The inaugural Heart of America Agricultural Hemp Classic has been announced for January in Independence, MO. The event is organized by the Missouri Hemp Association which formed earlier this year.
Bill Cook is the Executive Director of the Missouri Hemp Association and he is calling hemp a potential “miracle crop.” I spoke with him to get a preview of the event and will be working with the organization at the first time conference helping promote it and create some great content using our AgNewsWire service.
Bill has extensive experience in crop production including corn and soybeans. Speaking about growing hemp he says, “Of all the commodities it has the most opportunity of any commodity that I’ve seen in my lifetime.” He also says they’ve coined a phrase, “The hemp highway, which you can enter and exit and every piece of that elevates your community, the end user, the grower and the environment.”
The Missouri Hemp Association was started about nine months ago by some business entrepreneurs who want to help farmers and others involved in the business to obtain the best laws and regulations to be successful. He says it’s a new frontier which some people call the gold rush or hemp rush. Membership is available in several categories. The organization intends to be a resource for farmers to network and become actively involved in the development of the business.
Registration for the Heart of America Agricultural Hemp Classic is scheduled to start on Black Friday, November 29. You’ll be able to register online. There is a trade show component of the event and companies and other organizations need to contact the association office for more information on that.
The Classic is scheduled for January 15 and 16 with the 15th being open for members and the 16th to anyone who would like to attend. The location is the Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center in Independence, Missouri.
You can listen to my interview with Bill here for more information, including the tentative agenda: Interview with Bill Cook, Missouri Hemp Association