Hemp is undoubtedly the hot topic right now. The Henderson County Extension Service gets weekly questions about the production and practices related to hemp. Lots of talk started when the 2014 Farm Bill was introduced allowing industrial hemp production to take place for research and demonstration purposes. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture has been the workhorse getting the program up and running in our state, and in 2018 the updated farm bill allowed for commercial production without the title of R&D. The KDA has implemented a system stating "No person can grow, handle, broker, or process industrial hemp in Kentucky without a license issued by the KDA."

This past year, the Henderson County Extension Service has taken on the task of educating producers and landowners that are interested in growing hemp. With hemp having big potential in Kentucky, it is crucial to offer researched based information so that landowners and producers can make informed decisions for the wellbeing of their farms. The Henderson County Horticulture and Agriculture Extension Agents have.