The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the 2018 Hemp Pilot Program season.

There is no deadline to file an application this year.

In 2015, the Minnesota Industrial Hemp Development Act became law, allowing MDA to create an industrial hemp research pilot program in order to study the growth, cultivation and marketing of industrial hemp. The law directed the commissioner of agriculture to make program rules, determine a fee structure, and perform testing and other regulatory activities.

In 2016, there were six pilot participants in Minnesota who grew industrial hemp in MDA’s pilot program. It was a historic year, as state growers saw the harvest of approximately 40 acres of hemp in Minnesota for the first time since the 1950s.

In 2017, there were 38 registered pilot participants who grew a total of 1,205 acres.

To learn more about growing industrial hemp in Minnesota, visit MDA's frequently asked questions page online.

And to file an application, go to MDA's Industrial Hemp Pilot Program Application webpage. 

Source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture