Did you know that the hemp industry generated over $800 million in 2021 alone?
You can make virtually anything from hemp, including jeans, consumer products, carpet, batteries, surfboards, and shampoo.
Product manufacturers rely on hemp farmers to supply quality hemp materials. This is also an ideal space for people who excel at building B2B relationships.
Learn more about the basics of hemp production to inspire your next big business idea.
Get the Technical Details Out of the Way
Before investing any capital, learn the rules behind hemp farming. This crop is heavily regulated, and you don’t want to be subjected to any fines. You’ll also need proper licenses and permits before you can start farming.
Once you understand city hemp regulations inside and out, choose the perfect plot of land. Hemp needs drained soil with little clay content. Compacted soils (like clay) damage hemp plants.
Avoid overly moist soil. Hemp struggles to grow in this environment. Aim for a soil PH balance between 6 and 7 and a half.
You can also purchase soil if you’re growing a small hemp garden in your backyard.
Buying Equipment for Hemp Production
The next technical detail is equipment. You’ll need to choose the type of crop you want to cultivate. Hemp fiber farming equipment is different than equipment used for producing hemp for CBD products.
Going back to the soil example, you’ll need proper tilling equipment to till the soil. Hemp requires raised crop beds. You can grow between 1,500 to 1,600 per land acre.
Many hemp farmers purchase bed-shaping equipment since they rely on beds. This equipment evens out and tightens your raised beds.
Afterward, you can use your mulch layer to place plastic mulch strips along the top of your crop beds. This tool attaches to your tractor.
You’ll also need a seed drill for your hemp farm.
Beginners are encouraged to grow starter plants in greenhouses first, transplanting them into the crop beds. You would also need a good transplanter. Seed drills are faster, and you don’t have to worry about planting them at the wrong depth.
Hemp crops should be watered every three days at most. This step requires a sound irrigation system. Most common irrigation systems work for this crop, including sprinklers, pivots, and drip systems.
Drip irrigation systems conserve more water than their alternatives, which is something to think about.
How to Get Customers for Your Hemp Farm
You can’t start a hemp farm without customers, but who is your customer?
Hemp farms are a B2B industry, which means you sell to other businesses. You’ll need to identify the proper marketing channels to generate leads.
Starting a hemp farm requires rigorous marketing at tradeshows and other related events. You’ll also need a website to generate leads for your email marketing campaigns. Other methods include Google PPC, Instagram, and whitepapers for hemp researchers.
You could even partner with another local business or college to spark interest in your endeavor. Click here to learn more about partnering with other B2B hemp solutions.
Discover more Hemp Production Tips
The journey doesn’t end here. Keep researching to learn about new hemp production techniques and equipment for your farm.