With the growth of hemp production in Tennessee comes budding interest and now there’s a new tour to learn all about the industry.
From the ins to the outs, to what it’s really like to grow hemp, Rabbit Circle Farm Tours is now hopping onto Middle Tennessee’s newest cash crop.
Sixth-generation farmer Jennifer Davis runs the tours.
“I’ve been doing the farm tours here for about a year and in the last three or four months especially I’ve had a lot of folks start asking questions about hemp,” said Davis.
That’s when Rabbit Circle’s Hemp Tours was born.
Davis combined her extensive background in agriculture with her connections to area hemp farmers.
“It’s more to not necessarily be an educator but the facilitator,” said Davis. “What are those opportunities for farmers? I think there’s maybe a little misconception that you’ll be able to come out here and play at a cannabis plant and suddenly you’ll be a millionaire.”
The tours start in Nashville where Davis drives to at least three Middle Tennessee Hemp Farms.
“We go through a regular till application, the no-till application, and then a strip field,” said Davis.
Next comes history.
“Up until for sure the early 1950s, it was a viable economic crop,” she said.
Then the business side.
“This was what was in this field last year, this is the potential for what might be in this field next year,” said Davis.
Finally, the reality for farmers.
Jerry Jones is a 7th generation tobacco farmer making the switch to grow hemp.
“You have to learn a lot learn on the fly,” said Jones. “Tobacco has been the mainstay for Robertson County for 100 years I guess but it’s kind of passing. You don’t make as much per acre anymore and it’s just harder to get by on it.”
“I would like this to be an intermediary for people to be educated and entertained at the same time,” said Davis.
The tour costs $75 per person — $5 will be donated to the Tennessee Growers Coalition and $5 will be donated to the Tennessee Hemp Industries Association.
Link to Original Content- https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/new-tour-gives-crash-course-in-hemp/