Shawn and Kylee Geffert are right in the middle of harvesting corn. The long rows stand ready for the combine. In the distance one can see fields of soybeans from their property west of Iola.
But on a tiny one-acre plot of land, the couple has a unique crop, the only one of its kind in Allen County.
The Gefferts are taking part in a research and cultivation program that allows them to grow hemp.
While hemp and marijuana are both variants of cannabis, they are very different plants.
Hemp is produced for its fiber, fuel and CBD oil, while marijuana is used recreationally and in some states, for medical consumption.
The Gefferts? original plan was to grow hemp for fiber but found no market for it here. Instead, all the focus is on CBD oil.
Shawn looks down the rows of hemp, shaking his head in disbelief at how much of a learning experience the whole process has been.
Background checks, fingerprints, complete lists of license plates and vehicles that will be near the crop, have all be required, as well as pictures of all buildings used to dry or store product. Endless forms.
?If you were leasing the land from someone, they also would have to get their fingerprints taken and names of everyone that lives on the owners? property. They want information on everyone involved,? Shawn said. ?It?s quite the process, really.?
The 2014 Farm Bill allowed states and universities to participate in industrial hemp pilot and research programs. The 2018 Farm Bill, also known as the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, was signed into law and officially legalized hemp and hemp-derived products that contain less than 0.3% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana). The Farm Bill removed hemp as an illegal substance and legalized the transportation of hemp and hemp products across state lines.
THE GEFFERTS did not receive their license until June, which put them behind on planting.
?We started the project about the second week of June and planted every row every 7 feet. We waited two weeks and we had about 30 plants come up. It likes cooler temperatures. This has all been a learning process for us,? Shawn said. ?You?re actually supposed to put the seed in the freezer before you plant to wake the seed up. We wiped it clean and found some clones in Wichita and planted 300 of those. It was the 11th of July. We have 60 plants out of 300.?
Kylee said the preferred planting time is between late April and early May.
While most of the remaining plants are in the 3-foot range, hemp plants can grow as high as 8 feet.
