When industrial hemp production was legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, Bill quickly became a key figure in the emerging hemp industry. He sees hemp as one of the most promising opportunities of his lifetime- both as a high value cash crop for farmers and as a versatile resource with wide-ranging medical and industrial applications.

Hemp Research

Bill has been deeply involved in advancing hemp production through extensive research and hands-on innovation. This year, his team at Native Prairie achieved a major milestone by receiving a USDA research license- becoming the first non-university to do so.

What makes Bill and his team at Native Prairie unique is their farmer-focused research approach. They aim to make hemp production profitable and practical for farmers by developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Return on Investment (ROI) strategies.

In addition to production strategies, Bill and his team are researching soil remediation. Their research includes using hemp, sunflowers, and mustard to remove toxins and heavy metals from the soil, with the goal of creating cleaner, healthier ground for future crops.

Below are a couple of videos from Bill in the hemp research plots from the 2021 growing season.