Industrial Hemp Guidance Document Available

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (June 6, 2017) – Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Harvest New York program recently developed and released a summary document that highlights primary and secondary sources of information relevant to the industrial hemp market and associated opportunities. This resource was developed by Cheryl Thayer, Local Food Distribution and Marketing Specialist with Harvest NY, and Megan Burley, Agriculture-Farm Business Management Educator with CCE Erie County with assistance from Diane Held, Executive Director of CCE Erie and Angela Parr, CCE Cornell Vegetable Program.

The document, entitled “Industrial Hemp – From Seed to Market” provides a brief overview of the hemp plant, harvest considerations, and storage information along with market analysis and barriers to growth. In April 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo hosted an inaugural Hemp Summit. This Summit helped to bring attention to NYS’s Industrial Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program which is now open to private entities that are looking to obtain a permit for the production of hemp.

Industrial hemp can be used in agricultural products, furniture, personal care items, clothing, and much more. There are approximately 30 countries worldwide that produce hemp, and 32 states in the US allow hemp production. In NY, there are efforts underway to continue research on production related to spacing, harvesting, processing, and nutritional needs.

The guide, available at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/hemp, is an excellent starting point for people interested in learning more about hemp production. There are numerous links in the document that allow for continued research and information gathering. Cornell University’s Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva was recently awarded $400,000 to continue to explore best practices for growing hemp in different soil types and locations across the state.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program is continually developing and sharing information about programs and resources to help the agricultural community in our area. For more information about the New York State Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program, contact Christopher Logue with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets at 518-457-2087 or Christopher.logue@agriculture.ny.gov. For additional resources locally, contact Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County at 716-664-9502 ext. 202 or kaw249@cornell.edu.

CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated June 6, 2017