IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• USDA SERVICE CENTER CLOSED - Wednesday, December 25 and Wednesday, January 1
• MERRY CHRISTMAS TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND BLESSINGS IN 2020. 
• CRP PRODUCER MEETING- JANUARY 6 or 7, 2020 - MORE INFORMATION TO COME! 
• Farm Loan personnel in Eads Office – 2^nd Tuesday every month
• 2019 & 2020 - ARCPLC signup - Begins October 1 - Deadline March 15

Disclaimer: Information in this UPDATE is pertinent to Kiowa County FSA only. Producers reading this and that do not have FSA interest in Kiowa County are advised to contact their local FSA Office. 

PRODUCING HEMP IN COLORADO 

There have been a number of producers in this county and surrounding counties asking about producing HEMP with the changes that were made in the 2018 Farm Bill. The information below is from Agricultural Marketing Service or AMS. 

U.S. DOMESTIC HEMP PRODUCTION PROGRAM 

To produce hemp, you first need to be licensed or authorized under a state, tribal, or USDA Hemp Program. The program plan you are licensed under depends on the location of your hemp growing facility. Contact your local state department of agriculture or tribal govern­ment to see if they have a production plan that has been submitted to or approved by USDA. DO NOT CONTACT THE FARM SERVICE AGENCY, FSA IS NOT COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF AG. Below is the website for Colorado Department of AG regarding Colorado Industrial Hemp production. 

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/agplants/industrial-hemp

If your state or tribal government has an approved plan or is in the process of developing a plan, you must apply to and be licensed or authorized under its hemp program. If your state or tribal govern­ment does not have a pending or approved hemp production plan, you may apply for a USDA hemp production license. Applications to obtain a license to produce hemp under the USDA production plan are available on the USDA Hemp Program webpage. You cannot receive a hemp production license from a state, tribal government or USDA if you have been convicted of a felony related to a controlled substance in the last 10 years. 

STEPS TO BECOMING A HEMP PRODUCER: 

Under a State or Tribal Government Plan: 

1.Apply to the state or tribal government and receive authoriza­tion to grow hemp. 

2.After you have planted, visit your local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office: 

• Provide your state or tribal license or authorization identifier 
• Provide the geospatial location(s) where you are growing hemp 
• Receive a lot number or numbers from FSA 

3.When it is time to sample the lot for the THC content: 

• Request an authorized agent to sample each lot 
• Follow proper sampling and testing procedures for measuring hemp THC content. 

4.Submit all required information to your state or tribal government. 

Under the USDA Plan: 

1.Verify: 

• Your state or tribal government does not prohibit the production of hemp 
• Your state or tribal government does not administer a hemp production program 

2.Submit to the USDA Hemp Program: 

• USDA License Application 
• FBI Criminal History Report 

3.After you have planted, visit your local FSA office: 

• Provide USDA License Number 
• Report the geospatial location(s) where you are growing hemp 
• Receive a lot number or numbers from FSA 

4.Submit all required information to the USDA Hemp Program. 

CONTACT INFORMATION 

For more information, please visit: www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp

If you have any questions, please contact us at (202) 720-2491 or email Farmbill.Hemp@usda.gov.