How Much Money Can You Earn With A 1 Acre Hemp Farm?

Is growing hemp legal? It sure is.

In 2018 the USDA passed the Agricultural Improvement Act making the crop legal, and also set requirements for carefully testing the THC levels for hemp harvests. If you’re going to grow hemp, you have to follow the rules.

Dried hemp has a skyrocketing list of uses, ranging from making paper, rope, shoes, clothing or specific industrial products such as bioplastics, insulation and biofuel.

But the vast majority of hemp crops are grown for their buds, used to produce something called CBD.

People use CBD themselves and for their pets because they have seen results in easing aches and pains due to injury or age. Stop by a CBD shop, and you will see the enormous array of products, from liquid drops to edible chewable to oils and topical creams.

Hemp grains may also be finding their way onto dinner tables because of their high nutritional score when compared to standard grains. They are packed full of protein, amino acids, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, among other health benefits. And hemp seeds have been said to help heart and blood pressure issues in some people.

Clearly, CBD products are high on consumer lists, which means growers needs to ramp up production across the country.

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How Can I Get Started Growing Hemp?

You can grow hemp on farms both large and small. For our purposes, let’s say you decide to buy 1 acre of land. The average price for one acre of land is $3,160.

The optimal land would consist of flat fields in an environment of hot days and cool nights and a relatively short summer. Hemp is a summer and autumn crop that typically will be harvested between June and early November.

Or maybe you already have a few acres of land suitable for farming. Hemp plants usually are fairly easy to grow on a farm or orchard cultivated for other fruits or grains or vegetables. On average, hemp is ready to harvest about four to six months after planting. This means the crop can be cultivated several times in a single year.

You can expect to grow about 1,500 to 3,000 hemp plants per acre. Since sunlight is so critical, plan to space the plants about 3 to 5 feet apart.

You will need a hemp license from the US Department of Agriculture.

Most equipment and materials for growing hemp are the same as with any other type of farming methods. Although it is an annual crop, it is grown like a vine on vertical trellises. You will also need de-stemming machines to harvest the fibrous stems and separate the leaves and any other vegetation on the plant.

The process of removing the flower and leaves from the stem is known as “bucking.” Some hemp processors will take the untrimmed material and use the entire plant, but most require bucking. Bucking machinery will cost you an average of $155,000 for good performance.

How Much Profit Can I Make Per Acre?

Truth be told, it's difficult to determine how much you will make as it is largely dependent on what you are producing.

If you are growing hemp for the fibers, used in industrial processes, you probably won't be raking in the money hand over fist. If you create your own product with your hemp, you could have a vertically integrated business.

Getting into the business of CBD is likely to be the most profitable, although it is heavily regulated and requires proper licensing.