Pennsylvania K-12 Students Will Be Taught About the Benefits of Hemp

As part of the daily demonstrations at next year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show, K-12 students will learn about plastics made from sustainable materials, including hemp. The show also includes information on growing plants with hydroponics.

The 2021 Farm Show will be held virtually January 9-16 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Its theme is “Cultivating Tomorrow.”

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said that the show “offers learning experiences and exposure to a growing field with real-world, rewarding opportunities.”

“Wherever you are on your career path – whether you’re looking for hands-on learning, career inspiration, or you just want to know more about your food and the challenges facing those who produce it – the 2021 virtual Farm Show will offer opportunities to learn and engage with agriculture and the science, technology, engineering driving it.” – Redding in a press release

It isn’t the first time hemp will be featured at the state-sponsored agriculture showcase; last year’s in-person show had hemp products for sale, including teas and kitty litter, according to PennLive. The show also had a hemp exhibit that included a small home made from hemp and a “hemp-mobile.”

In 2020, the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department issued 510 hemp cultivation permits and its first round of hemp processing permits – 65 in all. The state issued its first hemp-growing licenses in 2017 – a total of just 14 for 36 total acres.

The Agriculture Department is currently accepting hemp industry applications for 2021 permits.