Our Fall hemp harvest is here, which means long days for our farmers - but in this industry, it's the time we look forward to all year. The crops are full of lush, green plants which will soon be turned into a rich, golden oil. The process is really quite amazing to witness. We answered some commonly asked questions about our harvest process.
How long is the growing cycle for a mature hemp plant?
About 120 days.
Can you grow hemp year around?
In some climates, you can grow hemp year-round. However, colder temperatures during winter seasons will make it more difficult. Growing CBD plants outdoors in natural sunlight is also seasonally dependent. The plant depends on shorter day lengths between summer and fall seasons to naturally flower and begin to produce cannabinoids.
Why is Kentucky ideal for growing hemp?
Kentucky has great, clay-like soil which grows large strong plants. Seasonally, Kentucky has hot, balmy summers that the plants love during their vegetation period. The falls are cool and crisp.
Winter tends to be very cold and dry which naturally helps with the curing process. Kentucky also has deep rooted ag culture; there are a lot of great farmers and equipment that can be utilized for growing hemp.
What's the difference between harvesting hemp for textiles vs. extracts?
We use a different harvesting machine for textiles which we then bail into long fibers after the plants are left to ret in the fields. Our extract harvest is typically hand-harvested.
Once the plants are cut down, what is the process of getting them ready for extraction?
The plants are hung, dried and cured in barns. We then remove the flowers from the stalks and clip the flowers into small particles. We then use some specialized equipment to remove remaining stem and seed matter. This material is then taken into the lab for extraction.
Can you briefly explain the extraction process?
We use a fractional distillation process starting with food grade ethanol. This is a commonly used method for extracting CBD and other cannabinoids, and is also one of the cleanest ways to extract for human consumption.
We then employ distillation techniques to remove the solvent from the extract. Our testing protocols test down to 5 parts per billion in which no ethanol (or any other solvents) are found in our extracts.
Finally, we use our own organic, cold-pressed hemp seed oil as a carrier oil for our tinctures and our softgels.
To learn more about Ananda Hemp products, click here.
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