The USA’s National Hemp Association (NHA) has been awarded $19.67 million to help protect the Chesapeake Bay Watershed through innovative hemp cultivation.
The funding was announced last week as part of the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which supports solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.
Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. Maryland and Virginia border it, but the Bay’s watershed, spanning over 64,000 square miles, covers parts of six states and the District of Columbia. It supports a wide range of fauna and flora, local communities, and agriculture. But the watershed is under threat from pollution and agricultural runoff.
The NHA project will see hemp cultivated and monitored on up to 5,000 acres annually, using methods expected to reduce nutrient runoff, pesticide contamination, and soil erosion; meanwhile improving the overall health of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in and around Chesapeake Bay.
Hemp’s deep-root system is well suited for phytoremediation activities, and it can create additional income streams for farmers.
“This is an incredible opportunity to demonstrate hemp’s ability to contribute to climate-smart agriculture, help farmers adopt sustainable practices, and expand the industrial hemp industry,” said NHA Executive Director Erica Stark.
Cultivation practices will include contour farming, crop rotation, cover cropping, nutrient management, and no-till.
“This initiative will not only protect the Chesapeake Bay but also highlight the potential of hemp in building a sustainable agricultural future,” says the NHA.
The project will be supported by i-Hemp Katalyst, which is to contribute more than $31 million to offset producer costs and serve as the off-take partner. I-Hemp Katalyst was founded to offer high quality hemp fiber products to American manufacturers and it partners with North American farmers, processors and manufacturers to develop sustainably grown and processed industrial hemp.
Further details regarding the project will be made available when the partnership agreement is finalized and as the initiative progresses.
The NHA funding was part $1.5 billion awarded to 92 projects through the RRCP. Partners will provide $968 million in contributions.
“The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is an example of public-private partnership at its best,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Of the 92 projects, the only one to specifically mention hemp in the project summaries was NHA’s.
