Though arguably the smallest county in the Commonwealth, Gallatin County appears to be big on hemp! Over 200 acres of ground is set aside for hemp production. The vast majority of the production is for the medicinal oils the plant produces. But in order to grow hemp, a producer must complete a long and fairly complicated application process required by the Kentucky Dept. of Agriculture. This alone has swayed some producers away from growing a potentially profitable crop.

Because of this, the Gallatin County Extension Service has worked one-on-one with numerous producers in order to help them complete these important, though tedious, applications. Since no two applicants are the same, the same goes for their KDA hemp applications. Most producers don't have the mapping skills needed to produce the detailed aerial maps required. This is where the Extension Service seems to have been of the most assistance.

No one knows where the hemp industry is going be long-term in Kentucky. But the Gallatin County Extension Service is doing all it can to help producers evaluate hemp as a potential crop on their operations.