Industrial hemp grows on Half Hill Farm in Woodbury, TN
(Woodbury, TN) — Half Hill Farm is the first USDA certified organic farm in Tennessee to grow legal hemp. The state legalized hemp last year despite decades of federal prohibition under the Controlled Substance Act. Growing hemp requires a background check and permit from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
Half Hill Farm grows several hundred plants in a pilot partnership with a co-op of farms under Tennessee Hemp Farm. Using various farm methods, participating farms hope to learn how much seed and fiber production they can expect from a plant not grown legally in the United States since the 1950s.
“My guess is hemp will grow just fine here in Cannon County,” said Half Hill Farm’s Christian Grantham. “The exciting part for us is what can be done with it.”
While industrial hemp contains little to none of the psychoactive ingredient THC, hemp seeds produce the highest omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids of any grain. Milled seed is an excellent source of oil and plant protein, and hemp is one of the world’s most renewable sources of industrial fiber.
“It won’t be long before you start seeing several Tennessee products made with hemp grown and processed right here,” Grantham said. ”As part of our farm’s mission, we can’t wait to share the health benefits of hemp through value added products.”
In the mid 1800s, Tennessee farms reported growing over 2,200 tons of cannabis using it to make rope and industrial canvas used in boat sails and to bag cotton harvests. According to state records, production fell with competition from other states.
Growing commercial hemp is still illegal under federal law. Permitted farms in Tennessee work closely with state and federal authorities under new farm rules for states that legalize hemp or recreational & medical marijuana.
Under state law, farms growing hemp can sell hemp fiber or viable hemp seed to a manufacturer and value added products direct to consumers. The first hemp crops in Tennessee will harvest in late September.
Learn more:
- History of hemp production in Tennessee
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture Hemp Program
- Tennessee Hemp Industries Association
- Tennessee Hemp Farm
UPDATE 12-10-18: We now manufacture quality CBD hemp oil extract blends in 500mg, 1000mg, and 2500mg formulas. Learn more or sign up for a wholesale account.
Good job.
im glad that your farm got the rights to grow this and work with the agricultural dept. I hope it helps with the future of the children and others one day getting the right kind for helping with certain medical problems. I was amazed after watching the documentary with the children with seizures who couldn’t stop having them to even learn simple task or play. But after their families getting to colorada . ( which was a hardship ) but they did and I saw a few children do so well and change their lives. The government has to find a way to make this available to these children , and I’m sure some adult conditions. It’s in humane to make people suffer if there is something proven that changed their lives like this. Keep up your fight to grow these organic products for hopefully many health issues. Not just cannibs , bit all of your products
There has been a little progress in the state regarding medicinal benefits to marijuana. Under current law, certain conditions deemed fit by politicians can purchase CBD oil manufactured in another state with labeling requirements. Ideally, we need the law to turn these health decisions over to doctors and their patients so we can get closer to the healing power and discoveries being denied people for all the wrong reasons. Thanks for your support!
Cool! I buy hemp milk, hemp seeds, and lots of things made with hemp. I’ve never really understood why growing hemp was restricted, except out of sheer stupidity, lol. I just by chance saw a news piece on this. So, I looked it all up. Awesome!
Keep up the good work. We plan to move to Tennessee in the future and would like to know more about growing hemp.
I’d like to be able to plant a small plot of it as part of a permaculture project on my homestead (5 acres) but the $250 fee is a bit steep for small time folks, but I like the fact that larger hobby farms can grow a decent crop anyway.
I’ve been looking to grow hemp on small acreage and in an aquaponics system here in East TN. My objective would be to do market-farming of hemp oil, seeds and other health-related products. The regulations, license fee, potential cost of inspection and analysis, and time required to share the information gleaned from growing and marketing these products make it unfeasible for small producers. The state is missing out on the low-volume/high-value that market farmers contribute to what could be a large market share for Tennessee by making this such a burdensome crop. There is really nothing so threatening (or special for that matter) about this crop to make it so difficult to cultivate and process into what could be very beneficial and profitable products.
I couldn’t have put it better myself. Tennessee could really benefit from industrial hemp on small scale if they could loosen up a bit and let small growers in.
Hi! I would like to buy some hemp stalks from the 2015 harvest to experiment with it for hemp fiber for handspinning. I have worked with hemp fiber before and love working with it. Is there any available? thanks
I own 17 acres at 5004 Hurricane Creek Road. I would like to grow Hemp. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Richard Stickney
(615) 464-2618
stick4013@aol.com