The Carolina Hemp Conference, held in conjunction with the SC AgriBiz & Farm Expo, will be the go-to place for farmers wanting to know more about all aspects of industrial hemp production in the Carolinas.

The SC AgriBiz & Farm Expo is set for Wednesday, January 15 and Thursday, January 16 at the Florence Center in Florence, S.C. The Carolina Hemp Conference will be held both days of the expo with educational sessions beginning on Wednesday afternoon and continuing all day Thursday. Admission to both the expo and Carolina Hemp Conference is free.

Expo Partner Jody Martin says the Carolina Hemp Conference is designed to be one of the most comprehensive industrial hemp conferences to be held in the Southeast in 2020. Topics covered will include:  economics of hemp production, diseases, insurance needs, regulations and the diverse market opportunities for the hemp industry.

“Some of the nation’s leading industrial  hemp experts, traveling from all parts of the United States, will be presenting at the conference,” Martin said.

“We really appreciate the combined efforts of the SC AgriBiz team, Clemson Extension, South Carolina Department of Ag and Janell Ralph, CEO of Palmetto Synergistic Research for bringing this outstanding slate of speakers to the expo. This conference is not to be missed by anyone who wants an in-depth education on what is needed to succeed in growing industrial hemp in the Carolinas,” he added.

Educational sessions begin at 1:50 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15 with an update on federal and state industrial hemp regulations presented by Derek Underwood with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Following Underwood will be Dr. Angela Post, an industrial hemp researcher at North Carolina State University, who will discuss key learnings after three years of field research on industrial hemp.

In addition, Mark Tyler with the University of Kentucky will discuss hemp economics and budgets while Tyler Schappe with North Carolina State University will discuss hemp diseases diagnosed to date.

The hemp conference continues Thursday morning, Jan. 16 at 10:30 a.m. with discussion of insurance protection for growing, storing and processing hemp presented by Kathleen Brown-Hurtado with International Excess. Following Brown-Hurtado at 11:30 a.m. will be John Roulac, founder and Chief Hemp Officer of RE Botanicals, presenting “Let’s Regenerate with Hemp.” Roulac is also the founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Nutiva, the world’s leading organic superfoods brand of hemp, coconut, chia, and red palm superfoods. You don’t want ot miss his presentation.

The hemp conference continues at 2 p.m. with “From Flower to Shelf: Building a Successful Integrated Hemp Company”, presented by Janell Ralph, CEO of Palmetto Synergistic Research. At 3 p.m., Chad Rosen with Victory Hemp Foods will discuss the diversity of the hemp market. Chad is dedicated to bringing hemp into the rural economy where sustainable economic development is a priority.

In addition to the Carolina Hemp Conference, the SC AgriBiz & Farm Expo will include continuing educational opportunities for farmers of all commodities across the Carolinas. The expo also features a farm show with a wide variety of equipment, farm products and educational components.

For more information on the Carolina Hemp Conference, click here. And to learn more about the expo, click here.