The U.S. Hemp Growers Assn. (USHGA), www.ushempga.org, the only national farmer-directed hemp trade association, was announced recently in Indianapolis, Ind. Founded by a diverse group of leaders, the organization will provide world-class educational and market development resources, research and networking opportunities and will unify the voice of farmers to actively engage in critically important advocacy efforts, the announcement said.

Founding partners that came together to create USHGA include the U.S. Hemp Farming Alliance, First Crop, International Hemp Solutions, HiLo Seed, GenCanna and Farm Journal. At the launch, more than 300 farmer-members of the U.S. Hemp Farming Alliance will be folded into USHGA.

Caren Wilcox will serve as the inaugural USHGA executive director. Wilcox is a well-known agricultural and food industry leader who has held executive roles at Hershey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Organic Trade Assn. USHGA will meet in late February 2020 in San Antonio, Texas, to secure founding partners and to install an initial board of directors. A majority of the board leaders will be active hemp farmers.

"I am honored to be a part of this historical moment in U.S. agriculture and lend my experience and expertise to the emerging commercial hemp industry as we develop this organization," USHGA executive director Caren Wilcox said. "The forward-thinking industry leaders who have partnered on this endeavor see the potential for hemp as an agricultural commodity and understand this industry can contribute to the environment and sustainable products that benefit, at the grassroots level, farmers and consumers."

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"Industrial hemp provides a unique economic opportunity for farmers and all of rural America," First Crop co-founder Michael Bowman said. "I am thrilled that First Crop is a founding partner of USHGA. Our focus is to promote regenerative farming practices to nurture the soil, not just for this year's crop but for future generations, and hemp is one of the tools that will help us achieve these goals."

Farmers and organizations interested in supporting U.S. agriculture's role in the success of industrial hemp may visit www.ushempga.org to obtain more information or to sign up as a member of USHGA.