Be Our Farmer
Success Gameplan for 2021 – and Return on Investment
Farmers looking to get into the industry need 3 things for success –
- Buy feminized genetics. Even if 5% of your crop are males, it will ruin your entire crop
- Invest in infrastructure to dry and store it. The last thing you want is to spend months on this crop and you’re trying to dry it or process it and it gets moldy.
- Have a contract with us that guarantees you’ll be able to sell your crop. You can’t go down to the local grain surveyor
No matter what growers decide to plant, planning is the key to success, said Mark Reinders, CEO of HempFlax and president of the European Industrial Hemp Association. “Do not plant hemp if you do not have a harvesting plan and if you do not have a contract at a processing facility,” Reinders said.
“The total crop valuation only works if the whole infrastructure is in place. … Start with your market and then work backward to the crop, but please do not plant any seeds without planning because you will lose money.” According to Hemp Industry Daily the 2020 licensed acreage is a 9% decrease due to a surplus of hemp flower and biomass held over from 2019 and continuously falling wholesale prices. In 2019 hemp acreage more than quadrupled.
We want farmers who understand large-scale propagation and have been in commercial agriculture for decades to start with a small amount of acres to get used to growing. Our team of expert agronomists work together with farmers through field visits to collect soil samples, assess equipment, and review harvesting plans
By our calculations based on the estimated price of feminized seed, typical CBD potency, and prices we purchase at – considering you don’t lose any crops for self-inflicted or reasons out of your control – a hemp farmer will make $4200 profit per acre.
Comparable other crops 2019 profit per acre - according to USDA Economic Research Service
| rice | 1019.2 |
| peanuts | 766.65 |
| corn | 666.42 |
| cotton | 425.78z |
| soybeans | 391.51 |
| barley | 323.4 |
| wheat | 247.57 |
| oats | 206.79 |
Feminized USDA Certified Seeds
If you want the best CBD, you need the best hemp plants. At VB Labs we pride ourselves on the unsurpassed quality of everything we produce. The high-CBD hemp genetics that we offer are specially-sourced and bred based on their extraction efficiency and because they yield both the highest diversity and quality of cannabinoids and terpenes.
When you’re buying genetics it’s really a trust buy. It’s really a reputation buy. Our genetics partner provides USDA certified seeds that are a product of years of crossbreeding between hemp strains with the highest CBD content and lowest THC content.
Traditional growing methods produce both male and female seeds. These regular seeds are a 50/50 between male and female. With hemp only the female plants produce a cannabinoid-rich flower, meaning with regular seeds half of the crop is useless for our purpose. Feminized seeds provide the highest yield of cannabinoids possible. Our genetics offer an estimated 95 percent germination rate and are guaranteed to be 99 percent female. Being at the forefront of the best genetics is key to sustainable success.
Long-term we believe field agriculture hemp will move toward mostly seeded production, which should have lower costs.
Seed Planting
Farming equipment for seed planting and automated processes to harvest the hemp at the right time are vital. Tilling the soil before planting hemp seeds is particularly vital given there are no herbicides labeled for use preparing soil for planting hemp. Prepare a firm, shallow bed for the most uniformity in seeding depths, not unlike for planting clover or alfalfa.
Plant hemp seeds following the average date of the final frost when soil temperatures reliably achieve at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In most U.S. zones, this occurs approximately between May and June. This will help ensure seeds germinate and emerge quickly and grow into taller plants with a greater yield potential. Plant seeds at a depth of around 1/2 to 3/4 inch. We recommend planting by seed with a Monosem seed planter at 30” x 24” spacing, which equates to 8,712 seeds per acre.
If you sow seeds mechanically, you can use conventional seeding equipment to plant hemp seeds with no other special equipment required. Either a grain drill or a corn planter will suffice. Once the seeds are planted, it is recommended to roll and pack the soil.
Organic Farming, Nutrient Plan, Expected CBD Content, Testing
Sustainable agriculture is vital to our team that has multiple generations of successful farmers and engineers who understand the importance of taking care of the earth. Hemp is a prime plant to grow organically since it doesn’t require a great deal of supplementary nutrition and is reasonably pest- and disease-resistant. Hemp’s growth also tends to outpace that of surrounding weeds, so it doesn’t require a great deal of cultivation by hand like other organic crops. Our hemp is grown on farms using only organic practices.
Farmers are paid by poundage and quality. Quality means CBD density and lack of contaminants/residue. THC is considered a contaminant. Our contract reflects the crops can be rejected and the grower is responsible for CBD or other quality testing such as residue or contaminants such as microbials or mold.
In a soil with optimum levels of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), recommendations for a crop with a standard yield potential would be 150 pounds per acre of nitrogen (N), 50 pounds per acre of phosphate (P2O5), and 70 pounds per acre of potash (K2O). We recommend testing your soil to allow our agronomy team to provide a nutrient plan based on your irrigation system and unique conditions. With experience one can expect 25-50% loss on acreage due to weather, insects, or disease. See Farming Education [hyperlink farming-education/] to help identify pests, nutritional deficiencies, and plant sexing. Because of these common problems we will contract excess acres to ensure adequate supply.
Make sure to irrigate your planted seeds sufficiently, especially during their first six weeks in the soil. Even though hemp plants are generally drought tolerant, they can be more fragile and sensitive to dryness in those early days. Periods of extreme hot weather and/or drought can increase THC levels.
CBD content varies by growing technique, nutrient regime, sampling protocol, drying method, and post harvest handling all factor into total CBD content on a crop-wide average. A well-grown crop in good conditions will yield 8-10% CBD on biomass and 10-12% on flower. Although our genetics typically stay under 0.3% THC, it is recommended to begin taking samples in the last three weeks of flower to ensure the crop is under 0.3% THC. We help farmers throughout the growing cycle with free testing from our in-house analytical lab [hyperlink why-vb-labs/] to help know when they should harvest their plants. A general date to remember to start testing is September 1st.
Post Harvest Handling, Transportation
After about 90 to 100 days in the ground, the head of the hemp plant is considered to have fully matured. As the period arrives, you will start to observe seed heads maturing from the bottom and moving upward to reach completion. Once seed bracts have fully matured, they expose the seeds they contain, allowing you to air dry them naturally. At this point, approximately 100 to 120 days after the seeds were planted (around September or October), the plant is primed for harvest.
We suggest drying the crop in the field or with a dryer based on your climate then using a modified combine to separate plant material from the stem.
Proper threshing is critical to maximizing your yield. You should separate the stalk, seeds, and flower to maximize your yield. Harvesting, drying, stripping plant material, cleaning buds, and extracting seeds (contact us for details) are all farmer responsibility. Cleanse all foreign material from the grain and prepare it for storage until it is transported to VB Labs. Make sure it is properly aerated immediately to avoid spoiling. Dry hemp plant material to about 9% moisture. Best for drying hemp is a belt conveyor, though you can use an auger as well, as long as you run it slow and full. This will help keep seeds from cracking.
Storage until the material is processed is farmer responsibility. We supply the transportation to our lab. Grower responsibility ends at farm-gate.
Once the product has changed ownership to us, the farmer is “held harmless” and relieves the farm of any liability in the processing, sales, or use of the product. You will need your insurance carrier to be aware of this contract and agree with its terms or risk the loss of coverage..
