Bitterroot hemp co-op

Bitterroot Hemp Co-op plants seeds for new photo CourtesyAndrew Burgess Hemp at mid-season, Stevensville, MT.

Ag industry

PAUL WALCZAK Bitterroot Hemp Cooperati ve

The passage of the 2018 US Farm Bill resulted in industrial hemp being identified as a legal agricultural crop in Montana.

Legal hemp must be a variety of the plant Cannabis sativa L. containing no greater than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp provides a variety of environmental, agricultural and industrial uses, and American hemp proved a vital resource contributing to the Allies’ victory in World War II . An abundance of media attention concerning the potential for high profits from hemp and derivative products has piqued Bitterroot Valley interests.

On the heels of the Farm Bill’s passage, several Ravalli County residents got together in late 2018 to form the Bitterroot Hemp Co-op (BHC), becoming the first hemp co-operative in Montana. Nearly 100 people showed up for organizational meetings in early 2019, with current membership at 60 shareholders and growing. The co-op serves members with a range hemp industry interests, from farming and agricultural support, through end-product development.

Pioneer hemp growers in Ravalli County faced a mixed experience in 2019.

There wasn’t an extensive hemp-related agricultural knowledge base to draw from, farm equipment tailored to other crops was not well-suited for hemp, and other typical farming risks materialized. Spring and early summer weather conditions

proved to be uncooperative and growers had to experiment with planting and irrigation techniques that were not always successful.

Compliance with state administrative regulations, which required considerable licensing and testing fees, raised the cost of entry to small farmers, while still-evolving rules inhibited business planning.

On top of this, the cooperative business form was new to many BHC members, and any experience from similar endeavors in the Bitterroot was not directly transferrable to the emerging hemp market. As in any start-up activity, there were growing pains.

With the lessons learned from the 2019 experience, 2020 foresees positive outcomes ahead. The BHC’s leadership is committed to achieving a cooperative business-to-business enterprise with a mission to help increase profitability in members’ hemp-related businesses.

BHC members are business owners, whether they operate as sole-proprietors or other entity forms, who also own a share in the co-op business.

They have a role in co-op governance, following the democratic principles at the heart of the cooperative business model.

They also benefit from shared resources and services that can be applied to reduce barriers to entry, help mitigate risks, and provide advantages of scale in the industrial hemp market that might not be availed to individuals. The co-op is establishing a range of services and educational opportunities that are of interest to hemp industry participants and continues to engage with relevant public and private organizations to promote mutually beneficial outcomes.

Future planning now underway explores establishing hemp processing capability in Ravalli County, and cooperative farming arrangements that serve as incubators for farmers that may lack prior agricultural or hemp-related experience.

For readers interested in learning more about the co-op, visit our web site at bitterroothemp. coop, contact us by phone at 406.209.8984, or send email to president@bitterroothemp.coop. BHC ownership opportunity through co-op membership is still available.

june 2017

MAGAZI n e september 2017 m AGAZIN e In this issue Local produce program Blueweed Mulching with hay and more! March 2017 M a G a ZINE

In this issue Polyculture Goat lice, 4-H and more! september 201 8 m AGAZIN e In this issue Local economic opportunity Cheat grass 4-H leaders and more! In this issue Manged intensive grazing Sugar beet history Raising hogs and more!

june 2019

MAGAZINE

A special publication by the Ravalli Republic. Look for the next issue March 2020 and the spring issue in March,2020