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ULSTER
Vol. 16, No. 32
3
AUGUST 7 - 13, 2019
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Page 16
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SERVING HIGHLAND, MARLBOROUGH AND PLATTEKILL
Growing hemp market
Area farmers form co-op
By NICOLE ZANCHELLI
The Marlborough Town Board is
working diligently to revamp their
small river-town through the renovation
of Milton Landing Park, in hopes of
attracting tourism and offering new
opportunities for the local economy.
On July 30, the Board and the Friends of
the Milton Landing Park hosted an open
house at the Milton Train Station to give
attendees an overview of the proposed
Milton Pier Renovation Project.
It will cost $1.5 million to renovate the
Milton Landing Pier. With a grant of
$313,000 from Empire State Development
and $140,000 coming from the town’s
budget, $1.047 million looms over the
residents’ heads.
To pay off this $1.047 million, the town
is financing a Bond Anticipation Note
(BAN), which is short-term debt over the
course of a five-year period. In the fifth
year, any debt that hasn’t been paid will
turn into a bond. In order to chip away at
this debt, the town is planning to pursue
member item funding. Also, in 2024, the
town is retiring a major road bond that
will free up $375,000 in payments that
could potentially go into this project.
Before the town purchased the park,
Councilman Alan Koenig and Gael Appler
Sr., Chief of the Milton Engine Company
Continued on page 4
Amy and Gail Hepworth have spearheaded a cooperative for area farmers in the growing of hemp. L-R Rob Stuple [Sales and Marketing]
Gail Hepworth and Amy Hepworth are standing in a maturing field of hemp that is due for harvest next month.
By MARK REYNOLDS
[email protected]
Marlborough farmers Amy and Gail
Hepworth have always worked for the
greater good of the farming community.
In January they launched a co-op called
Hempire State Growers at their Rte.
9W offices and have reached out to
area farmers, urging them to consider
growing hemp. Many have responded in
a positive way and have planted different
amounts for the first time this season.
By definition, hemp is a strain of the
Cannabis Sativa plant species that is
grown specifically for industrial uses. It
was one of the first plants to be spun into
usable fiber 10,000 years ago and it can
be refined into a variety of commercial
items including paper, textiles, clothing,
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biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation,
bio-fuel, food, and animal feed.” The
Hepworths are quick to point out that
although the plant looks and smells like
marijuana, the female CBD hemp plants
that they are growing do not contain
Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the key
ingredient that produces the traditional
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