Reading Time: 4 minutes Jan Slaski was one of many Canadians who celebrated last fall’s passage of the act legalizing cannabis — but not for the reasons you might think. After 17 years of researching industrial hemp, Slaski was simply excited what he views as the next Cinderella crop might finally make it to the ball. “It’s a game […] Read more
Cannabis legalization opens the doors to new hemp markets
Hemp seed has driven most of Alberta production, but CBD offers rich promise for the future
Keen on learning how to farm hemp?
New online course aims to show you how
Reading Time: < 1 minute Norquest College is offering an online hemp-farming course created with input from experienced farmers and industry experts and designed for conventional or organic farmers considering the crop. “We talk about everything, from seeding it to managing the crop as it grows, pest control, weather conditions, and harvesting is a huge component,” says Norquest’s Andrea Eriksson. […] Read more
Unique family-farm mushrooms in Nisku industrial park
The Grugers learned the business from scratch — and also that there’s huge demand for gourmet mushrooms
Reading Time: 4 minutes Rachel Gruger and husband Carleton wanted to farm — but their route to achieving that goal was an unusual one. Carleton studied IT, but found that he wasn’t happy working in an office in Edmonton. He wanted to get back to his country-boy roots, said Rachel Gruger. The couple began experimenting by growing food in […] Read more
Hemp-growing course offered online
Reading Time: < 1 minute Thinking about farming hemp for the first time or growing a small test plot? Norquest College is now offering an online Hemp Farming Course for both conventional or organic production with a special emphasis on harvesting methods, which are determined by what hemp product market is being targeted. The course has five modules and takes […] Read more
Tilray to buy hemp food maker Manitoba Harvest
Reuters — Shares of cannabis firm Tilray Inc. rose as much as seven per cent on Wednesday after announcing a deal to buy hemp food maker Manitoba Harvest for up to $419 million as it seeks to gain a foothold in the lucrative business. The deal comes after the U.S. farm bill, which legalized commercial […] Read more
Hemp growers making a big difference half a world away
Reading Time: 3 minutes James Thiessen has been growing hemp for eight years, but this past year he did something different — gave part of his harvest away. The organic hemp grower from La Crete was approached by Hemp Production Services to join the Two Acre Challenge and was happy to participate. “I like it because Hemp Production Services […] Read more
‘Bigger pie’ seen for hemp as industry evolves
CNS Canada — Canada’s hemp industry will have an eventful year in 2019 as the industry expands with more processing facilities and legislative changes. One such legislative change was the legalization of hemp in the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill. The bill passed this week in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and awaits […] Read more
Cannabis’ cousin hemp entering new age too
CNS Canada — As cannabis basks in the glow of the first day of its legalized recreational sale, its close cousin hemp is coming through its own year of change. Ted Haney, executive director of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance, said hemp growers are going through a year in which they are learning how to […] Read more
Hemp growers eye new markets for 2018
CNS Canada — Hemp producers across Western Canada will potentially gain access to lucrative new markets thanks to changes for this year’s harvest. For the first time, hemp growers are allowed to harvest their plants’ buds, leaves and flowers, after receiving an exemption from Health Canada. The market opportunities will be significant, said Ted Haney, […] Read more
Hemp acres, prices down for 2018
CNS Canada — With a large carryover from last year’s crop, hemp acres in Canada are expected to be down this year along with the price. “We had a bit of overproduction in 2017. It doesn’t take much to overproduce a crop when you’ve got 100,000 acres. So it’s a delicate, delicate balance,” said Russ […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
