Florida Hemp Project Flying With Help From Friends
January 27, 2020 The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project has come a long way since first getting the all-clear to take off nearly two years ago. Since then, leaders behind the project have worked hard to secure private funding and form successful partnerships that not only benefit research, but also the state’s agriculture interests. But more support from outside sources are needed to fuel the program’s future.
“The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provided funding for equipment and has been a supportive partner by inspecting incoming plant material, but the hemp program needed funds from industry in order to operate,” Zach Brym, UF/IFAS Assistant Professor and Hemp Pilot Project Coordinator, said.
Green Roads Inc., a South Florida-based seller of hemp products, provided $1.3 million to get the project rolling in September 2018. Since then, UF/IFAS has obtained additional support from industry sponsors through the Florida Industrial Hemp Endowment Fund. The endowment fund has allowed UF/IFAS to expand the scope of research from the original objectives to expand program objectives.
The project has expanded from six UF/IFAS faculty in three departments to 20 faculty in nine departments. The number of permitted sites for research expanded from four to 14.
“It is critical to the intent of our program to have multiple sponsors and be supported by the industry at large so that the outcomes of our program are able to support the whole of the industry,” Brym continued. “We are thankful for all of our sponsors. The variety of supporters demonstrates to the public that we are supported by a large portfolio of the industry, representing the hemp industry as a whole instead of individual interests.”
According to Brym, all information discovered out of the UF/IFAS hemp pilot project is non-proprietary will be made available to the public.
For those interested in sponsoring the hemp pilot program, send an email to [email protected].
More info can be found at https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/hemp/resources/#.