Photo courtesy of Legacy Hemp
Legacy Hemp agronomist Bryan Parr
Bryan Parr is a fourth-generation dairy farmer near La Farge, Wis. Parr has a bachelor’s degree in crop and soil science from UW-Platteville. As an agronomist for Minnesota-based company Legacy Hemp, he educates farmers in all aspects of industrial hemp production for grain and fiber through educational materials, presentations and conferences.
In 2019, Legacy Hemp contracted with farmers in six states, including a couple in Wisconsin, to grow grain and fiber crops or small test crops. Parr recently shared some observations on the challenges and the supply and demand of growing hemp for both industrial grain and cannabidiol (CBD) in Wisconsin.
When asked about the biggest challenges of growing industrial hemp in Wisconsin, Parr doesn’t hesitate. “This crop—whether growing it for grain or fiber or CBD—does not like wet weather,” he says. “That’s unfortunate, because for the two years that we’ve been able to grow this crop in Wisconsin, that’s the type of weather we’ve had to deal with. It’s difficult for farmers, because they cannot get their work done on time, and it created additional challenges such as weeds and diseases.”
Parr adds that CBD crops fared slightly better. “I grew a crop for CBD on my own farm, and I’d absolutely agree that wet weather was a problem for CBD farmers, as well. The impact on CBD is less than on industrial grain; however, a lot of farmers still had to deal with disease and moldy flowers.” He emphasizes that hemp seeds are very delicate, and if wet weather patterns and heavier rains continue, it will be one of the biggest challenges Wisconsin’s hemp famers will face.
Hemp Not Necessarily a Savior
The majority of farmers growing industrial hemp in Wisconsin want to grow it for CBD and not for industrial grain, Parr observes. “We’re already being oversupplied with CBD. At the Farm Bureau meeting a couple of weeks ago, 10 farmers who were growing hemp for CBD came to our booth. Every single person that we talked to has not sold a single pound of their crop yet, because they cannot find a buyer. We are extremely oversaturated with hemp biomass for CBD.”
Might some farmers try hemp fiber and grain instead? “I’m not convinced that farmers growing for CBD will make the transition and grow for grain or fiber. We’re seeing such an interest in farmers wanting to grow CBD because it’s so close to growing marijuana; there’s virtually zero differentiation in growing a plant for CBD versus for a marijuana crop. The only differentiation is by a laboratory test that says that crop is below 0.3% THC,” he explains. “I think some farmers are gearing up for when marijuana is going to be state or federally legal, so they can have the knowledge to jump into that market once it’s available.”
Regarding surplus, Parr also notes that many farmers had the idea that, if they got on the hemp bandwagon first, they would be the ones who would make money. “We have to remember that there were other states that got on that bandwagon first. Wisconsin wasn’t able to grow until 2018—four years after the 2014 federal farm bill allowed that to happen. Farmers in other states have already established a market for this demand.”
He also affirms that there are currently no mechanisms in place to regulate hemp supply and demand. “Every place I go to speak, there’s always a group of new farmers wanting to grow CBD. I think we need to step back and think about this and where this crop is concerned, whether it’s for CBD, grain or fiber. It’s unfortunate that legalization of this crop is coinciding with some of the worst economic times farmers have ever had. A lot of farmers, out of desperation, are looking at hemp to be their savior. There is a growing demand, but it’s far too easy for farmers throughout the country to oversupply,” he concludes. “Overall, I’m very optimistic of the hemp industry, both industrial and CBD, but there’s a lot of risk out there we just don’t know about yet.”
