The hemp landscape has changed a lot in MD since my first licensed outdoor harvest of 2019… my first shipment of plants was seized by state police at a FedEx hub in DE - a rocky start to the season. 2020 still felt like the wild west (circa 2012 Denver), but the market hadn’t stabilized yet, and I was still hunting phenos for the field. 2021, MD tightened regs from D9 to total THC, and 27 of my 30 phenos lost compliance after decarb regs took effect. 2022 was uneventful, and in 2023 the state went REC! 2026, I think it makes sense to grow a few hundred early CBG and CBD from GTR at 200-400g/plant. I normally till + prep + condition + pull raised beds with drip. I fertigate with 1.5” dosatrons, and usually hang-dry + cure + hand-trim tops, and buck + wet trim the rest. It seems a lot has changed in past few years, and I haven’t really been paying attention (sorry for my absence) - what are the major shifts from your perspective, and should I be thinking differently about this season for any reason?
I have cbdv and cbgv on the farm this year
That’s a solid lineup, CBDV and CBGV are definitely where a lot of the curiosity is right now. Would love to hear how the yields compare to your standard CBD and CBG runs once you’re further into the season.
I have 10 Seedless Triploids this year, so hopefully higher yields and % > all years prior. Will let you know!
From the downstream side, I think the biggest change is that buyers are much more specific about end use now.
I’d probably figure out the outlet first and work backward from there. Material intended for flower, fresh frozen, dry sift, or other processing can all lead to different decisions on genetics, harvest timing, drying, and storage.
A few years ago it felt easier to grow first and find a home for the material later. I’m not sure I’d take that approach now. The bigger risk may be producing a few hundred plants well, but not in the exact form the buyer wants.
Are you growing them for breeding, biomass, or extraction?
The tops are dried/cured at 60/60 for 2+ weeks, then hand-trimmed and sold as Grade A.
Everything Grade B is headed for extraction… SCO2 + EtOH wash + winterize + vacuum-assisted Buchner with #4.
This year I started with a processing off-take agreement before planting. I feel I have underplanted based on current demand. I should have pushed another acre.
The biggest shift is that the industry has matured. Proven genetics, predictable compliance, and having a defined market before planting are more important than ever. Your production system already sounds solid