Learn about hemp production in Vermont facilitated and lecture with Heather Darby. For the first half, Stephanie Smith from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets will talk about Vermont's Hemp Program and describe the intersection between the state and the federal governments. The second half will dig into the agronomic aspects of hemp production for seed, fiber and CBD.

We have been receiving request for the template of our UVM research trial Industrial Hemp No Trespassing signs (PDF).

We ordered ours a few years ago from Premier Signs & Graphics at 1651 St. Albans Road, Richford, VT 05476, 802-848-3151. Material options were coroplast, PVC, and maxmetal. We also purchased the u-posts from the same vendor. You can use the template and order them from who you wish.

UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils (NWCS) program offered this free course in collaboration with the following organizations: Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM), Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), SUNY Morrisville, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners (MOFGA), Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY (NOFA-NY), and Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (NE-SARE). This course was only for Agricultural/Technical Service Providers.

Offerings included up to 13 webinars (7 are required), up to 5 in-field intensives (1 is required), and admission to attend the 2021 and 2022 Industrial Hemp Conferences! You will also be asked to complete a pre- and post- course survey. All this is FREE and you can also earn Certified Crop Adviser credits! View the program flyer (PDF). View the July, August and September 2021 options of Hemp Growing Season Intensives (PDF).

Questions? Please contact Susan Brouillette, susan.brouillette@uvm.edu, or Heather Darby, heather.darby@uvm.edu or 802-524-6501.

2020 Hemp Growing Season Webinar Series

Coordinated by the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program and the Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

These webinars were offered LIVE and FREE on Thursdays from noon to 1pm. See below for dates/topics, along with the links to the taped recording and the presentation copy (PDF). Closed captioning options are available for the videos.

• June 11th – The Vermont Hemp Rules with Stephanie Smith, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. View the Vermont Hemp Rules presentation (PDF).
• June 18th – Getting the Season Started with Heather Darby and John Bruce of the UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. View the Getting the Season Started presentation (PDF).
• July 9th – Identifying and Manage Arthropod Pests in Hemp with Heather Darby and Scott Lewins of the UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. View the Indentifying and Manage Arthropod Pests in Hemp presentation (PDF).
• July 30th – Identification and Management of Disease in Hemp with Ann Hazelrigg, UVM, and Chris Motyka. View the Indentification and Mangement of Disease presentation (PDF).
• August 6th - CBD Post-Harvest Handling (Drying focus) with Chris Callahan, UVM. View information and the CBD Post-Harvest Handling (Drying Focus) presentation slides (PDF).
• August 13th – Hemp Sampling Pre-Harvest with Robert Shipman and/or Michael DiTomasso of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. View the Hempo Sampling Pre-Harvest presentation (PDF).
• September 10th – Hemp Testing at Certified Labs with Robert Shipman and/or Michael DiTomasso of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. View the Hemp Testing at Certified Labs presentation (PDF).

This is material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2018-70027-28588.

Hemp Presentations From the 2019 1st Industrial Hemp Conference

Following are the PDF versions of the presentations listed chronologically. To access the presentation videos, contact susan.brouillette@uvm.edu.

• Sponsor and Exhibitor contact information (PDF).

Online proceedings for the Industrial Hemp Conference are available for $75 and includes video recordings of presentations conducted during the conference. The proceedings are housed at eXtension’s Online campus. If you have not yet been to this site, you will need to create an account. To do so, on the left bar under “Login,” click on “Create new account.” You will need to complete some basic information and confirm your account via email.  Once you have created an account, you may enroll in the proceedings. You will enter your payment into eXtension’s PayPal system.

• Monique McHenry, PhD, Cannabis as a Plant: Taxonomy and Chemistry (PDF)
• Christine Motyka, Propagation Techniques for starting CBD Hemp Plants (PDF)
• Joe Veldon, Breeding and Selection of CBD Hemp (PDF)
• Keanan Stone, Hemp Grain/Fiber Commercial Production (PDF)
• Trevor Hardy, Plasticulture for Hemp Production (PDF)
• Heather Darby, Hemp Production in the Northeast (PDF)
• Steve Kostell, Micro-manufacturing of Agricultural products for Industrial Hemp (PDF)
• Jane Kolodinsky, Markets for Hemp - Considerations (PDF)
• Reuben Stone, Hemp Grain Harvest and Storage (PDF)
• Jay Noller, Developing Sustainable Markets for Hemp (PDF)
• Rye Matthews, Farming Hemp in Vermont (PDF)
• Keith Morris, Permaculture Design (PDF)
• Christine Motyka and Scott Lewins, Integrated Pest Management in Hemp (PDF)
• Chris Bailey, Hemp Seeds 101: Processing, Products, and Markets (PDF)
• Brenden Beer, Field to Market (PDF)
• John DiGiuseppe, Harvest and Drying (PDF)
• Marc Tardiff, Acadia Farms (PDF)
• Zoe Stapp, Hemp Irrigation 101 (PDF)
• Bob Escher AIA and Alex Escher, An Ancient Material to Solve Contemporary Problems (PDF)
• Scot Waring, Hemp Processing and Analysis (PDF)
• Jay Noller, CBD Production Systems in Oregon (PDF)
• Heather Darby, Fertility Management (PDF)

Online Proceedings of Hemp Presentations From the 2017 Vermont Grain Growers Conference

At the 13th Annual Vermont Grain Growers Conference, held on March 23, 2017 in Essex, Vermont, five workshop sessions were dedicated to industrial hemp production. Proceedings—video recordings of the presentations—are now available online. They may be accessed for a one-time fee of $35 at eXtension’s Online campus. If you have not yet been to this site, you will need to create an account. To do so, on the left bar under “Login,” click on “Create new account.” You will need to complete some basic information and confirm your account via email.  Once you have created an account, you may enroll in the proceedings. You will enter your payment into eXtension’s PayPal system.

Take a virtual tour of our hemp trials — you’ll see our first year’s progress from obtaining our first seed and establishing the plots to observing plant growth throughout the season.

The History of Hemp

Industrial hemp is a historical crop. It is estimated that hemp was first cultivated in China between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago, making it one of the first cultivated crops. It was brought to the U.S. in 1645 and was a major crop until the 1940s, used in making paper (it is said that the first drafts of the Declaration of Independence were printed on hemp paper), cloth (the first U.S. flag and first pair of jeans were made of hemp), and ropes and sails used by the U.S. Navy. Currently, hemp is being used for cosmetics, foods, fiber, building materials, biofuel, and soil remediation.