Why I bet the farm on Industrial Hemp.
The Bernice Gardens Farmers Market 2013 For the last decade I have enjoyed growing organic fruits and vegetables but have not always enjoyed the pay(or lack of) in doing so. Last year I looked for off farm income to help rectify that. I found out quickly that after being out of the IT world for over a decade, my services were no longer in demand. When the Arkansas Hemp Program came into being I thought this might be a way to keep farming full time. I could catch the hemp wave, re-capitalize my farm and my life at the same time. I talked with several of my long time fruit and vegetable customers and a few others about investing in my first season. After lining up the resources and coming up with a solid plan , we pulled the trigger. Similar to when the farm was first certified organic in 2009, I over planned the research plan and easily obtained the licence from the Arkansas Plant Board. We grew 4 varieti...