Hemp (Grain/Fiber)
Cannabis sativa L.
Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) for grain and fiber is an annual crop suitable for Zones 4-9, grown for seed/oil and bast fiber from the stalk. Requires well-drained loamy soils, moderate precipitation, and 100+ frost-free days; dual-purpose varieties common.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
Overview
Growing Season
- Plant
- May to early June (after frost risk) – May to early June (after frost risk)
- Harvest
- Fiber: Aug-Sep; Grain: Sep-Oct – Fiber: Aug-Sep; Grain: Sep-Oct
- Frost-free days
- 100+
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 100
Yield
- Typical yield
- 3.97 tons or lb/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 1 years
Market Fit
Active Regional Buyers
Established crop with known regional buyers
Price Trend Stable/Up
Price stable over past 3 years
Supply Below Demand
Regional supply roughly balanced with demand
Multiple Buyer Channels
Limited market channels; primarily single outlet
Value-Added Potential
Strong value-added potential through processing, direct sales, or specialty products
Market Growth Projected
Strong market growth projected
Market Channels
Climate Fit
Hardiness Zone Match
Region's hardiness zone within crop range (4.0-9.0)
GDD Sufficient
Regional GDD (2600) meets crop requirement (2500)
Precipitation Compatible
Regional precipitation (~40 in/yr) compatible with crop needs
Frost-Free Season OK
Frost-free season (160 days) meets crop requirement (100 days)
Chill Hours Met
Chill hour requirement N/A for this crop type or met by default
Climate Trend Favorable
Climate projections remain favorable for this crop in the region
Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Equipment Compatible
Standard farm equipment compatible or easily adapted
Storage Available
Dry/ambient storage sufficient; commonly available on farms
Irrigation Compatible
Low water needs or rain-fed viable
Field Layout Suitable
Vineyard field layouts suitable for this crop
Labor Availability
Labor needs manageable with existing farm workforce
Processing Proximity
No nearby specialized processing; may need direct marketing or shipping
Equipment Requirements
harvesting
Turns cut fibre stalks during field retting to achieve even fibre separation.
Windrows retted stalks ahead of baling.
Bales retted fibre for transport to a decorticator.
Most grain varieties can be harvested with typical combines familiar to US farmers. Fibre wrapping in the header becomes a serious problem when harvest is delayed.
Fibre hemp requires specialty equipment; the market for machinery able to handle the crop height is limited.
cultivation
Primary tillage for fibre-oriented production systems.
planting
Rutgers and UVM both note standard grain drills are suitable for establishing hemp.
post_harvest
Hemp grain comes off at high moisture and deteriorates quickly; prompt drying is required to preserve oil quality.
Storage Requirements
Ambient dry storage (grain)
Temperature
40–60°F
Humidity
50–65%
Max Storage
365 days
Cold storage (hulled/dehulled grain)
Temperature
32–40°F
Humidity
50–60%
Max Storage
365 days
Frozen (hemp oil/kernel)
Temperature
-10–0°F
Max Storage
730 days
Baled fiber (dry storage)
Temperature
32–90°F
Humidity
?–65%
Max Storage
1095 days
Finance Fit
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue ($794/acre) below regional average
Input Costs Acceptable
Annual operating costs ($390/acre) within typical farm budgets
Payback Period OK
Annual crop; returns in first season
Insurance Available
Federal crop insurance available
Revenue Per Labor Hour
Mechanized crop; good revenue per labor hour
Grants/Subsidies
No specific subsidy programs identified
Economics Breakdown
| Avg Price/Unit | $0/$/lb |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $794 |
| Annual Operating Cost | $390/acre |
| Establishment Cost | $546/acre |
| Total Input Cost | —/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | $248 |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Available |
Source: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, USDA RMA, regional budget studies (2025)
Risk Fit
Manageable Pest/Disease
Low pest/disease pressure; manageable with standard IPM
Market Diversified
High dependence on single buyer or volatile niche market
Low Establishment Risk
Low establishment risk; quick to establish or low upfront investment
Climate Resilient
Moderate climate resilience for the region
Regulatory Burden Low
Significant regulatory and compliance requirements
Diversifies Portfolio
Diversifies farm revenue away from grape monoculture
Known Risks
pest
Reported hemp pest; feeding on leaves and developing seed heads, with pressure highest in dry seasons and along field margins.
Reported to cause damage across North America. Larvae tunnel stalks, weakening them and creating entry points for stalk rots.
Reported defoliator of hemp in North America; damage concentrates in outbreak years and can be rapid.
regulatory
Rutgers states plainly that no pesticide materials are currently registered for use on hemp. Growers therefore have essentially no chemical rescue treatment for any of the pests and diseases above.
Production requires state licensing with mandatory pre-harvest THC testing. A crop testing above the statutory threshold must be destroyed regardless of agronomic quality or contracted value.
disease
Reported to infect and impact industrial hemp. Attacks dense inflorescences and stems in humid conditions, and can collapse a grain crop close to harvest.
Sclerotinia infects hemp and persists in soil as sclerotia for years, constraining rotation with other susceptible hosts such as soybean, canola and sunflower.
market
Fibre in particular depends on decortication capacity that remains thin in the Northeast. Without a processor in economic haul distance the crop has no route to market.
Nutritional Yield
Nutrition data pending.
Research agents will profile Hemp (Grain/Fiber) against USDA FoodData Central on the next maintenance pass. Per-acre nutritional yield will appear here once the per-100g panel is recorded.
Ecosystem Services
Pest suppression
- Dense canopy weed suppressionhigh
Fibre-density hemp closes canopy rapidly and shades out most annual weeds, which is why the crop is typically grown without herbicides — significant given that no pesticides are registered for hemp at all.
Applies when: Requires fibre-density seeding rates; widely spaced grain plantings do not close canopy the same way.Evidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: high
Carbon sequestration
- High biomass accumulationmoderate
Rapid accumulation of above-ground biomass in a single season. Durable sequestration depends on the end use — fibre in long-lived building materials retains carbon, whereas combustion or short-cycle products do not.
Applies when: Only where fibre enters durable products such as hempcrete or board.Evidence: Modeled estimate·Confidence: low
Soil health
- Deep taproot and soil structuremoderate
Hemp develops a vigorous taproot that penetrates compacted layers, improving structure and water movement for the following crop in the rotation.
Applies when: Effect is on the following crop; benefit realised in rotation rather than in the hemp year.Evidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: medium
Nutrient cycling
- Retted residue returnmoderate
Field retting leaves leaf and fine-stem material on the surface, returning nutrients taken up during the season rather than exporting the whole plant.
Applies when: Applies to field-retted fibre systems, not whole-plant removal.Evidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: medium
Nearby Buyers
Data Sources
Every data point on this page is traceable to its source. Below you'll find the complete provenance trail — which sources were used, when data was last verified, and a full change history.
Primary sources: Data sourced from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, USDA resources, and regional research.
Economics data year: 2025 · Region: lake_erie
46 tracked changes across 6 data categories