Lancaster Farming website reports
Senior faculty specialist in the University of Maryland Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics Paul Goeringer is leading a team of researchers and Extension specialists in an analysis of risk management tools and the development of educational outreach materials for small and medium-sized farmers interested in transitioning to growing industrial hemp.
According to a national survey, risk management options for recently legalized hemp production, as well as market access, were among the main concerns for farmers and hemp stakeholders.
In light of this, Goeringer’s assembled team consisting of faculty from the University of Kentucky, the University of Tennessee, and Drake University in Iowa, were awarded nearly $500,000 through the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant Program to analyze available tools and develop standardized options for the farmers looking to add industrial hemp production into their rotations.
