Industrial Hemp at Farmfest

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will have an Industrial Hemp demonstration plot at Farmfest. There will be farmers enrolled in the Minnesota Department of Agricultures Industrial Hemp Pilot Program on hand to answer questions about this crop. The Industrial Hemp plot is located in Seed Row SRO4 in the southwest corner of the seed plot section. There seems to be a lot of excitement about this potential crop and a lot of questions. Here is an opportunity to talk to farmers who have some experience growing it!

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture also has a booth at Farmfest 517-S showcasing new technology to prevent nitrate losses from fields. The Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast will help farmers and commercial applicators decide the best time to apply manure to fields. This computer model predicts the likelihood of runoff events and alerts farmers by text or email. Another new technology is a phone app that will tell farmers when there is a temperature inversion present. A network of 28 ag weather stations have air temperature inversion sensors which will provide alerts to farmers cell phones.