After years of growing traditional crops, a Lincoln-area farm is giving Hemp Farming a go, with hopes of transforming the state’s agriculture.
The fifth-generation 310-acre farm had grown nothing but corn, soybeans, and brome grass for decades, until this year. Co-owners Rosemary and Alice Reed planted an acre of hemp, and it drew much attention from passers by.
Hemp has a striking resemblance to its cousin, marijuana, so it’s no wonder people stopped to take a closer look. The Reed sisters cured their curiosity by posting a sign saying, “This is not marijuana. This is industrial hemp.”
Rosemary and Alice Reed chose to plant hemp as an alternative to the traditional commodity crops that require pesticides and costly ammonia bills. They were looking to make a shift to more sustainable farming practices, and to grow something with more use than just animal feed and fuel.
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