Federal regulations changed in 2018, which means now any farmer can try her hand at hemp production, see below. Unfortunately, the Ag Department of Wyoming has made it prohibitively expensive, at least for now.
October 2018. In July of this year the growing of hemp became legal in Wyoming. However, until the Department of Agriculture issues its guidelines, farmers must take a wait-and-see stance. Even the first attempts will be mere "trials" of 1/4-acre plots. Nevertheless, I am taking certain preliminary steps. For example, I secured a state grant to construct a high tunnel, see title page of construction manual to the left. While visiting Colorado hemp farmers I saw they raise their seedlings in high tunnels, then transplant them to the acreage outdoors when the plants are about two foot high.
For the first few years, however, I may not use the high tunnel for hemp plants, since they are still labeled Schedule I in the scheme of the federal DEA, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the state grant is partly funded by federal money. I may have to raise tomatoes until that changes.
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