Half Hill Farm Inc
110 W High Street
Woodbury, TN 37190
615-469-7778
DRAFT Version: 02-24-2019

Half Hill Farm was the first USDA certified organic farm to grow industrial hemp in the state of Tennessee. We are now a licensed hemp grower, processor and permitted manufacturer producing quality CBD hemp products.

The following is a mix of best practices for our growing partners and other hemp growers who want to grow organically. The document outlines organic standards for cultivating and growing industrial hemp using National Organic Program standards established for USDA Organic Certification. While these are some of the requirements for USDA certification, they are used only as guidance for quality control measures for growers of industrial hemp for our farm and our partners who want to protect the quality and integrity of their product. The organic grow plan addresses inputs, standards and monitor controls to ensure quality. Please feel free to share or help us make it better with additional best practices. This document refers regularly to:

• National Organic Program standards
• OMRI - Organic Materials Review Institute
• Quality control monitor
  1. local water report or well test
  2. compost inputs & temperatures, soil amendments & tests
  3. pest controls
  4. post harvest handling & storage

Establishing organic standards and measurable controls is how we ensure quality for consumers of industrial hemp and products. Quality control records can be kept in a notebook, digitally, or on spreadsheets and associated with a lot code for the crop or harvest. This should be the same lot code associated with your final product. The inputs we are concerned about are most anything that comes in contact with any part of the hemp plant or biomass in growing, processing, handling, storing and manufacturing end product.

SOIL
Building good quality soil is the goal of organic system plans. Soil can be purchased organic in small quantities for indoor grows, but the best and most practical way is to make your own. To be certified organic by NOP standards, land used has to have been owned and observed for a minimum of three years with no banned inputs such as chemical fertilizer inputs, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. To live up to this standard, excavate soil left fallow for at least three years or land that is certified organic. Soil can also be a source for any heavy metals that show up in final biomass testing. If you have concerns, test the soil and retain test results for monitor controls. Some accepted amendments include: Compost, nutrients or soil amendments included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production, mined substance of low solubility, mined substance of high solubility, ash obtained from burning of a plant or animal material, plant or animal material that has been chemically altered by the manufacturing process, burning used to suppress the spread of disease or to stimulate seed germination.

• NOP reference:Guidelines for Organic Crop Certification
  Soil Management: National Organic Program Regulations
• OMRI approved soil amendments

WATER
Water can also be a source for heavy metals, and in cases of using well water it can also be a source for other pollutants. If you use well water, have it tested for pollutants and heavy metal and retain a copy monitor controls. Tap water is allowed in organic production, but use or chlorine is limited. Irrigation systems and cisterns can also carry banned substances from previous uses. Be sure your irrigation system, including water storage tank, is made with food grade materials and have not been used previously with banned substances. 

• NOP reference: Use of chlorinated water

FERTILIZER
Having healthy soil limits the need for dependence on inputs, addresses drought and irrigation issues, and limits pest and weed pressure on plants. If you want to be serious about organically growing industrial hemp, the best way to address soil deficiencies is with the use of your own compost. Composting to organic standards is a defined process. Inputs can come from certified organic properties or property monitored for at least three years for our standards. Inputs in compost include carbon (dry leaves, wood chips, paper, etc) and nitrogen (animal manure or green manure) and water. NOP standards require compost piles to reach 160 degrees for three consecutive days. This can be achieved by constructing the pile with alternating carbon and nitrogen source with the addition of water. Piles are turned after the 3rd day of 160 degree temps. This will kill weed seeds, pests and pathogens. You can use raw animal manures directly on plants up to 90 days prior to harvest or up 120 days of harvest as soil amendment if an edible portion comes in contact with the soil. Keep records showing input sources and recorded temps for monitor controls. If you purchase compost, request and retain these documents as well. You can also amend soil with a list of OMRI approved inputs listed below. If using liquid fertilizers with more than 3% nitrogen, refer to the approved brands on the OMRI.

• NOP reference:
  - Use of animal manure
  - Guidance Compost and Vermicompost in Organic Crop Production
  - Use of liquid fertilizers
• OMRI list of approved fertilizers and restrictions
  - Vegalabs  – Organic fertilizers and pesticides
  - Great White Premium Mycorrhizal Fungi  – plant root stock start and transplant start
  - New Earth Organics and Hydroponics  – organic fertilizers
  - Hydrodynamics international- Clonex and Nitrozime

GREENHOUSE STRUCTURES
Greenhouses can protect from potential chemical input drift that can occur in close proximity with farms that do not use organic standards. Greenhouses also help control pest, weed and irrigation pressure, but they can also be a source for molds, pests and banned substances. The biggest concern for the USDA with greenhouse structures is the use of treated lumber and irrigation systems. If you have to use lumber, untreated might not last as long but will ensure quality as treatment chemicals can leach into soil or runoff that comes in contact with your grow. Make sure the location (ground floor and irrigation system) has not been subject to previous banned inputs. Make sure neighboring land does not host banned substances that can pose a runoff risk into the structure and that the land has been observed for three years under approved conditions. Concerns: plants in fabric bags or pots can have roots exposed to surface water carrying pollutants. Plants could come in contact with treated wood structures that hold the plastic cover for the greenhouse or that make plant stands.

• NOP reference: use of treated lumber

PEST CONTROLS
Some common pests for industrial hemp include spider mites, aphids, grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, cut worms, fungus gnats, ants, snails, slugs, white flies and thrips. There are several companies that make organic and OMRI approved pesticides. Some common natural solutions are use of other insects to control pests. You can purchase them or allow the following to live in your greenhouse: lady bugs (eat mites, mealy bugs and aphids), frogs and lizards (eat snails and slugs), wasps and praying mantises (eat caterpillars). Alternatively, you can also use neem oil, citrus oil sprays or apply cornmeal to soil to reduce ants that can damage hemp roots. You can also use diatomaceous earth or diluted soapy water, but make sure these uses are limited and have a chance to be washed off the plants well before harvest. Keeping screen doors closed and not allowing pets access can help.

• NOP reference:list of prohibited pesticides in organic practices
• OMRI pest controls and restrictions
  -Vegalabs - Organic fertilizers and pesticides
  - Hedge Defense – pesticides, mildewcide
  - Marrone Bio Innovations  - pesticides

STORAGE / POST HARVEST HANDLING
The main concern with storage and handling is comingling with non-organic product or contaminates. This usually occurs with used equipment shared with conventional farming practices, exposure to used storage containers that are either contaminated or made with fumigating plastics. It can also occur using dirty transport vehicles, warehouses exposed to rodents or lacking environmental controls that cause spoilage. Identify storage space and containers, transport vehicles and storage space for any concerns. Keep records of handling that include which vehicle, storage bin or space that is used and how any concern was mitigated prior to use. Keep these records on file for monitor controls.

• NOP reference:
  - Post-Harvest Handling of Organic Products
  - Commingling and Contamination Prevention in Organic Production and Handling

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If you have any questions or additional best practices or products to add to this document, please contact Christian Grantham or Scot Smotherman with Half Hill Farm, or leave a comment below.