Native Prairie started growing hemp in 2018 and soon developed partnerships with higher education and other farmers . This year , they have partnered with Lincoln University , St . Louis University , New West Genetics , and Big Yield , all with one goal : Growing hemp efficiently .
Daphne speaks with a voice of authority , education , and no bull , which has earned her the nickname from her grandpa , Daphne Do-Right ! Together with Cole Younger Tyson , these kids are creating a cleaner , healthier world , one acre at a time .
The Native Prairie Annual Field Day / Open House is August 13 . All are welcome , “ At the Junction of T and Hwy 7 , for a little slice of heaven !” as their motto goes . It is , too . I feel closest to heaven when I ’ m standing in hemp . Field Day starts at 7:45 a . m . with breakfast at the event center . Be sure to tour the hemp maze ! Event information , CBD products , and research are posted on www . nativeprairiehemp . com .
The Casita ’ s first open house in Manhattan , KS , was last year .
Ripple is another champion for evidencebased policy in agriculture and collaboration . His goal : educate lawmakers and regulators at the state and national levels , infiltrate higher education , students , engineers , architects , and any and all decision-makers about the multifaceted benefits of hemp construction .
The Hemp Casita was developed by Kansas State University Master ’ s students from the Hemp in Construction class ( how cool is that ?!) collaborating with the School of Architecture , with partnerships for raw materials both in Kansas and across the nation . From Midwest Hemp Technology in Augusta , KS , to HempWood from Kentucky , and Hempitecture from Idaho , all have shipped supplies to Manhattan , KS .
Bill Cook and his granddaughter , Daphne at their Native Prairie Hemp Research Farm in Garden City , MO .
Daphne was animated on our tour of “ Show Me Hemp , One Voice for Ag ,” the name given to their research plots . “ We have 16 plots , all planted with one-year-old Hocomo hemp seeds . Hocomo is a tri-crop which produces flower , seed , and industrial hemp ,” she explained as she waved her arm towards the acres of hemp in front of us . “ So we know the age of the seeds didn ’ t hurt .”
Next on the tour were the fifteen research plots studying nitrogen and biochar . The difference nutrients make was obvious between the rows , light green vs . dark green . “ Each plot has a UPC code for tracking realtime progress and interventions , with data immediately entered on VISPS , a smart farm verification program , and standards data system ,” she explained .
Daphne went on to talk about carbon credits , international research and development , and her hopes for the future — including the study of hemp as a cover crop to clean up nuclear and other toxic waste through remediation .
“ Our goal is to make hemp as easy to grow and accessible to as many farmers as possible ,” said Daphne . “ We have been subjected to so many half-truths and just plain falsehoods surrounding the cannabis plant . We share our research in real time on VISPS . We want farmers around the world to know what we know when we know it .
We are data-driven . Data tells the truth , and we are truth seekers . And the truth is , growing hemp is a win win win win !”
Bill Cook and Dolores Halbin smelling fresh hemp at the Native Prairie Hemp Research Farm .
The Kansas Casita
Jumping over to Kansas , I caught up with another young hemp pioneer , 38-yearold agronomist Kelley Austin Ripple . This young man from Topeka , KS , is the co-founder of Kansans for Hemp and a three-time appointed member of the Kansas Department of Agriculture ’ s Industrial Hemp Advisory Board .
Ripple is on the team promoting the Casita , a mini hemp house on tour around the state !
Students pose inside the K-State Casita with professor Michael Gibson ( back , 3rd from right ) and Angel Romero Jr ., ( front right ).
( Photo courtesy of Michael Gibson )
Follow the Hemp Casita journey at www . hempcasita . com and www . hempbuildmag . com / home / ksu-casita-project .
These young truth seekers are not going to be stopped anymore by half-truths and downright falsehoods , and I , for one , am so very grateful ! Hemp is coming , people !
Dolores Montgomery Halbin , RN , BSN , and Ordained Nurse Minister , resides in SW Missouri . After her husband passed in 2015 , she retired from nursing . She worked with the 2014- 2018 Missouri campaigns for legalized medical marijuana . She continues as a cannabis reform activist volunteering with Canna Convict Project and working toward Federal decriminalization through educational speaking and freelance journalism . Dolores Halbin , doloreshalbin @ gmail . com .
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