Presentations on industrial hemp production will be part of this year’s Great Plains Grower Conference Jan. 9-11 in St. Joseph, Mo. The conference, which focuses on commercial fruit, vegetable, cut flower, and honey bee production in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and other Midwest states, is adding a day-long workshop on hemp production and marketing this year. The hemp workshop will be from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9.

The conference and trade show will be held at the Fulkerson Center at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo. Conference information and registration details are available at https://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/. Keynote speaker is Charlotte Smith, recognized as one of the 25 "World's Most Influential Women in Food and Ag." Smith created a sustainable farm-to-consumer business selling premium meats, poultry, eggs and milk and then created a marketing firm, 3 Cow Marketing, to help other growers develop their marketing skills.

Other tracts at this year's conference include: Food Safety Grower Training, Honey Bees and Beekeeping, Drip Irrigation Systems from Design to Production, and Cultivating Your Legally Resilient Farm, as well as a number of presentations related to commercial horticulture topics. The conference is organized by Extension professionals at the University of Missouri, Kansas State University, Lincoln University, Iowa State University, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Industrial Hemp 101

Following year one of pilot programs in Kansas and Nebraska, the recent Farm Bill has our entire Great Plains region preparing for commercial hemp production in 2020. Despite serious excitement for this new specialty crop and its potential profit per acre, growers face a steep learning. This comprehensive workshop will cover hemp biology, agronomy, integrated pest management, licensing requirements, processing, marketing, farmer crop reports, and early results from research activities at local colleges.

• Introduction ― Definition, Background and Status of Current Regulation
• Intro to Hemp: Agronomy and K-State 2019 Field Report ― Jason Griffin, Kansas State University extension specialist
• “How Can I Sell My Hemp Crop?” Processing and Marketing - TBA
• Regional Review of State Hemp Regulations ― Breakout sessions with representatives from state Departments of Agriculture
• Hemp IPM ― Nicole Gauthier, University of Kentucky plant pathologist
• UNL Greenhouse and Field Research Report ― Ismail Dweikat, UNL professor of agronomy
• THC, CBD, and Cannabinoid Testing for Hemp Growers ― Eleni Pliakoni, associate professor of horticulture, and Tricia Jenkins, KSU horticulture graduate student
• Grower Presentations and Panel Discussion

The deadline for early bird registration is Dec. 31. Early bird registration is $50 per person per day for Friday and Saturday; $30 per day for students with a valid student identification.

For more information visit, http://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/ or follow us on Twitter at #GPGC2020.