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Unsupported agronomic claims in this article. Especially on how hemp is grown. I am a Canadian farmer, and while I do not grow industrial hemp myself, I do know growers who do. It has weed issues like other crops. It requires fertilizer like other crops. It does not “improve nitrogen” in the soil, whatever that means. Most hemp growers do use pre-seed herbicides an inorganic fertilizers. It especially has high nitrogen requirements. And hemp is a disease magnet. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum loves this plant. See this link on growing hemp: https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/production/hemp-production.html
While there are certain market benefits for products from this crop, it should not be billed as a miraculous crop to grow. It has production issues like any other crop. But it is nice to have this as an option for farmers who like to try different crops out, and potentially derive some profit.
Crop rotations will mediate and other practices could and will make this crop extremely viable.
Reply Not sure I understand. Crop rotations will mediate what? And what other practices are you referring?
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Well on France here they have been growing it for since the Iron Age about time the rest of the world got on the case.
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The planet’s gift. Such an amazing plant with so many uses. It’s rapid growth could store so much carbon. A quick remedy for the damage done?
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This is a bipartisan issue, with a lot of GOP led states legalizing it as fast as Democrat led states.
http://www.ncsl.org/research/agriculture-and-rural-development/state-industrial-hemp-statutes.aspx
At one time hemp was a very important crop. It has properties that are better than cotton. It grows rapidly. Its biggest problem to overcome. J. Edgar Hoover and Republican nonsense equating it with marijuana. It makes great rope. It makes good cloth.
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let’s hope it’s grown responsibly, lo-till or no till and water conserving methods–and no pesticides!
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This is a crop we need to embrace in earnest. Paper,rope, clothing, oil, cosmetics, feed. The list is to long to put here. Please note our Declaration of Independence is written on hemp paper.
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Thanks, Cherie Goodson ! There are some inaccuracies, but it’s great to see hemp becoming more and more mainstream as time progresses . Back to the future!
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Hemp is an excellent crop. Where would the navy have been without strong hemp rope? Trouble is all people think about these days is dope when the word is mentioned instead of all the good things this crop can offer.
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It’s been used for thousands of years!! Grown for it finest and coolest fabrics, and spun for rope,
Reply This article has some incorrect information on growing this crop. I am a Canadian farmer, but I do not grow this crop, even though I know many who do.
“No pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are required to successfully grow hemp… It’s thick roots ward off weeds, and the growing process even improves the soil’s nitrogen, making that soil better for other crops in the future.”
These are incorrect statements. This crop requires fertiliser and pesticides. It does not magically fight off weeds or “improve nitrogen”, whatever that means. In fact hemp had some serious susceptibility issues to diseases like sclerotinia, which requires fungicides to control. To be successful with this crop requires the same levels of crop inputs and care as growing other crops.
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The British empire was built with the help of hemp- caulking in between the ship’s boards, ropes, sails, uniforms and even the paper the maps were drawn up on. Now empires have fallen by embracing oil and stupid attitudes.
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It had to be imported and meet conditions which met DEA requirements for importation
Reply There were textile mills in Warren County KY which processed nothing but hemp at the turn of the last century 110 years ago
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Cris Ward You are misinformed. Hemp is the longest single strand fiber in nature. You can grow more fiber per acre with less damage to the soil than you can with cotton. It’s easier, cheaper to process than cotton and can make as fine a cloth as cotton, canvas, or as coarse as to be used for rope, so it’s far more versatile. The waste can be used to produce bio diesel with a lower carbon footprint than any fossil fuel.
The U.S. used to grow lots of hemp all through the mid west. As it was so cheap to process into usable goods it had low market value and farmers converted to higher profit crops like corn and soy. You can still find where hemp grows wild in many of these areas. You don’t find that with cotton or any other cash crops.
Cris Ward One of the strongest of natural fibres and was much cheaper to produce than polyester which is why Harry Anslinger outlawed it on the false pretext that Cannabis Indica contained THC. It can be woven as a material as fine as silk! Every shred of a Cannabis Sativa plant grown in Colorado is now used for commercial use and Mercedes door panels are made in a composite from the stalks! FACT.
Reply Cris Ward Obviously the world wide pollution from plastic is something that doesn’t concern you. Apart from that consideration Hemp is so easy to grow and you should also factor in improved farming methods. Oil will run out and become too expensive in the long run. Your anologies are not relevant to this situation since horses were less efficient and became less cost effective to run than cars and tractors. Hemp production was stopped BECAUSE it was so cheap to produce and the new polyesters couldn’t compete on the market place. I have worked in the oil business and it is obvious that finding, recovering, pumping and refining oil is both complex and expensive compared to hemp farming! Have you ever been on an oil rig or in a refinery and seen the amount of staff required? Factor in the massive costs of the wars being fought over oil rights worldwide and oil resources as well and Hemp production costs are a fraction of that of oil !!!!! Think about it, Less demand for oil, less war crimes! Think outside the box mate. Perhaps a toke of Cannabis sativa would help! 🙂 🙂 🙂
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This is okay, but if we don’t use our forest, we can expect to see more forest fires. People need to learn to balance everything.
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Not true. At most, careful culling of tree or strategic burns would be sufficient to maintain a forest. Not the wholesale waste of clearing for lumber that decimates much forest habitat.
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It all about a rotational grid. Our civilization needs to progress. The Locked Macro Economic Order is not allowing us to progress and develop. it is keeping us in a perpetual loop of agonizing defeat abuse and greed. Time to make this all different. It is not working for us the way it is. So change how it is all done from with in. We are the With In.
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Umm, bullshit lol. There are TONS of uses for hemp. Paper, textiles, clothing, rope, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food, and animal feed; as hempcrete for insulaton, mulch, animal bedding and litter. It also can decontaminate wastewater, sewage effluent and other chemicals. When oxidized, hemp oil can be solidified and used in oil-based paints, as a moisturizing agent, for cooking, and in plastics. In 2011, the U.S. imported $11.5 million worth of hemp products! There is pushback from the paper and fuel industry to keep hemp out of mass production in the US because they couldn’t take the competition, and because of rank prejudice.
There IS and has been for some time, a market for hemp.
No need for incivility. Fine. You didn’t explain, you just said “no market” which I took to mean you meant no use for. Now I understand what you meant.
From what I gather, Australia is working on it. So you will at some point have the markets. China is the largest source of industrial hemp currently so hopefully in the near future Australia will have a share as well.
No market means no one wants it . Sure it can be used for lots of things but there are just as many other products that are much better . A horse can plow a field and your kids could ride it to school but there is no market for horses . You won’t convince the masses to buy a horse will you . Just like the masses don’t want hemp
Reply You insist on stating that nobody wants hemp. Well, your belief is contradicted by the growing industrial hemp industry worldwide. China alone imported $36.9 million dollars worth of hemp products to the US in 2013. The products I listed above are ALREADY being produced, marketed and sold, so there very much is a market for hemp, and its expansion is certain. You don’t have to take my word for it – the evidence is out there for you to investigate for yourself.
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Before I get excited about this–what are the impacts on water and soil? It needs to be conservation-based as Northern California is water starved, particularly for the 5-month dry season. Part of the problem is our soil has lost its water holding capacity from conventional farming practices, and loss of native perennials
Reply bought garden twine of hemp… much prefer it to the old jute twine… in case you do not know jute is the current 2nd in veg/fiber use
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It is taking off like a commodity would like corn and pork. Monsanto wants it bad. This is the next Stock to invest in, and Cannabis Industry and Cannabis CBD Oil. which is the equivalent of Liquid Platinum or Gold on the open market.
Reply It’s been the best thread for mellenia!!! Why they stopped producing is dumb founding!!
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Soldl out to the Cotton Growers! Good to see it making a successful comeback. Now, perhaps the trees will have a chance also. Hemp makes great paper as well as great cloth.
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yea just think with all thats going on worldwide….this stupid bunch in govt approve another drug that helps maintains ones “numbness” besides it shrinking the brain…..darn how many smaller brains is really needed ?
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Cotton rope is my favorite although I’m probably haven’t tried a hemp rope boaters swear by it!!
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It shouldn’t be the forbidden crop. It’s not marijuana!! Yes use hemp. People in NZ have started growing it, yay!
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In America , during World War 2, they had banners saying “Help your country, Grow hemp” because hemp was used for so many things, But Hurst had paper mills, and DuPont invented nylon, and they had friends in high places, who helped them destroy the hemp industry. Kath
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The production of hemp did not stop because there were better options ,it was stopped because it challenged synthetics and paper production from timber.
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I am sure Bayer has their eye on owning this plant too, All they have to do is screw it up genetically and it is theirs…..Must be nice to OWN lawmakers.
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20 years ago i did my oral assignment about hemp in Environmental Studies class and the teacher gave me a C because they didn’t believe it could be that useful. Now it is “taking the world by storm.” Oh well better late then never lol.
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Considering the Aral sea is mostly empty and is surrounded by cotton farms.. it’s probably time
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I wish. But our backwards Queensland government make it way too difficult. Cant even get the application form to get a permit to grow it without having millions in backing, not to mention a market and buyers already lined up. No chance of starting small and building a business.
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buy hemp products when you can or bamboo…recently purchased paper towel made from bamboo
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And only 100 years late. But we had to wait that long to do the right thing thanks to the rich owning the media and flooding it with lies to protect investments that hemp would have destroyed (to the benefit of the planet). Should be the basis of all paper products instead of wood pulp; all denim and eliminate cotton; bio diesel fuels; etc.
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It’s had the world for over 10000 years my friends we have evolved right along side this gift.
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Hempcrete will change how we build homes…Stronger than concrete but only one sixth the weight. Most forms of transport will be made and powered by Hemp, 10 X stronger than steel..made illegal by greedy rich bastards.
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Long overdue. It should never have been banned in the first place and would not have been if it weren’t for cotton interests who saw it as a direct threat to their market.
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On Thursday, President Trump signed into law the farm bill, which contained a provision legalizing hemp, a species of cannabis that CBD can be extracted from but that isn’t psychoactive. Historically, hemp has been illegal to sell or grow in the US, although it’s legal to buy from international sources.Dec 28, 2018
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The single most important thing people should do with this information is seek out and purchase a hemp product. Try it out, see how soft and luxurious hemp clothing is for example…Fund the market. These days, it’s vital to put your money where your mouth is. https://endofaplasticera.blogspot.com/
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