The signing of the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill opened the door for hemp farming nationwide, bringing back a crop that was once decades ago widely-farmed for a variety of uses across the country.

It took a couple of years to get the state program flushed out, but here in Florida, they’ve been issuing hemp farming licenses for about two years. In that time, the new plant helped usher in a whole new sector of the agriculture industry and in turn gave new hope to farmers.

“There’s something really tangible about being able to put your hands in the dirt and actually work with a living plant,” says Jammie Treadwell, co-owner of Treadwell Farms in Umatilla.

Treadwell comes from a long line of Florida farmers. “Over 100 years of agriculture experience on both sides-everything from growing row crops like okra for the Campbell Soup Company to running the local grist mill up in the panhandle,” she explained.

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