selling of hemp, the industry is booming which means there is certainly a demand for hemp farms and farming in this particular species of plant.

It is often said that hemp is one of the most lucrative plants for farmers in the US today, which is a massive incentive for farmers looking to explore this path. Producers still need to abide by the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 in the USA, which means that they do need permits to grow the plant. The hemp is grown in much the same way many other crops grow, and can be farmed in orchard style farms in a wide range of environments. 

What do hemp farmers do?

The labor demand to cultivate the hemp crop is estimated to be around two people per acre, and then based on whether the crop needs drying you might need more people. Hemp farmers plant and cultivate the raw hemp plant species, the cultivated material is then made into a wide range of industrial applications, from paper, jewelry, clothing, material, building materials, insulation and more.

Growing conditions for hemp plants are basically in any environment; hemp can be grown in the desert as well in deep in the mountains. So, basically, wherever you have your farm, hemp can easily be grown. After a basic soil test, the hemp can be planted and within around 108 to 120 days, the plant will be ready to harvest. The cycle for growth is quite quick, making it a popular plant to farm thanks to its fast growing and also the demand for hemp globally.

What are the benefits of hemp?

Hemp is often grown organically, without the need for pesticides. This is at the digression of each individual farmer and this is an added benefit to consumers. If you are able to grow the hemp using organic conditions, it will need to be pest-free and disease-free. Find out more information about organic growing from your local hemp authority. After only around 120 days in the ground, hemp can be harvested and will be mature, which means that there can be multiple crops per year, another great benefit of growing and harvesting hemp. Drying the hemp is simple and farmers can estimate to harvest around two tons of hemp fiber per acre on average. The profit from farming hemp is all based on the market, and you can find out more by speaking with other hemp growers or members of the hemp industry.

Industrial hemp farming is the way of the future, and many farmers are moving over to this extremely lucrative industry to tap into the exciting opportunities for hemp. As the world evolves and embraces hemp, if you are looking to get into the industry and grow hemp, there is no better time than the present. Find out more from the Hemp Industries Association or your state hemp organization.