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* April 30th…
Illinois officials open hemp-growing applications despite having no processing facilities yet
With the growing season just about to begin, applications are now available for Illinois farmers to grow industrial hemp this year, and the state will be following up to make sure farmers are growing what they say they’re growing, but they’re likely going to have to send it out of state for processing for the time being.
Illinois Department of Agriculture Acting Director John Sullivan said applications are open now for what he said will be an addition to Illinois’ array of crops. The application costs $100. Licenses range from one year for $375 to three-year licenses for $1,000. There are no caps, Sullivan said, but there will be checks.
“You’re going to identify where the field is going to be and then our staff, our inspectors will be out there, periodically throughout the year,” Sullivan said. “We will be testing the crop to make sure that as you folks probably know hemp has to be under .03 on the [tetrahydrocannabinol or] THC, and so we’re going to be testing it throughout the year to make sure that it stays under those limits.”
Sullivan said because hemp can be planted in small footprints he expects it to be planted in not just rural areas, but also urban areas. He couldn’t immediately estimate how many jobs would be created from the new industry, but Sullivan said there would be “tremendous opportunities” for Illinois farmers.
There won’t be a cap on how many licenses will be approved to grow it, but Sullivan said Illinois is a bit behind the curve compared to some other states in the region.
* Today…
The Illinois Department of Agriculture received nearly 400 applications to grow or process industrial hemp in the first 24 hours after they became available.
Agriculture officials said Wednesday they received 295 applications to grow the plant on 7,100 acres (2,873 hectares). Another 74 applications to process the harvested crop arrived.
Still pretty small, but this could be big, campers. And processing will likely create jobs and ancillary businesses.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 1:04 pm
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Progress.
Comment by XonXoff Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 1:18 pm
It is a highly versatile crop. Anything that can help farmers diversify and get off dependence on corn and beans is welcome.
But don’t try to smoke it. Any former detasseler can tell you all that you get from Illinois ditchweed is a nasty headache.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 1:19 pm
My crystal ball sees more Rayon and less nylon and polyester in our future. It will take 80 years to undo the prohibition damage to our Hemp industry.
Comment by Al Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 1:23 pm
Al - I certainly hope not. Rayon is crummy fabric. https://medium.com/@jacobajane/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-viscose-rayon-a0e0dc255fa1
Comment by NoGifts Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 1:36 pm
Good new for downstate.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 3:02 pm
NoGifts - read “New Fibers” by Sherman 1946. Hemp hurdles are pretty close to pure cellulose. There are numerous ways to process it. Hemp and Rayon is much more environmentally friendly and will displace cotton and polyester.
Comment by Al Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 3:06 pm
Per this article, Illinois is losing population due in part to farming mechanization, insufficient higher ed funding and disinvestment in government jobs. It’s really hurting downstate. Investing in infrastructure could also help.
https://www.nprillinois.org/post/better-jobs-small-cities-more-investment-higher-ed-could-stem-illinois-population-loss#stream/0
It’s not about the right wing fetish of taxes driving people out.
Hemp legalization will hopefully help revitalize downstate. Another article out is about legal marijuana and how it could help downstate and bring jobs to Illinois. This is attractive job creation, as opposed to extortion (jobs won’t come unless we strip union rights) and massive tax giveaways to super-rich corporations (Foxconn in Wisconsin).
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 3:14 pm
I think they are on to something, real professional farmers, and scientists are anxious to get into the CBD business and the fiber business. It is a new crop for the state. Many IL farmers are in financial trouble due to China’s economy and the Presidents foolish tariffs on ag products. This could be a very positive action for Illinois. Ag Secretary John Sullivan is a honest man, a farmer that knows his way around the Statehouse, he will not give us a bunch of BS.
Comment by Unle Ernie Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 3:55 pm
—I think they are on to something—
Careful in overestimating the demand. Many farmers got into canola for the very same reasons being offered about hemp. While demand for the end product is critical, you’ve got to have the processing capacity that located close enough to make production economically viable.
Comment by Downstate Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 4:07 pm
Downstate is right. Transportation costs can eat up the profits.
Have also heard that hemp can be invasive. Saw huge fields of it at Fort Riley.
Maybe we can require hemp bags instead of plastic?
Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 4:59 pm
It would be nice if some of the Cannabis revenues could be granted out to farm co-ops to purchase the processing equipment. Concerned we end of sending raw hemp stalks by rail car to South Carolina, rather than processing here.
If we made the fabrics here, maybe additional industries and jobs will too.
Comment by Al Thursday, May 2, 19 @ 5:23 pm
Long way to go before hemp is a really viable option to make a difference in the farm economy.
Local processing is key. But local is relative. We ship beef and pork a long way in this state or all the way out of state to be processed. So its a manageable cost. Processing will be where the majority of the jobs are. Farms really won’t add employees to farm hemp, they just won’t use those acres to grow corn, wheat or soy.
Most hemp acres are expected south of I-70. The rest of the dirt in IL is far too good to be growing hemp on.
But a nice first step and its something to see the state actually get a new program up and moving.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Friday, May 3, 19 @ 10:01 am
How long does hemp take to grow until it needs to be processed? Better to get the growing operations moving first so that there’s something to process once the facilities are built.
Comment by SammyG Friday, May 3, 19 @ 10:01 am
It’s an annual crop. Spring to fall. The early production will need to be focused on seed. The seed that is out there is expensive.
Crawl, walk, run.
Equipment won’t generally be a problem you harvest hemp with the same header on a combine as wheat or soybeans.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Friday, May 3, 19 @ 11:33 am