PIERRE, S.D. (DRG News) – The legalization of industrial hemp in South Dakota, as well as at the federal level, has opened up a new cropping opportunity for farmers.

The Heartland Hemp Association is hoping to answer some of the common questions about the growing, harvesting and processing of the crop during an informational forum Saturday (Aug. 29) at the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Center in Fort Pierre.

Director and event organizer Colin Fury says the meeting will be held from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. CT (10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. MT) and attending is free.

Fury says growing industrial hemp is a different kind of agricultural production than is common in South Dakota.

Earlier this month, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture submitted its plan to regulate industrial hemp to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for final approval. The ag department has hired Derek Schiefelbein to lead the state’s hemp program development.