The 2014 Farm Bill included a provision allowing industrial purpose hemp production in the United States for research and demonstration production knowledge gain.  Participating states were required to create a grower application and vetting system to ensure regulatory requirements were upheld.  The Kentucky Department of Agriculture was quick to implement a system which provides individuals and universities the opportunity to participate in production research.  The Farm Bill passed in 2018 included language allowing for commercial production of industrial purpose hemp.  Utilizing the same KDA system, growers are now allowed to grow hemp on commercial scale without the title of production for research or demonstration.  

            With passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, Daviess County Extension agricultural programming identified industrial purpose hemp as a crop of which educational programming was critical.  Through the winter, Daviess County extension clientele attended two production and legislation educational programs, received extension newsletters and read newspaper articles focused on hemp submitted by Daviess County Extension.  In addition, hundreds of verbal and written correspondences occurred in an effort to place Cooperative Extension at the forefront of who local clientele would know to contact for information about the developing hemp sector of agriculture.  

            As a result of extensive winter programming and information sharing, 34 Daviess County farm businesses enrolled in the KDA 2019 hemp production program.  It is expected that 17 of those farms will sign production agreements to plant nearly 500 acres of hemp this year in Daviess County.  Their decision was based in part by information received through hemp related programs provided by the Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service.