This year marked the first year that hemp became legal to grow in Wisconsin in over half a century. The Wisconsin legislature passed a law creating a pilot program allowing farmers to grow hemp plants legally. This fall, just a few weeks ago, about 100 farmers across the state harvested their first crop.
For today’s episode, news director Molly Stentz digs deep into the status of the hemp industry in Wisconsin. Our guests are Rob Richard, Senior Director of Governmental Relations at the Wisconsin Farm Bureau; Abbie Testaberg, co-founder of Whole Plant Technologies and owner and operator of Kinni Hemp; Donna Gilson, communications specialist at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP); and Jim Naumann, organizer of trade shows for the Wisconsin hemp industry.
The Central Wisconsin Hemp Expo takes place on Saturday, November 17, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Marshfield Mall Expo Center in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Tickets and information available here.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau is hosting an event called Wisconsin Hemp: A Look Back on Year #1 and What You Need to Know for 2019 on Sunday, December 2, 2018 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Wisconsin Dells. Online preregistration required. Information available here.
Wisconsin residents can now apply for a license and to grow or process industrial hemp for 2019. The licensing period will end December 31, 2018. More information here.