US Kansas: America's First Industrial Hemp Classes For Farmers

By: Alex Meachum 

December 28, 2018

Kansas - Part of the new US Farm Bill approved in Congress makes industrial hemp legal across the country.

Nick Starling shows us the classes now offered to help farmers learn about growing industrial hemp.

This is America's Hemp Academy, the first of its kind in our area where future hemp farmers can come here and learn the nuts and bolts of the crop that's used for thousands of different purposes including the flour that's in this cookie.

"This is right up our ally, it's going to give our family a new opportunity," said Margit Kaltenekker-Hall, future hemp farmer.

This field of opportunity is exactly what farmer Kaltenekker-Hall needs.

"We had a very successful oriental greenhouse business and then 2009 recession knocked that out, pretty much from right under our feet," Kaltenekker-Hall said.

She hopes growing hemp will turn their family's fortunes around.

"This has potential for our family to restore some of the productivity of this incredibly fertile soil," Kaltenekker-Hall said.

She's one of 12 farmers who already tried out the America's hemp academy.

"The amount of product from one seed is mind-boggling," said Jo Bisogno, founder and CEO of America's Hemp Academy.

Founder Jo Bisogno says he see this as Kansas's next big crop.

"I see an industry that's been around for 100's of years that went away now coming back," Bisogno said.

Bisogno says the demand for these classes is high-as they teach everything from seed to sale and connect them with suppliers.

Farmers say hemp is not as easy to grow as other crops.

"It is a very difficult, delicate plant and so it's not something you're just going to put in the ground and forget about it, it's going to require a lot of attention," said Ron Keith, Shawnee.

Shawnee farmer Ron Keith hopes to start planting in April.

"I have trees in my fields now so converting some of these tree farms into hemp farms is what I'm looking at," Keith said.

While it's not a new crop-they hope hemp's restored presence will mean more green in their wallets.

"Now that we can grow it again here, it has huge potential," Kaltenekker-Hall said.

Classes start on January 14.