On the Farm with Other Saskatchewan Crops

So one evening we drove down a ways South of Saskatoon to visit a grower who is using AgroLiquid for the first time this year.  He is a grower with new Retail Partner Kellen Huber, whose business is Kell Teck Ag Ltd. Here we see Dan, SAM John and Kellen listening to the grower describe a newish and valuable crop.  You would think Dan had never seen this crop being cultivated before. Well neither had I.  What is it?  Look close.

Can you see better now?  It's hemp.  No, it's not dope, weed, ganja, Acapulco Gold, or any of the other names for marijuana.  This has no THC and is non-hallucinogenic. It can make three valuable products: hemp hearts, hemp oil and fiber.  The grower has a large number of acres of hemp.  In this field he has a split between the usual 28% + 10-34-0 (left) and Primagro N + Pro-Germinator + Micro 500 (right).  We saw that the Agro side was taller and thicker.  But time will tell.

 There are both male and female hemp plants in the field (they're dioceous).  The male plants are making flowers now to pollinate the females.  That's a female on the left and a male on the right.

 This is a handful of Hemp seeds from last year's harvest.  Here, seeds are desirable.

They are processed to remove the hull leaving the Hearts.  They are kind of like sunflower seeds and added to salads and other foods.  I thought they were good just straight.  They come in a package labelled Hemp Hearts.  I've never seen it sold in the US, but I checked and it is produced in some states.  So be on the lookout.  Or just find the good Canadian hearts.

Here is a bottle of Hemp oil that the grower had.  Not sure what you do with that.  The label makes it sound like it can fix anything.  Maybe I should have taken a swig.

 Here is the drill set-up, a Seed Hawk unit.  This drill can put the fertilizer either with  the seed or to the side of the seed.  For hemp it is all placed to the side.

 Like I showed from the Ag In Motion show, Canadian equipment is very large.  I had to back up quite a bit to get this all in.  But you have the tractor, then the air seeder/fertilizer applicator, then the seed cart, then the liquid cart.  Kellen helped set this all up for AgroLiquid application.  I couldn't imagine pulling such a train of equipment like that.

 Another crop produced up here is lentils.  They are all over the place.  And who doesn't like lentil soup?  Here is Sales Account Manager John getting a closer look.  These had an if-furrow application of Primagro P + Micro 600 + Molybdenum.  They are finishing flowering and making pods now.  But they look great.  Although some rain would certainly help this and all the crops in the area.

 Another crop grown on this farm is malt barley.  Like most of the fields around, they go as far as you can see.  That's why they have such large planting equipment.  And maybe someday this will be done with the driverless equipment we saw at the show.  Maybe.

Always enjoy looking at crops, especially new ones.  And especially like looking at them with AgroLiquid.  Dry is still the predominant fertilizer up here.  But Kellen and AgroLiquid are working to change that.