Southeastern Wisconsin residents interested in learning about growing and processing industrial hemp are invited to a seminar at 9 a.m. March 16 the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in the student center.
The Hemp Help presentation will feature officials from the Shimadzu Corporation, which is partnering with the Univesity of Wisconsin-Parkside to operate a state testing lab. The seminar will focus on hemp testing.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) require growers and producers to test the industrial hemp. UW-Parkside is not operating the lab for the DATCP, rather, but the lab will allow growers and processors to test hemp to ensure that the product meets the various DATCP potency limitations.
The industrial hemp research pilot program, which is being administered under the DATCP, is permitted under the 2014 federal farm bill, according to a press release from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
“The research program requires growers and processors to obtain one-time licenses, register each year that they intend to plant and process industrial hemp, pass background checks, and pay fees to participate in the program,” the press release reads.
Speakers will outline the challenges around growing hemp but also help attendees understand the compliance regulations in Wisconsin. Attendees will also tour the new UW-Parkside Natural Products Testing Lab.
Speakers include:
- Dr. Ehab Abourashed, a graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Cairo University, opens the seminar with the “Health Benefits of Hemp, Marijuana, CBD and THC – A Reality Check.”
- Sara Johnson of Ballew Farm in Kentucky and Joseph W. Hickey, founder and executive director of the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative, will present “Farmers Share Challenges of Growing and Harvesting Hemp.”
- DATCP representatives will provide updates on hemp growing and processing in Wisconsin.
Register for the free seminar at https://conta.cc/2E1CxbX. For more information, please contact Amy Furreness of Shimadzu atasfurreness@shimadzu.com or (630) 478-2920.