Success StoryPlan, Adapt, Execute: Taking a Hemp Grower Training Online
Plan, Adapt, Execute: Taking a Hemp Grower Training Online
Author: Nicole Gauthier
Planning Unit: Plant Pathology
Major Program: Grain Crops
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Industrial hemp was re-introduced to Kentucky in 2014 through the Farm Bill’s new pilot program. By 2019, over 1,000 growers planted over 24,000 acres of hemp in Kentucky. This new crop, grown primarily for cannabinoid production, is different from the fiber varieties that were common through the mid-1900s. Thus, growers are challenged with agronomic issues and pest problems, as well as market instability. In efforts to assist growers and provide them with unbiased, research-based information, University of Kentucky Extension specialists partnered with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to develop an extensive hemp production workshop series. The team included agronomists, ag engineers, economists, entomologists, and a plant pathologist. Topics included cultivar selection, site preparation, disease and insect management, budgeting and contracts, and licensing. The series began in February, but by the second session, the program was terminated as a result of the spread of COVID-19. As the 2020 growing season approached, the team responded by adapting the workshops to a digital webinar series that could be facilitated by county agents across Kentucky. Following the webinar, the team further modified materials for video format. Eleven videos that provide over 8 hours of educational sessions are now available online, as well as supporting reference guides and resource materials. Individual videos were uploaded to YouTube, and then an annotated playlist was created on the UK hemp website. This webpage has been promoted and distributed by email listserv, social media, and county newsletters; it remains available to all growers. This adaptation from in-person trainings to digital format was a critical step in providing growers with vital information in a rapid timeframe. While the health crisis affected all stakeholders, growers, and consumers, hemp farmers proceeded with their crop production. It was critical that UK Extension remained available for support, and the UK Hemp Team will continue to disseminate information, to communicate with county agents and growers, and to support growers during this difficult season.
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