This fall, Southeast
Community College will offer a five-hour class titled “Small Scale Hemp Farming.”
It will cover basic information such as licenses and permits, seed sources,
soil types, growing cycles, sexing plants, harvest time, and state laws
surrounding the plant.
“I’m very excited about this
class, I have a lot to teach,” said Dave Sanders, instructor of the course as
well as a hemp enthusiast.
The class is Saturday, Oct.
26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jack J. Huck Continuing Education Center at
301 S. 68th St. Place, Lincoln. The cost is $89. To sign up, log on
to http://bit.ly/RegisterCE, keyword: Hemp.
Sanders first became
interested in the plant when he used Cannabidiol (CBD) oil for a medical
condition. The retired nurse did a lot of research and spent winters in
Washington where he’s an apprentice at a hemp farm. In other states, he said it’s
a boost to the economy.
“It grows everywhere out in
the country, and it’s a beautiful plant,” Sanders said. “There’s plenty of room
for people to grow hemp in Nebraska. I think it has the potential to do a lot
for the economy.”
The Nebraska Legislature
passed the 2019 Nebraska Hemp Farming Act earlier this year, but those who are
interested must be licensed by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. One-hundred
seventy-six applications were received, and 10 were approved for the pilot
program. Without a license, it is still illegal to grow, handle and process
hemp.
Sanders is eager to teach
everything he knows about the process, and to educate students about misnomers
as well.
“I hope people come out of
class with a basic understanding of growing hemp,” he said.