Missouri's Historic Hemp Roots
The first reports of hemp being grown in Missouri as a crop date back to 1835 (USDA, 1914). Peak production in Missouri occurred in the mid-to-late-19th century. During this period, Missouri ranked second in the U.S. in hemp production after Kentucky. Missouri hemp production peaked just before the Civil War. In 1860, Missouri production totaled 19,267 tons, which was 26 percent of the total U.S. crop (Secretary of the Interior, 1864). The top five counties for hemp production were Saline County (3,920 tons), Lafayette County(3,558 tons), Platte County (1,793 tons), Pike County (1,758 tons), and Buchanan County (1,479 tons). Missouri hemp production decreased over time due to increased profitability of other crops, challenges with transporting hemp to Eastern markets, and unsatisfactory methods in cleaning fiber on hand brakes (USDA, 1914).
Missouri’s hemp production slipped to nearly zero by 1900.
Lexington
Civil War Battle of the Hemp Bales
The Hemp Industry Returns to Lafayette & Saline County
We are proud to be contributing to Lafayette County's Agricultural Industry and educating farmers on why hemp is an excellent crop to add to their rotation. Our Hemp Processing Facility is located in Lexington, a city, located in Lafayette County Missouri which has a rich hemp production and processing history. In the1860s, Lafayette County was the second in production behind our neighboring county Saline County. Our Facility will be opening in Fall 2023. With a processing capacity of 1 ton per hour, our facility will be producing Hemp Hurd, Hemp Fiber, and other hemp-based products. Our state-of-the-art facility is designed to produce the highest
quality hemp products while maintaining a sustainable, environmentally-friendly process. We are committed to providing our customers with the best in Hemp processing, and our facility will help us meet that commitment.
