Hemp Hogs
Lessons Learned: A Hemp Farmer's Account of Hemp Harvesting and a Harrowing Hurricane Season By Patrick Deshotels
Well it’s time to feed the Hemp Hogs. I remember a friend of mine telling me that although hemp is derived from a plant that can grow anywhere, you have to feed them a lot, hence “Hemp Hogs.� We planted the little Hemp Hogs for the 2020 inaugural hemp season in Louisiana and some lived, and some died. Some grew, some stayed small. Some ate their food, and others are still looking. Some of the hogs got the water they needed, and some are still thirsty. Some of them survived the first hurricane, and some survived the second hurricane. What a first year for hemp season in Louisiana! After Hurricane Laura, I took a quick walk through the hemp field. Although they were stressed, they were still standing, just like all of us. After Hurricane Laura cleared, we assessed the damage. We cleared roads, and we took care of people and families. Even today, 6 months later, we are still doing those things. The ripple effects of natural disasters, especially a big one like Hurricane Laura, lasts way longer than the hours of intense wind and water. People are displaced and hurting. Even those that were not directly hit feel the ripple effects. Naturally, during this time, my hemp fields took a back seat to the human beings that needed attention. Nevertheless, normalcy crept back into an area affected by a natural disaster. Everyone had tons of gratitude for the men and women that worked to get the electricity back up and running. That in itself had to be some type of historical, monumental accomplishment. Those heroes even worked through the next storm, Hurricane Delta, which swept through the same area. That type of
