MDARD Reminds Hemp Growers About Cultivation Season Requirements
September 12, 2023
As the hemp cultivation season progresses, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) would like to remind hemp growers of the following information. If you have any questions, please contact us at the phone number above or email MDARD-IndustrialHemp@Michigan.gov. We are happy to help!
Grower Registration: If you did not receive a paper copy of your hemp Grower Registration certificate in the mail, you may not be registered. If you submitted a complete application and did not receive a certificate, call MDARD’s Central Licensing Unit at 517-256-7509 during regular business hours.
Applying does not guarantee you are registered. If there are any deficiencies, you will receive an email requesting additional information. If you do not correct deficiencies, you will not be issued a certificate. Ensure you provide MDARD a valid, monitored email with your application. There is no deadline to apply, but you must be registered before receiving seeds, clones, transplants or performing other grower activities.
Unpaid Fees or Fines: MDARD will not conduct preharvest sampling until all outstanding invoices or fines issued are paid. Invoices for THC testing by MDARD’s Geagley Laboratory are emailed to the email address you provided the MDARD inspector during the sampling visit. If you need another invoice or have an unpaid fine and need more information, send an email to MDARD-IndustrialHemp@Michigan.gov. Invoices open over 180 days are sent to the Michigan Department of Treasury for collection.
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Crop Acreage Reporting: You must contact the FSA to receive your 2023 crop acreage report, which lists unique FSA numbers for each lot of hemp you are growing. You need to have this information before you request preharvest sampling from MDARD and sampling by MDARD is required before harvesting hemp for any purpose. Find more information about FSA reporting here.
Preharvest Sampling: Please see the technical bulletin outlining the process. Submit an online preharvest sampling request here to MDARD 20 to 30 days before your planned harvest date, and an inspector will promptly contact you to schedule an appointment. All hemp program costs are outlined here.
Performance-Based Sampling (PBS): Federal law and Michigan’s Industrial Hemp Growers Act allow for reduced preharvest sampling for lower-risk crop types when growers sign up for PBS, meet specific program requirements, and grow one or more of the following crop types: microgreens; clones or transplants and mother plants; or fiber and grain hemp varieties grown from certified seed.
More information can be found here. If you qualify, sign up online here.
College and university researchers planning on harvesting hemp lots can also participate in PBS if they propose how sampling and testing will be handled in a written plan reviewed by MDARD. More information can be found here.
Anyone participating in PBS must sign up annually or submit a college/university researcher plan yearly. Once signed up, your district inspector will receive your information and work with you during your first preharvest sampling inspection or PBS review inspection to discuss your sampling options.
Getting Assistance: There are a variety of Compliance Assistance Documents posted online at www.Michigan.gov/HempLaws. If you are trying to remember the posting requirements, program fees, recordkeeping requirements, preharvest sampling process, disposal vs. remediation options and more, please check out MDARD’s website.
Your district plant health inspector is another great source of information – look on your inspection report from last year for contact information or contact the call center at 1-800-292-3939 and provide the county your business is in to connect with your inspector.
You can also email MDARD-IndustrialHemp@Michigan.gov with questions.
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