Marijuana-Hemp

Hemp Seed Livestock Meal Receives Green Lights On Way to Federal Approval

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 18:07:07 GMT

After years of work and regulatory paperwork, the The Hemp Feed Coalition announces Hemp Seed Meal for laying hens has been recommended by FDA-Center for Veterinary Medicine and voted by AAFCO into their Ingredient Definition Committee for the final step in the approval pathway.

The definition allows hemp seed meal up to 20% into feed mixes for laying hens. This marks the first hemp feed ingredient to get federal recommendation and uptake by AAFCO.

Wendy Mosher, CEO at New West Genetics and vice president of Hemp Feed Coalition, says this is something that has been in the works for at least four years.

“There’s a lengthy process for any new crop to get ingredient approval, but it’s worth it, you can’t have commodity crop without a feed opportunity for that crop,” Mosher says. “Federal approval gives us a leg up into adoption and scale.”

Mosher says before deregulation in 2014, hemp acres were zero, then by 2020, climbed to a peak of around 400,000 acres. Today, total U.S. hemp acres are reported around 55,000.

“I think this is a positive thing—it shows with the right incentives crops can be expanded rapidly, and that those participants with long term vision are still here, and are building the markets in a sustainable fashion. Hemp is a great opportunity for the crop rotation as well as soil health” Mosher says. “Hempseed meal as a feed ingredient contributes to the risk mitigation of planting the crop—it’s another place for the crop to go.”

As a feed ingredient, the coalition cites hemp grain providing essential vitamins, minerals, healthy oils, and a complete protein profile. For egg production, this can lead to a value-added product with higher omega 3 content. It has been verified that any potential cannabinoid contaminants do not transfer into the egg product.

With the regulatory obstacles starting to be removed, Mosher is optimistic about the educational opportunities for the market to increase in size.

“Hemp can serve the same basic protein and oil markets that currently use soybeans or canola,” she says. “Feed manufacturers are seeing success, including Wenger Feeds in Pennsylvania who make hemp feed for Kreider Farms’ eggs. In the next year we hope to get some additional adoption by some larger players.”

Mosher highlights her company, New West Genetics, has been developing improved hemp varieties to double grain yield.

“We’ve got momentum in hemp as we are providing high yielding and adapted genetics for hemp production in the U.S., and the industry is also near the finish line on this feed approval,” she says. “It’s a moment we’ve been waiting on for 10 years. In the not so distant future, we hope to see hemp on the million acre scale.”

Facts and Fiction About Hemp in Animal Feed, page 2

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 14:25:53 GMT

(Farm Journal)

>>> Continued from page 1

Figure 2: Regarding the use of cannabis as an animal feed, 48% said they either strongly agreed or agreed that they would feed it to their animals.

(Farm Journal)

Figure 3: The survey also asked if farmers and ranchers think it is ethical to feed cannabis products to animals if trace constituents, such as THC, can be found in the meat. Overwhelmingly, respondents said no.

(Farm Journal)

Source: 2019 Farm Journal Cannabis in U.S. Agriculture Study

Objectives and methodology: Measure farmers’ and ranchers’ awareness
of cannabis and interest in growing hemp. The e-blast was distributed to row crop farmers with 1+ acres of corn, soybeans or wheat, and also to livestock producers with 1+ head of hogs, beef cattle, dairy cattle or poultry, and produce growers with 1+ acres of produce. A set of 950 completes yielded a margin of error of +/- 3.2%. Respondents were entered in a drawing to receive one of 25 copies of “Making the Family Farm the Family Business” by Chip Flory.

Read more about cannabis in animal feed here:

> From AgWeb:

Perdue Answers Buzz on Hemp in Animal Feed

> From Bovine Veterinarian:

Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine

> From Farm Journal’s PORK:

Could Cannabis Improve Pork Flavor? Weed-Fed Pigs Creating a Stir

PORK Poll: Could Marijuana in the Pig Diet Make a Difference?

Facts and Fiction About Hemp in Animal Feed

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 14:23:27 GMT

(Farm Journal)

Volatility driven by overproduction, trade wars and ever-more fickle consumers has American farmers and ranchers facing the largest financial crisis in a generation. Searching for alternatives, many U.S. farmers are scrambling this winter to add hemp to their crop rotation, thanks to the green light given to the long-forbidden crop in the 2018 farm bill. It’s the start of what could become a revolution to traditional agriculture at a time when many farmers are financially desperate.

A new survey conducted by Farm Journal and Drovers finds that among those now considering growing hemp, additional revenue and profits are the driving factors. For instance, one respondent voiced a common theme: “If I could be certain it was low in THC and it was more profitable (to grow) it would be okay.” Another said: “If it has uses, is okay for the environment, if there is a market, if I can make money, then yes.”

Livestock producers will play a crucial role in the success or failure
of hemp, as the crop holds many potential benefits as a feedstuff. Some states have already set in motion programs to analyze hemp’s safety and practicality as a livestock feed. Two years ago, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed a bill creating a working group under the Commissioner of Agriculture to study the feasibility of hemp as animal feed. As of January 2019, 40 other states have given hemp the go ahead.

As cattle feed, scientists believe hemp can benefit health and increase performance. Hemp seed, for instance, is high in much-desired fatty acids, such as Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9 and GLA. It is also very high in proteins, which contain every amino acid.

Hemp seeds are also high in fiber, aiding an animal’s digestive system. It also is a good source of minerals, such as: Copper, Iron, Boron, Zinc, Manganese, Nitrogen and Zinc. Hemp will be given to animals in Colorado, via crushed seed meal, pellets or oil given as a supplement.

The distinction between recreational marijuana and hemp, and how that factors into cultivation of the crop should be noted. Hemp and marijuana are from the same Cannabis Sativa family, and they share similarities. However, the notable difference is the amount of the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which pro- duces a high. The references here for agricultural uses are only for hemp, which contains less than 0.3% THC. For comparison, marijuana contains from 5% to 35% THC.

With the door now open for hemp cultivation and feeding, Farm Journal and Drovers surveyed farmers and livestock producers to gauge their attitude about the use of the crop many consider controversial. We found a majority of both farmers and ranchers are amenable to using hemp, yet conservative rural values remain among the majority of respondents.

Check out the figures below that reveal cattle owners’ level of interest in growing hemp and using cannabis in animal feed.

The 2019 Farm Journal/Drovers Cannabis in U.S. Agriculture Study surveyed farmers and ranchers to gauge their interest in growing cannabis. Here’s what we learned.

Figure 1: Cattle owners are less interested in growing cannabis than farmers.

(Farm Journal)

Click next page to read more results.

John Wayne's California Ranch Listed for $8 Million; Could Grow 'Weed'

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:19:17 GMT

A California ranch formerly owned by John Wayne has been listed for sale and it is gathering interest not only for the famous Western actor, but for its potential use as a marijuana farm.

John Wayne’s former Rancho Pavoreal property near Sage has been listed for $8 million by Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage , a real estate firm specializing in luxury properties.

In the listing the property is touted as being a 2,000 acre ranch located in a small agricultural community that’s only 10 minutes from wine country. It is about 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles sitting amongst mountains and valleys. The property is valued at $4,000 per acre currently.

The ranch includes three water wells, an exterior fence and cross-fencing for livestock. While there is no mention of homes or buildings in the listing, there are photos of a house and shed adorned with John Wayne memorabilia.

Not only is Rancho Pavoreal formerly owned by the actor known as “The Duke,” it is also located next to Walt Disney’s old ranch.

A number of uses for the ranch are listed including vineyards, cattle grazing, hunting, sports camps and equestrian riding. The most interesting use advertised is its potential for “cannabis cultivation” which has been covered by the Los Angeles Times and The Press-Enterprise .

While the “once in a lifetime opportunity” to buy a piece of Western movie history could be appealing to some, it is hard to tell what The Duke would think of his former ranch turning into a pot farm.

John Wayne did star in a movie called Big Jim McLain that’s title was changed to Marijuana in Europe, where instead of chasing communists the plot was altered to a drug smuggling pursuit .

Maybe he’d say something like his character Tom Doniphon, from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, regarding the legality of growing marijuana in California. “ I know those law books mean a lot to you, but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems .”

A map showing John Wayne’s Rancho Pavoreal can be seen below: