2022 Fall Farm Outlook

Page 18 2022 Fall Farm Outlook Lincoln Daily News Oct 2022 Hemp grows fast and easy, producing a large crop on small acreage. At an estimated two tons of finished hemp plant material for each acre planted, hemp outperforms every other crop grown on a per acre basis. Seeds planted in early to mid April require three to four months (90-120 days) before maturation and harvest. Harvest is different than with the traditional crops of corn and soybeans. Hemp needs to be cut, laid over on the hemp stubble and allowed to dry naturally. Most producers then allow it to “ferment” with natural dew over a thirty day period, after which the hemp is taken in for processing. The current production of hemp is being hampered by the scarcity of hemp processing facilities across the U.S. As previously stated, hemp products are environmentally friendly even on a conservative scale. Paper produced from hemp fibers don’t need to be bleached like paper from trees, so streams and rivers are not polluted by bleaching agents or dioxin used for the production of paper towels, toilet paper, and the myriad of other paper products. Since hemp production is so high per acre planted, the land use and fertilizer needs are also reduced. Hemp is very disease and pest resistant, requiring little fungicide and pesticide use. As it grows fast and tall, it shades out weed crops naturally and does not require herbicides to keep weeds from stealing nutrients and water. Hemp is an ideal crop. Perhaps the greatest environmental impact from hemp is also an exciting technological leap forward. The current green doctrine in the west is to drive all electric vehicles (EV) by 2035, but is hampered by the high cost, weight and inefficiency of current battery technology to propel these new EV cars and trucks. The countryside is being destroyed by deep pit lithium mining, requiring some 12.5 raw tons of lithium brine to produce one finished automotive battery. Lithium batteries also require many costly rare earth components, and the use of very expensive graphene to deliver electricity to the EV for fast stops and starts. The need for advanced battery technology is hampering the development of the next generation of electric vehicles, as well as limiting the range of current vehicles. Replacing a lithium battery in an EV is a very expensive undertaking. And, lithium batteries are developing a reputation for catching fire at the most inopportune times. In 2012, researchers undertook a side experiment with some leftover hemp fibers after noticing the high carbon content of hemp plant pith. They refined the pith in an inexpensive process, and found that the carbon from hemp outperformed the efficiency of CONTINUED --