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 </figure>BUSINESS NEWSBy COLE REIF Great Bend Post
















The State of Kansas passed a research permit to allow hemp to be grown
commercially, and 2019 was the first year producers could grow the crop in the
state. The trio of Richard, Aaron, and Melissa Baldwin own Circle K Farms, just
outside of Great Bend. Melissa says the group decided to get on the pioneering
edge of the hemp crop and opened South Bend Industrial Hemp, named after the
Barton County township where it is located.
"I am a crop research scientist and the more I read about the crop, the more I learned about what it could do," said Melissa Baldwin. "Knowing the benefits and economic avenues with CBD oil and industrial hemp, that is when we decided to do a grow when Kansas opened the application."
South Bend is a licensed hemp grower in the State of Kansas and offers CBD and
fiber and grain. Melissa says paper and plastic products can be replaced with
industrial hemp, and South Bend hopes create more sustainable products for the
world. Melissa says getting to know their suppliers was an integral part in
starting this hemp cultivation farm, especially in a new and sometimes
unregulated industry.
"We went through the background checks and were approved," said Melissa Baldwin. "We found an extractor. You harvest your plant and take it to an extractor, that is how you get paid."
Baldwin says there is still a negative stigmatism that is associated with the hemp
crop. Many folks believe the CBD product is grown for marijuana, but Baldwin
says it is not used for that at all. She has enjoyed educating individuals and
groups about the crop and what it can do for everyone. More information on
South Bend’s story can be found at the website, <a href="https://www.southbendindustrialhemp.com/">soutbendindustrialhemp.com</a>.&nbsp;

Barton County farm educating folks on hemp benefits as they cultivate