Hemp growers receive approval by feds

Hemp growers received some good news and some bad news late last moth.

MIDDLEBURY — A Vermont-based investment company is seeking to buy the former Connor Homes property at 1741 Route 7 south and use it for indoor growing of hemp plants, including propagation, storage, drying, testing, processing and wholesale distribution.T … (read more)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal hemp regulations that were scheduled to go into effect at the end of this month have been delayed for a year, according to the office of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. The hemp rules, which were written by the U.S. Department of Agri … (read more)

VERMONT — After the great promise hemp held out for Vermont farmers last year was dashed by poor planting weather, questionable plant genetics, limited drying and processing capacity, and the occasional dodgy contract, state officials are reporting a sign … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY — The folks at Northeast Hemp Commodities, who recently moved their offices to Middlebury, have opened their first retail store, Method Organics. Company founders plan to plan to sell CBD, CBG and other hemp-related products at the store on Exc … (read more)

SOUTH BURLINGTON — An internationally recognized leader in hemp research and the entrepreneurial founders of a Vermont CBD company will headline the second annual Industrial Hemp Conference, Feb. 20 in South Burlington. Jay Noller, director of Oregon Stat … (read more)

WATERBURY — A Middlesex CBD processor was arrested this past Wednesday for allegedly failing to pay local hemp farmers $137,500 for hemp harvested this past summer and fall. Douglas Bell, owner of CBD-Vermont in Waterbury, allegedly victimized five Vermon … (read more)

The use of plastic mulch by hemp growers this past summer brought a new dimension to the Vermont landscape. We have all been aware of ‘ag plastics’ like hay bale coverings and maple sap pipeline for some time, but we assumed the waste plastic would be man … (read more)

BRISTOL — The industrial hemp harvest has begun. On a gray chilly day last week in northern Bristol, Eric Durand and John Murphy crisscrossed Route 116 in a red Polaris Ranger, hauling cut hemp plants from fields on the east side of the road to the improm … (read more)

PITTSFORD — “Our secret’s out,” grinned Sam Markowski as he surveyed a dirt field full of different farm equipment. “We’re growing hemp up here in Pittsford.” A close relative of the marijuana plant, hemp looks and smells just like it, but is absent the m … (read more)