Focused on Farming
Photo: iStockphoto.com/Tinnakorn Jorruang
// ILLINOIS TECH ZONE Presented By
Taking the Crop From Soil to Oil By Ebby Stone
How well do you multitask? Dozens of studies have linked multitasking to poor productivity. You read that correctly — the more you try to do at once, the less you actually accomplish. So why are so many in the hemp industry trying to master every aspect from seed to sale? In traditional agriculture, farmers take their product to a processor who organizes its sale to a retailer. It’s a model that’s worked for decades and could easily help streamline production for the hemp sector. Whitefield Hemp Partners Founder John Read explains, “An easy way to think about it for Midwest farmers is we duplicate what a grain elevator does. We let the farmer focus on what he’s good at, which is growing the crop. We focus on what we’re good at, which is processing it and moving the finished goods.” This approach allows farmers to cultivate as much yield as possible, which begins with strong genetics.
80
Cannabis & Tech Today // Summer 2021
Start with proven seedling varieties with high feminization and germination rates. Next, it may be helpful to seek a consultant or a partner who can help work through problems, create timelines, and offer support with unexpected challenges. Then it’s up to the farmer to ensure a robust crop makes it to the processor. “Entering hemp cultivation, the key is having an extremely strong partner, who is reliable, for taking your biomass,” said Read.
“There are no harmful chemicals or solvents. It’s as close to an organic process as possible. We’re using pharmaceutical food-grade gas for our extraction,” said Read. “We can load wet or dry biomass into our machine. The material is completely unharmed. You’re able to pull your biomass back out of the process. You can take that biomass and reuse it on the fiber side or for whatever other uses there are for the spec materials. It’s not wasted.”
If the farmer is working with a comprehensive solution provider like Whitefield Hemp Partners, that’s the last step in turning a profit. Whitefield takes the biomass and processes it for market using a technology called biogenesis extraction. In a single pass, their system creates finished oil in less than two hours. It’s also a fullspectrum solution that pulls out all the cannabinoids and terpenes, offering a versatile finished product with multiple applications in the marketplace.
Making the most of one’s resources is what helped build the Midwest into such a resilient region. It’s also what’s allowed Read to persevere as a fourth-generation farmer and why he’s passionate about helping local families succeed. “When we started Whitefield Hemp Partners, we were trying to build a company that could help bring an additional sustainable crop to the Midwest to help the Midwest farmer continue to grow,” said Read. ❖
