Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Hemp Festival celebrates first crop

By Sara Waite
Source: journal-advocate.com

Plants growing in the Colorado Hemp Project field on the Jim Brammer farm in Sterling. The Hemp Festival gave those interested an up-close look at the
Plants growing in the Colorado Hemp Project field on 
the Jim Brammer farm in Sterling. The Hemp Festival 
gave those interested an up-close look at the plant. 
(Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate)

Colorado Hemp Project's Hemp Festival in Sterling Sunday was attention-getting from the moment of arrival.
Sheriff's deputies helped guide traffic across the highway and into the entrance. After reaching the festival site, a skateboard ramp immediately drew the eye, as did the stage on the north end of the field, where bands performed live.
It wasn't just the sights that caught the senses: There was also a buzzing sort of hum from a drone capturing images of the event, and the scent of the cannabis crop the crowd was there to celebrate.
Vendors offered information about hemp as well as products made from the versatile plant at the 2014 Hemp Festival in Sterling Sunday.
Vendors offered information about hemp as well as products made from the versatile plant at the 2014 Hemp Festival in Sterling Sunday. (Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate)
In addition to the live entertainment, the event also featured several speakers with ties to the industry. Dr. Nolan Kane, a professor at the University of Colorado, shared information about the genome sequencing research he is involved in. He said that although the cannabis plant has been used for thousands of years and was independently domesticated, "We don't know much about the plant."
Kane believes his work, which is exploring the genetic differences in the varieties of cannabis — which both hemp and marijuana come from — will help standardize production and be valuable to farmers looking for ways to modernize the crop.
Other speakers addressed what's happening across the U.S. and the world in the hemp industry.
Doug Fine, author of "Hemp Bound," speaks next to the Colorado Hemp Project field at the Hemp Festival in Sterling on Sunday.
Doug Fine, author of "Hemp Bound," speaks next to the Colorado Hemp Project field at the Hemp Festival in Sterling on Sunday. (Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate)


A drone captures images over the skateboard ramp at the Colorado Hemp Project’s Hemp Festival.
A drone captures images over the skateboard ramp at the Colorado Hemp Project's Hemp Festival. (Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate)


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