Feb 26

Hemp love in February

This month we indulged in February festivities by visiting our Sponsor Hempstock Pharms in Woodstock, IL to share the love (and some amazing pizza!) at their "Be MY Valentine" night. We had a blast meeting new people and sharing ways we take time to tune in with our bodies, practice self care, and pamper ourselves. We swapped stories and got creative with activities meant to bring ourselves and each other up. It was a great way to recharge on chilly winter night - in the warm glow of good friends, food, and hemp. If you have been looking for connections in the Illinois hemp community, Stacy, her team, and her products will treat you right!

Check out coverage of the fun in the fist installment of our new video series, "Plants, Products, and Pioneers with Rachel Berry" below!

You can find us on the airwaves this month too via the Cole Memo Podcast (formerly the Chillinois Podcast). Chris sat down with Cole and Phil to discuss the latest iteration of Illinois' hemp rules and more. You can follow Cole on social media or support him and grassroots journalism through Patreon. NOTE: This episode is not available on the channel at the time this blog was published but will be up very soon!

With all the unseasonably nice weather this month you can almost feel spring in the air, but with several more weeks of wintery weather ahead of us we have been busy with what we love best...planning ahead for a season full of activities and educational events! Some things we have in store in the coming months are ...

the IHGA Hemp Highlights Night next month in Springfield. We are excited to be hosting members and the public for an evening of industry updates you won't hear at IDOA's Hemp Summit (happening prior to our event), intimate networking with farmers, business owners, speakers from the summit, and U.S. Hemp Building Association representation / hemp builder, Ingrid Fay.

There will be pizza and raffles included with ticket price and local beer on tap (cash bar). Come by and see us, it's sure to to be a great time! Kindly RSVP by 3/17 for an extra raffle ticket!

Tickets are $10 per person and $5 for dues paying members in good standing. Let us know if you need to know your status OR the discount code to get 1/2 off your ticket!

Agriculture Legislative Day on 3/13. Join us at the IL State Library in Springfield for the 2024 , 7:30-9:30am. Visit with AG leaders, state legislators, and staffers while enjoying continental style breakfast and hear from invited guests, Governor JB Pritzker, Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton, IDOA Director Jerry Costello II, and others. Send Rachel a message by 3/6 to get on the guest list!

Rachel sharing her experience at the 10th Annual NoCO Hemp Expo in Estes Park, Colorado this April 11-13th.

If you plan to be in attendance that weekend let us know so we can meet up with you there.

and a spring Lobby Day is in the works! Stay tuned for the date and more details to be announced very soon. If you know you would like to be involved let us know and we will get you on the planning calls.

In the news for Illinois:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, alongside partners in Illinois, Michigan and Purdue, are calling on licensed and experienced grain/fiber hemp growers for on-farm variety trials during the 2023-2025 growing seasons.

It's a fantastic opportunity to learn from other farmers and university specialists and to be involved in hemp research. Learn more and apply here.

The IL Dept. of AG's 2024 Hemp Summit is, as mentioned earlier, coming up in a few weeks on March 17th. This year's presentations focus on university research and regulations. Here is the list of speakers:

-Agricultural Marketing Service of the United States Department of AG

-Bureau of Cannabis Testing of the Illinois Department of AG

-Farm Service Agency of the United States Department of AG

-Illinois Crop Improvement Association

-Illinois Valley Community College

-Southern Illinois University

-University of Illinois

-Western Illinois University

You can register online here. We plan to be in attendance and hope to see some familiar faces there and following at the IHGA Hemp Highlights Night!

Soil Health Week is just around the corner! Check out many events, in person and virtual, to help celebrate Illinois' most precious resource - healthy soil! IHGA will be joining their Lobby Day on March 6th to advocate for issues that aim to protect our soil, climate, and water quality. Plan on joining us and register online here while ISA's website is down.