Future of Agriculture 141: Hemp Opportunities and Realities Part 2 with Dr. David Williams of the University of Kentucky

Future of Agriculture

Dr. David Williams is a professor of agronomy and member of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences with the University of Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Industrial Hemp Program. He has been in the agronomic industry his entire career, wearing hats as a teacher, researcher, and practitioner. David has been a champion of industrial hemp agronomic science research since 2014.

David joins me today to discuss the various ways hemp can be utilized other than for its psychoactive properties. He explains what the industry currently looks like and how that will change in the coming years. He also shares some of the concerns farmers raise when it comes to growing hemp, farm data about the plant, and describes how hemp holds the potential to revolutionize the economy.

“Cannabinoids are evolutionarily thought of as a plant protection molecule. They certainly weren't put on this Earth to get humans high.” - Dr. David Williams

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• David's professional background and thoughts on Kentucky's advancements in the hemp space.
• What the hemp industry looks like right now and how it might look in the near future.
• Concerns on hemp sustainability and its effects on the economy.
• How the Farm Bill will change the way the industry views and uses hemp.
• The conditions necessary to grow hemp.
• What farmers can do if they find out their crops are above the THC limit.
• Common problems farmers encounter in growing hemp.
• Challenges the hemp industry faces when it comes to scaling.
• The selling points and applications of hemp.
• The yield and income farmers can expect from growing hemp.

Key Takeaways:

• The supply and demand for hemp are going to define the scope and scale of the industry.
• Hemp is more than just a psychoactive plant, with applications that can potentially disrupt the industry.

Resources Mentioned:

• Nicole Gauthier

Connect with Dr. David Williams:

• UK Industrial Hemp Agronomic Research
• Email: [email protected]

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