Diane Strauss knows that Wisconsin has the potential to regain the top hemp growing status our state enjoyed prior to World War II. Strauss has a background in agriculture, health and wellness, branding and environmentally sustainable systems. Her work with her ex-husband’s company, specialty meat packer Strauss Brands, involved development of a pasture-raised field program with animal welfare protocols with an emphasis on natural and humane standards. Today, through her company—Cream, LLC—she’s applying that knowledge and expertise to hemp.

“Cannabis is very important for a lot of different reasons, and the category needs talented, quality, ethical leadership,” says Strauss. For this growing season, she’s working with farmers to focus on improving their financial situation by growing hemp with organic, regenerative practices while creating an interior network so farmers can pool resources to fill special orders for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and dietary supplement companies. Strauss also grows hemp on her Mequon, Wis., property for trials and testing.

This past year, Wisconsin witnessed a hemorrhage of dairy farms, and Strauss sees hemp as an opportunity to help farmers who are at a tough crossroads. “This is an opportunity to delegate a certain portion of their farming to hemp production and give them an increase in income to stay afloat while still growing our food,” she emphasizes.

Strauss is a member of the Hemp Roundtable—a coalition of hemp companies lobbying at the state level to fully legalize hemp and popular hemp-derived products like cannabidiol (CBD). The organization also exchanges information with law enforcement, does legislative advocacy and supports the U.S. Hemp Authority Certification Program, a third-party certification program that promotes high standards and traceability through self-regulation. Strauss is also second vice chair of the U.S. Hemp Farming Alliance, which advocates solely for the interests of hemp farmers, and the Hemp Industry Association, a nonprofit trade organization dedicated to education, industry development and expansion of the hemp industry.

In It for the Long Term—Not Just ‘for the Gold Rush’

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to develop any concrete regulations for cannabis products, which Strauss says has resulted in a buyer beware marketplace for hemp products. “A lot of companies are naïve or just in it for the gold rush, so I believe it’s important to have people out there who are trying to raise the bar and move that needle up in a positive direction for cannabis, whether it’s hemp or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).”

Individual states are creating their own regulations on cannabis products, thus crafting a murky patchwork of laws that vary drastically across the country. Strauss says Wisconsin is doing a good job by following suggested laws and regulations created by senators and legislators, and the state’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is showing support for hemp farmers. According to information dated March 4, 2019, on the DATCP website, it received 1,405 applications to grow industrial hemp this year, which is up from 247 grower licenses issued for 2018. Those numbers encourage Strauss, but she advises people interested in entering the hemp industry to take their time to do it right.

“It’s important to make sure you’re growing hemp through organic, regenerative practices, because when you’re using this product, you’re going to be smoking it or using the flower in its raw, natural form,” she says. “Get very good consulting from those in the industry who have done this before and align yourself with support and help.”

She cautions cannabis is not just a weed that will grow anywhere. “Those plants need a lot of babysitting, and there are different problems that come up that could wipe out your whole crop.” She also advises to start small and test different cultivars and methods of cover crops to beat weeds, “and learn to plant for the future, not just for the immediate gold rush,” she concludes.

For more information about the hemp organizations mentioned in this article, visit hempsupporter.com, ushempauthority.org, ushempfarmingalliance.com or thehia.org.

To reach Diane Strauss, email diane@cream.care.