First of all, I really appreciate everyone's support in this long thread.

Secondly, I am planning to take a hiatus from market gardening starting this year. My family will still maintain our market space, so I might still have a few colorful table pics to share. I am planning to pursue being a hemp farmer when my state opens up licensing in the spring. Yesterday, I met a farmer from Colorado who plants 500 acres in cbd hemp. With predicted prices for next fall, that will net about $5-10 million. Profits like that are not going to be around for very long, after Big Ag takes over. But that will take five more years or so. I need to go grab a few of those millions for myself, so I can afford to be a market gardener.

I wish everyone the best with their gardens for 2019.

Cole, I hope you have time to post and show us your hemp! Also hope it works out for you and make that cash! :D:yes:
@BigVanVader, you are due for a better season, that's for sure! Hope your rainfall this summer is just right. Exact serving of goldilocks porridge.;)

Best wishes Cole; I hope you are very successful. Please keep us updated.

Cole good luck. I have a friend whose daughter picked up a job out in the hinterlands of california that pays her 5 grand a month to propagate it all day 5 days a week. and I do mean hinterlands. she said it takes 4 hours to get to the road from the site.

anyway... do you mind if we just keep adding to this thread while you are gone?

Good luck in your new endeavour, Sir! Please DO keep us posted....

Cole, Best of Luck! It would be nice to turn a profit around here, for a change. I'm looking at 1 acre of it here... fees,permits,tax papers,LLC ad nausea = nightmare

Please!! Take me with you!!

[SIZE=4][FONT=Garamond][B]Good luck, Cole!
[/B][/FONT][/SIZE]

Wishing you great success, John, and few bureaucratic headaches. Your last post reminded me of a cartoon I saw years ago. Two young boys, dressed in farmer's overalls - one says to the other "So, what you gonna do now that you've won the lottery?" The other replies "Guess I'll just keep farming until the money is all gone."

A neighbor where we farm her 4 acres suggested Hemp just a couple of other days ago. In part because she had recently started using CBD oil for a pinched nerve. But DH doesn't want anything to do with hemp. Personally I would consider it in 3-4 years after they get all the bugs out of the paperwork. I think the first few years are going to be horrible.

Carol

That's awesome Cole. Good luck brother!

Cole, have you considered becoming a seed producer for cbd hemp? Big differences in the potency of different varieties, some are being advertised in excess of 20% cbd. Was just thinking maybe that could be your niche so you don't have to sell your product to a processor wholesale.

Best of wishes my friend.

[QUOTE=Marcus1;727924]Cole, have you considered becoming a seed producer for cbd hemp? Big differences in the potency of different varieties, some are being advertised in excess of 20% cbd. Was just thinking maybe that could be your niche so you don't have to sell your product to a processor wholesale.[/QUOTE]

That is actually my plan. Illinois is going to require all farmers grow only certified seed. AOSCA is the certifying agency. I am hoping to be one of the first producers of certified seed in my state.

And thanks to everyone for the encouragement. There will definitely be beurocratic hoops to jump through and other hurdles in this adventure, but I am hoping it will be worth it.

Gratz on the new venture and I hope it works out before the big boys own it all.

FYI, you might wanna check this out.
[url]https://www.thepacker.com/article/usda-sets-web-seminar-session-hemp?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTXpRd01HTXdOalkwTjJNeSIsInQiOiJ1Slp6bjNVVVExVHFmUEYzdGlUWDN2S25HQmdCNFFEMmgwRHdaZlVuK1A0aWZremU2anVTT3JFdjZlVnJSTWdEaWFEUHhkTENIaDRTOWtWSjBKRUpaTEFIYit2V3hXMlN2RnFGVzIrdVBobFhsMkFJUG9wUjY3c2hkRVBhUGt2UUt3cTJDR0hFamRrelZRNjhkVXhKSGoxMFVwY3MyYUk5WXVJK3FKemxxdFE9In0%3D[/url]