American Hemp Farmer: Adventures and Misadventures in the Cannabis Trade

Fine (Hemp Bound) shares his own experiences with hemp farming, which is “about to become the fastest agricultural industry ever to reach a billion dollars in annual sales,” in this educational outing. From a practical farming perspective, it’s a boon, as “for the first time in generations... a family can make a living while hand-harvesting on small acreage.” Fine covers the crucial points of hemp farming, from “soil building” to the type of seed to buy (open-source). Readers will learn what to expect to pay for seed, about weeding (it’s relaxing), and how to overcome “mid-season panic attacks” about the harvest. Fine explores hand harvesting (“can people do as good a job as John Deere”?) and describes processing hemp in a commercial kitchen and the various extraction methods involved. More generally, he discusses the value of work co-ops, having “a compelling backstory” for one’s product (“I cultivate hemp because...”), and studying the exemplary example of small-business management provided by craft breweries. For anyone interested in hemp cultivation or simply learning more about the newest “gold rush” crop, this is well worth picking up. (May)