If Christopher Columbus had been a farmer instead of an explorer, he would have grown hemp. It takes that kind of mindset to tackle the challenge of grow-ing a new crop with no recent history as a guide. Those who have taken on industrial hemp pro-duction since it was registered in 1998 have been forging a path where there was none before. Dan Scheele of Ingersoll, Ontario is one of the pioneers. He grows the Anka variety of hemp for certified seed production, with plans that include growing 20 acresof hemp grain again this year. For him, harvest was by far the trickiest thing. The trouble is that the fibre will end up on every shaft and chain, explained Scheele. "There's a lot of extra time and effort to clean the combine before and after harvest, adding a half day's work just there."
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