Maine Public speaks with Jemison for article on hemp industry
Maine Public spoke with John Jemison, University of Maine Cooperative Extension professor, for the report “Farmers, Researchers Look to Grow Maine’s Fledgling Hemp Industry.” Generations of Americans grew hemp on large scales dating back to colonial times, but in more recent decades its production was restricted by federal regulations. Now that those regulations have changed, researchers like Jemison are trying to fill in the gaps of lost knowledge. “First of all, it’s very rare in an agronomic person’s career that you get a brand new crop that all of a sudden comes on the scene. That in itself is fascinating, right? It’s an unusual plant. We know some of what we need to know to grow it,” he said. But he added that not enough is known to be able to properly advise the growing hemp industry on best practices for soil, pest management, plant spacing and other aspects of farming. “I wish we could have put the horse before the cart and done all the legwork — really know what it was supposed to do — and then been able to teach farmers, ‘This is what you need to do to grow it,’” said Jemison. Bangor Daily News published the Maine Public report.