Idaho hemp acres have leveled off

By Sean Ellis

Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

POCATELLO - Hemp acres in Idaho have risen by large percentages since it became legal to grow the crop in the state. However, it's still a minor crop in Idaho and acres appear to be leveling off, at least for this year.

In 2022, the first year it was legal to produce industrial hemp in Idaho, farmers grew 459 acres of hemp. Acreage more than doubled in 2023, to 1,248. From 2023 to 2024, acres grew by 49 percent, reaching 1,860.

This year, they have leveled off. According to Idaho State Department of Agriculture data, Idaho farmers plan to grow 1,782 acres of hemp this year.

That hemp acres would level off after the initial excitement surrounding the crop is not surprising, said Mattie Mead, owner and founder of Idaho-based Hempitecture, which uses industrial hemp to create high-performance building materials such as insulation.

That hemp acres are flat this year "is to be expected with any new ag commodity," he said.

A decent number of farmers in Idaho jumped at the opportunity to grow hemp in the beginning, Mead said, but "it didn't work out for everyone."

"The industrial hemp industry in Idaho has been undergoing … some growing pains, which is to be expected for any ag commodity," he said.

But, Mead added, "It doesn't mean the hemp industry in Idaho is going away or becoming less successful."

The crop is being grown by a handful of farmers in Idaho and it's more of a niche crop in the state for now.

According to the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, 13 people have applied for a license to grow hemp in Idaho this year. Three people have applied for a license to handle hemp.

People are growing hemp in Jerome, Idaho Falls, Mackay, Shelley, May (Custer County), Naples (Boundary County), Garden City, May (Lemhi County), Declo, Roberts, Aberdeen and Howe (Butte County).

Gem State farmers grow far more acres of other crops, such as potatoes (about 300,000 acres per year), barley (about 540,000), wheat (1.2 million), hay (1.2 million), corn (350,000) and sugar beets (170,000).

The vast majority of hemp produced in Idaho ends up at the Idaho Hemp Processing facility in Rexburg, which supplies Hempitecture, located in Jerome, with about 60 percent of its hemp.

Mead said that in order for hemp acres to expand in Idaho, it's going to take more hemp processing capacity, which could include companies like his or Idaho Hemp Processing investing in their capabilities.

"As we grow our business, we can then enable growth on down through the supply chain," he said.

"There is a lot of good news about hemp in Idaho and a lot to be optimistic about, even if the numbers aren't ballooning massively," Mead said. "Ultimately, I think the hemp industry in Idaho is going in a positive direction."

Idaho Farm Bureau Federation Director of Governmental Affairs Braden Jensen, who helped shepherd the bill that made it legal to grow hemp in Idaho, said that while hemp is far from being a major crop in Idaho, it's clear that it has gained a foothold in the state.

No one would have expected hemp acres in the state to skyrocket after only a few years, he said.

"But there is a core group of people starting to figure out the agronomics, logistics and economics involved with growing it," Jensen said. "Idaho farmers are really good at what they do and I'm confident they will figure out whether it's economically feasible to produce hemp in large numbers in Idaho."