The Gleaner Combine: The Best Harvest Equipment For Hemp
Industrial hemp farming is an exciting and lucrative new opportunity for US farmers.
Demand for hemp products is rapidly growing and changes in legislation are now allowing commercial hemp farming throughout America, including for those of you living in DE, MD, NJ, PA and VA.
Hemp harvesting, however, is not without its challenges. Without the proper farming equipment, you won’t be able to maximize the return on your investment in hemp farming.
That’s why our team at Binkley & Hurst are so enthused about the Gleaner combine from AGCO.
Here in this article, we’ll provide you with more information about hemp farming, hemp products, the Gleaner combine’s unique ability to harvest hemp and how to apply for an industrial hemp farming permit in our region.
WHAT IS HEMP AND WHY IS IT RE-GAINING POPULARITY?
Hemp (AKA industrial hemp) is a member of the Cannabaceae plant family which is sought after for its edible seeds, oil and bast fiber.
Although related to and similar in appearance to the cannabis plants that are the source of marijuana, hemp does not contain the neceary levels of the compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cause the psychoactive effects of marijuana plants.
Because of its relation to the marijuana plant, hemp was unjustly prohibited from US commercial cultivation in the 20th century through the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Controlled Substances Act.
However through the 2018 United States Farm Bill, industrial hemp farming was once again federally legalized. Savvy farmers are now capitalizing on the advantages this crop can offer their portfolio.
Many farmers are finding that marketing their hemp through several different product channels is providing them with more resistance to market fluctuations and offering increased revenues. Hemp harvesting quadrupled in 2019 and analysts predict that it will see 400% more growth in 2020.
WHAT CAN HEMP BE USED FOR?
Hemp can be used for at least 25,000 different applications including medicines, food supplements, clothing, building materials, automobile parts, weed suppreion, pest control and even beauty products.
Hemp seeds, leaves and flowers are being used to produce medicinal oils and nutrition products which are in high demand in the US and global marketplace at this time.
Hemp seeds contain a significant amount of protein and are quickly growing in popularity as a key ingredient in healthy diets.
Hemp flowers and leaves can be used to derive therapeutic oil which is believed to have beneficial effects on a number of conditions ranging from anxiety to cancer.
The remaining hemp bioma after its oil has been extracted makes an excellent feed supplement. Lastly, the stalks of the hemp plant provide strong fiber for producing rope and other durable textiles.
The National Hemp Association is a terrific resource for learning more about hemp.
THE GLEANER COMBINE’S UNIQUE ABILITY TO HARVEST HEMP
Hemp is a hardy crop that grows quickly and resiliently in tough conditions. However it presents unique challenges in regard to cutting, feeding, threshing and separating.
That’s why it’s critical to have the right hemp farming equipment in order to maximize the many benefits of this versatile crop.
The Gleaner combine from AGCO can deliver consistent performance acro a wide variety of crops and changing field conditions.
Here at Binkley & Hurst, we’re fans of Gleaner’s stability of design in the face of varying field conditions. When you set up your Gleaner combine for one part your field, it will maintain its high performance throughout the day and acro fields and varying field conditions thanks to its innovative rotor positioning.
The intention of nearly every combine is for crop to be threshed in the first 20 percent of the rotor’s length and even this wide latitude can have an effect on settings and results.
When a crop is easy to thresh, it falls from the rotor cage closer to the concave side. In a crop that is tougher to thresh or separate, it will fall closer to the separation side.
Additionally, threshed crop will disproportionately accumulate under the side where it is fed into the rotor. The challenge this has created is that optimum fan settings can be tough to maintain if the threshing characteristics are uneven acro the field.
If the combine’s air is set for easy threshing crop, any harder threshing crop runs the risk of being blown out the back. Conversely, if the combine is set to conserve material that threshes and separates further down the rotor, early threshing material may not get sufficiently clean.
In a field with uneven conditions, the challenge of maintaining an optimum setting is significant.
Because the rotor in a Gleaner sits perpendicular to the incoming crop steam, all crop—be it easy threshing crop that separates near the concave or tougher threshing crop like hemp which separates later—will all be metered through the a set of distribution augers and propelled in a narrow ribbon at the front of the shoe.
This means the distance between the crop stream and fan never changes. Additionally, with crop propelling down from the accelerator rolls in the same position every time, the entire shoe is always utilized no matter the field condition or threshing characteristic of the crop.
HOW TO APPLY FOR AN INDUSTRIAL HEMP FARMING PERMIT?
Although hemp is no longer categorized in the US as a controlled substance, it is still a closely regulated crop which requires a permit for cultivation.
Each state has needed to proactively submit their hemp program for USDA approval, or, have paed legislation to remove hemp from their state’s controlled substances act in order to receive the greenlight for cultivation from the USDA. Within states where hemp farming is now permitted, Farmers interested in commercially cultivating hemp must apply for permiion. Here is more information about how to apply for a hemp farming permit in the Binkley & Hurst region:
- Growing Hemp in Delaware
- Growing Hemp in Maryland
- Growing Hemp in New Jersey
- Growing Hemp in Pennsylvania
- Growing Hemp in Virginia
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF A GLEANER COMBINE
Our team of new and used farming equipment experts at Binkley & Hurst welcome you to contact us online or visit any of our locations in Lititz, PA; Richland, PA; Kennedyville, MD; Harrisonburg, VA; Dayton, VA; and Seaford, DE to learn more about the competitive advantages you can expect from a Gleaner Combine.
WE ARE HONORED TO SERVE YOU, NOW, AND IN THE FUTURE
For more than 75 years, we’ve served farmers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. We highly value the many long-term relationships which God has directed to us.
We are committed to Godly stewardship of all of our resources and look forward to providing premium products and supportive services to each of our valued Customers, who entrust us with a relationship.
