Growing hemp is not the “Field of Dreams”

What you need to know before you grow: From seed to harvest to shelf, invest in two days in educating yourself in all aspects of the industry.

When the farm bill passed in December 2018, there were 500 farmers growing 11,000 acres of hemp. We saw a demand for hemp biomass and smokable flower with a limited supply. Biomass was selling for $35-$45 a pound. Fast forward to 2019: this looked like the “Field of Dreams.” Applications increased to 1,900 farmers registered and over 60,000 acres farming hemp. We estimate that over 50% of the crops failed in 2019 for many reasons: lack of planning, bad genetics, and harvest and drying roadblocks.

Mother nature brought record rainfall and a hail storm that damaged over 1,000 acres. With any new industry and no limit to how many acres could be grown, farmers planted too many acres, not realizing the massive undertaking and hurdles they would encounter. In 2019, farmers soon realized this was not the “Field of Dreams” with overproduction and prices plummeting to $5-$15 per pound and finding reputable buyers making for a challenging year.

The Hemp & CBD Connex Conference is a collaboration of the entire hemp supply chain from seed to harvest to products on the shelf. Invest two days in educating yourself in all aspects of the industry.

Here is your chance to have one-on-one contact with the pros that will guide you in best practices for your business. Oregon & Washington Department of Agriculture and the USDA will present updated rules and regulations and offer clarity to the confusing, evolving nature of these regulations.

The conference will feature hands-on displays and demonstrations, will address roadblocks and offer solutions for best production and profit. Visit the “Farmers, Processors & Buyers Lounge” to consult on selling your biomass. Learn about crop insurance, farmer co-ops, futures contracts and partnering with processors for splits and toll processing.

With 30+ educational seminars and nearly 60 speakers, the CCC 6.0 Hemp + CBD Connex offers educational sessions, providing up-to-date data on Regional and Federal legislation. We are honored that USDA Under Secretary, Greg Ibach has the Chief of the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Plan for the USDA, Bill Richmond, joining us to review and provide updates on the Interim Hemp Regulations.

Ben Thiel, USDA Risk Management Agency Regional Director, will discuss NEW Hemp Crop insurance as well as Whole Farm Revenue Protection. Regionally, both Oregon and Washington will be providing updates via their Departments’ of Agriculture representatives, Sunny Summers and Steve Howe, and via their cannabis programs with Steve Marks and Rick Garza.

Dr. Jeffrey Steiner from the Oregon State University Global Hemp Innovation Center will touch on Hemp Research. Economic analysts Beau Whitney and Chase Hubbard will discuss issues regarding economic impact and global market hemp supply chain that limited the market in 2019, and what it will take to be successful in the future.

Additional topics below will be covered by representatives from the likes of Big Sky Scientific, Canopy Growth, CO2 Dynamics, Empower Bodycare, Lazarus Naturals, Strength of Hope and Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm.

The Industrial Hemp Showcase will feature displays of the many industrial uses made from hemp-fiber, including hempcrete, biofuel, livestock feed, paper, rope, bioplastics. There is even discussion about Hemp as a replacement for Kevlar.

Hemp offers many different uses that can promote a more sustainable world. Hemp products can be recycled, reused and are 100% biodegradable. Proponents of hemp claim that it can help reduce global warming because it takes out large amounts of carbon dioxide per acre, more than most plants.

The CBD Marketplace, a shop within the expo, will offer a wide variety of hemp and CBD products to review and purchase, from health food products, topicals, transdermal patches, edibles, beverages, pet brands and much more. On January 30th, consumers are invited to try products, meet the producers and consult with medical professionals about the benefits of CBD products.

In this 6th year of the conference, we explore the expansion of the Hemp industry highlighting the vast potential of HEMP and CBD products. We are grateful for the many people who donated their time to help others in this industry, including top pros and regulators sharing their insights. We’re proud to offer this conference at an amazing value compared to other higher-priced events. Oregon is at the forefront of establishing a business model that can be shared with other states. We’re focused on fostering the innovators so they can learn, share and help build the industry. The Hemp & CBD Connex Conference is brought to you by the Cannabis Collaborative Conference.

Details

January 29 & 30th, 2020, 9 am to 5 pm daily

Portland Expo Center, 2060 N. Marine Drive,

Portland, OR 9721

A full schedule and list of speakers can be found here – https://connexhempevents.com/event-schedule/

– Cannabis Collaborative Conference