A growth industry is shaping up in the Lovelock Industrial Area. Sierra Gold Hemp Vice President of Operations Rich Thompson shared his passion for hemp and some insight into big plans for the facility. A greenhouse tour was out of the question due to contamination concerns.
The Lovelock facility is SGH’s second hemp growth and processing facility in Nevada with the first in Pahrump. The goal is production of high quality, organic Cannabidiol (CBD) oil and other CBD extracts derived from female hemp plants designed and controlled for high CBD content.
A growing demand for CBD health, beauty and food products is spurring the hemp industry and CBD prices. The potential profit attracted more than 60 producers, crop irrigation salesmen, hemp clone dealers and others from around the region to a recent hemp workshop in Lovelock.
However, the high quality hemp production needed for high-dollar CBD extracts is demanding, time-consuming and labor intensive according to Thompson. The highest concentration of CBD is in the flowers of female hemp plants so male plants are eliminated from the indoor greenhouse environment and no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are allowed, he said.
Indoor hemp growth has started and CBD extraction and production will begin soon at the Lovelock facility, Thompson said. Whole plants will be processed but the gold is in the female flowers, he explained. Stems could eventually be sold as fiber so nothing will go to waste.
“As far as up and running with extraction here, not yet but very soon,” he said. “That will be extraction from the biomass of specific CBD high varietals and we extract using ethanol. We get a crude (CBD) oil so we’re going to be producing a lot of crude oil out of this facility. Ethanol is a solvent that dissolves the cannabinoids in the flower and the biomass of the rest of the plant. The entire plant is used but most of the CBD that we’re after is in the trichomes, which are glands that form on the female flowers. There are other cannabinoids in the plant material.”
Although the hemp biomass will be sold separately to the fiber market, CBD hemp varietals do not contain the level or strength of fiber that industrial hemp produces, Thompson explained.
“There are so many different avenues for selling the fiber,” he said. “The CBD varietals don’t produce the best fiber for making clothes and textiles but it still has many uses and people want it. There is no trash from processing hemp. But, the spent biomass, after we extract the CBD, eventually we’ll be extracting that to make plastics. That’s several stages down the road as far as us moving forward. Right now, it’s CBD- that’s the big demand right now.”
Thompson said there are many uses for low-THC cannabis plants known as hemp and history supports the claim. Before the crop was outlawed by the federal government in 1937, American farmers produced tough hemp fiber for rope, paper, textiles, sails and other products.
“The cannabis plant, specifically hemp, the low THC varietal of cannabis, not only is it medicine, like marijuana is, but it’s a million other things,” he said. “And, we (SGH) are on the leading edge of that industry. The supply (of CBD oil) cannot keep up with the demand.”
Although future prices for hemp will vary as with any other crop, that’s not a concern for Thompson. He and his crew are working with hemp plants produced by agricultural partners all over the county. SGH needs more CBD hemp that could be grown at the local level, he said. Again, the hemp must test “clean” meaning no chemicals such as herbicides or pesticides.
“Yes, we need more hemp. It just has to be tested. There’s a rigorous testing that we require before we process hemp. It gives a full reading on microbials, the CBD potency, of course, to see if it’s worth processing and the THC level. If it’s above .3 percent THC, it’s no longer hemp.”
To be safe, farmers planning to grow CBD hemp should be sure that hemp seeds and/or clones or seedlings are tested and guaranteed to produce low-THC, high-CBD crops. Clones, seedlings and seeds are or will be available from the Lovelock SGH facility, Thompson said.
“Clones will be available soon, Seeds are not yet available, We’re going to be cutting clones and we’ll have clones and seedlings for sale,” he said. “This is the Cherry Wine varietal from Bodie and it’s guaranteed to be below the .3 percent THC level and high in CBD.”
Right now, SGH clones are $7 each but they could give farmers a better chance of success.
“Planting seeds in the desert is problematic,” Thompson said. “Clones, you have a better chance of them being of size. Seed starts are probably the most desired because you have fresh genetics. Only thing is, if your buying mixed seed, then you are going to have a percentage of males that, if you are growing for CBD, you’re going to have to remove them.”
SGH produces “feminized” seed that 99 percent female but the price is high. Thompson estimated the certified seed would cost $1 to $3 per seed, depending on the quantity.
“There’s a lot of bunk seed out there but that’s why the certified seed is expensive,” he said. “We are going with the highest quality seed on the market. We are going to make millions of seeds. They will be ready pretty soon — we’re shooting for June.”
Thompson said there have been a number of inquiries from local farmers about hemp. SGH consultants will work with growers to help ensure their soil is properly prepared and amended for the crop to increase their chances for success.
“Farmers are approaching us everyday,” he said. “The soil has to be tested, manicured and nurtured. There has to be adequate water rights. We have remediation for alkaline soil. We have an agronomist and cultivation experts who have 30 plus years of cannabis growing experience.”
Flood irrigation can be adapted for hemp although pivots are ideal according to Thompson.
“As long as the crop can get adequate irrigation that it needs, there’s multiple ways to irrigate,”
he said. Thompson confirmed that good soil drainage is essential for hemp plants to thrive.
The desert environment’s low-humidity means less problems with fungus, diseases, pests and other problems that can plaque hemp crops in more humid areas, Thompson said.
“This is a great place to grow hemp because those things are not as much of a problem as in more humid areas,” he said. “It’s very similar to the Middle Eastern environment where the genetics are from.”
Thompson said SGH has big plans for the Lovelock processing facility and that local growers should have a reliable local market for high quality hemp crops, both CBD and fiber varieties.
“We are going to be the largest hemp processing facility in the country,” he said. “CBD is hot right now but the fiber production could potentially dwarf the CBD market when we get the infrastructure that’s necessary
