Hemp cultivation in Vorarlberg – Regional, sustainable and innovative

The cultivation of approved EU hemp varieties listed in the agricultural variety catalog has been permitted since the 1970s. Due to the international surge of the cannabis plant in recent decades, the diverse applications of hemp in various sectors, as well as structural changes, the plant is becoming increasingly popular. Consequently, hemp fields are also appearing more frequently in public spaces. An image we are allowed to get used to. A Vorarlberg agricultural business has definitely set the course for the future. We at HANAFSAN visited our partner on-site, took a look around, and spoke with the managing director.

It’s not very common for a young Vorarlberg farmer to decide to specialize in hemp. How did this come about?

I have been fascinated by this plant since I was younger. I actually come from the IT sector and decided about 3 years ago, for both personal and health reasons, to hang up this profession long-term and try my hand at agriculture as a career changer. Due to my personal interest in the plant and the steadily growing societal acceptance, it quickly became clear to me in which direction my desired career change would go. Together with a good friend who has decades of expertise in horticulture and agriculture, we formed the basis for our business, which today stands on a strong foundation and is continuously growing.

What requirements must farmers or their businesses meet to cultivate hemp in Austria?

The cultivation of industrial hemp is fortunately a bit easier for Austrian agricultural businesses than, for example, in Germany. In Austria, all that is needed is the seed label as proof that it is EU-certified industrial hemp, and one must report the start and end of the flowering phase to the Agrarmarkt Austria. During the flowering phase, samples are taken by the AMA, which are then analyzed by AGES. If the THC content is below the limit, the plants may be harvested.

What are the biggest challenges in outdoor hemp cultivation? Can you tell us a bit about your daily life as hemp farmers?

As with all outdoor crops, the decisive factor is the weather. The hemp plant likes it warm but naturally also needs certain amounts of water. In this regard, this year’s summer was ideal for the hemp plant, as many consistently warm days alternated with a few rainy days. Of course, pests and diseases also play a role - fortunately, we have been completely spared from both.

Your hemp field is almost right in the middle of the market town of Lustenau. Wasn't there a lot of trouble at the beginning? What do the neighbors say who live directly adjacent to your farm?

We had no problems because we registered the field with the Lustenau police station before cultivation last year, so the local authorities were informed from the beginning that this is about THC-poor industrial hemp. The neighboring residents were initially curious and somewhat irritated, but they all have no problem with what we are doing. In this regard, we can really consider ourselves lucky. Amusingly, our field has almost become a little attraction in Lustenau, which most residents now know.

Which parts of the plant will you use and how does the harvest of a hemp field actually take place?

We utilize the entire plant, except for the roots. The harvest is mostly done manually, meaning the plants are cut from the field by hand, then the individual shoots are separated, and in the next step, the large leaves are plucked off. Since this year, we have harvesting machines that take over the final step, trimming the flowers, which is, of course, a significant relief. The flowers, as well as the trim and leaves, are then dried. The flowers are finally fermented in barrels over several weeks.

The year 2020 is your second year of large-scale outdoor hemp cultivation. Are you satisfied with this year's harvest and what are the plans for next year? Are there already expansion plans?

We are currently still in the middle of the harvest, and everything is going according to plan. We can only draw a conclusion once the entire field has been harvested, dried, and fermented, and we have the results of the laboratory values regarding the CBD content. We plan to cultivate more areas with hemp next year. We also already have plans for an indoor facility where we can cultivate CBD flowers year-round.

Image source: © 2020 Tabea Walch