Locally, many farmers are optimistic about the possible impact the hemp industry can have in Goshen County.
Colby Ochsner, a third-generation farmer who sits on the Goshen County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, said that while hemp is an exciting new prospect, there is a lack of infrastructure at the onset of this new industry that farmers should keep in mind.
“It’s exciting that there is an opportunity to grow another crop,” he said. “There’s hopefully going to be an opportunity for some economic growth, and I think there’s a lot of questions to get answered between growing and processing and everything, but it’s one more barrier the industry needed to cross to get the ball rolling.
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“The great thing is that we’ve been working hard in Goshen County to be on the forefront of the industry.”
Miyamoto also emphasized this is virtually an entirely new industry in the United States.
There was infrastructure in place and there was hemp production prior to World War II, but hemp became illegal soon afterwards due to its similarities to marijuana.
“This is a brand new crop with inherent risks and a challenging regulatory structure, so we encourage producers and processors to look closely at the rules and regulations if they choose to attempt growing or processing hemp in 2020,” Miyamoto explained. “With that said, we are excited to get this program off the ground and to start a hemp industry in Wyoming.”
