Partnership Between Programs Sprouts Hemp Research Project

This spring, Hocking College’s Agroecology and Laboratory Sciences: Medical Cannabis programs will join forces to conduct a hemp-growing experiment. 

Tentatively titled The Hemp Research Project, the experiment will occur at the college’s 7-acre farm located on the Logan Campus.

The project will run from May-October 2021. 

The project’s inspiration is rooted in both program’s interest in growing hemp in the surrounding area once cultivation became legal in 2019. 

“The goal of this project is to determine a better ground cover than the black plastic that is usually used in large grow operations,” Sasha Sigetic, Agroecology program manager at Hocking College, said. 

Students in Sigetic’s program will be testing the black plastic against a brown mulch made out of farm compost, composted horse manure from the Hocking College equine facility and a green manure that will be a tailored mix of cover crop plants from Walnut Creek Seeds in Carroll, Ohio. 

The Medical Cannabis students will monitor the THC and CBD levels in the hemp Agroecology students produce and what other terpenes are present in each of the three groups, comparing the results. 

“We will be using some existing outdoor beds as well as some of the space inside the hoop house,” Sigetic explained. “We will have student workers from the Agroecology program helping us with the growing process, data collection on pest and disease presence, and harvesting.”  

She also noted that if this project is a success, her program might incorporate a different research project every year so her students can gain hands-on experience with hemp.

Do you have a passion for gardening and farming?

If you’re interested in gardening and farming, perhaps you should look into Hocking College’s Agroecology program. 

The program combines essential lessons from our agricultural ancestors with the latest scientific tools and research to create a holistic approach to soil health, leading to nutrient-dense plants and animals.  

In only four semesters, you could graduate with an Associate of Technical Study in Natural Resources in Agroecology.

What will I learn in this program?

The following outcomes are skills, behaviors, and attitudes cultivated in students seeking the Associate of Applied Technical Studies in Agroecology:

• Employ agroecology principles to support environmental preservation. Preventing the degradation of water, air, soil or other natural resources.
• Apply scientific concepts and practices within the disciplines of biology, chemistry, and geology to sustainable farming and farm management methods.
• Use technology and new research to solve complex or changing agricultural problems.
• Develop plans to survey, protect and sustain existing wildlife and domestic animals that may be part of the farm.
• Collect, analyze and evaluate environmental and economic methods of farming to design successful and viable farm management plans. 

For more information on Hocking College’s Agroecology program, contact Program Manager Sasha Sigetic by email at sigetics@hocking.edu or by phone at 740-753-6283.