Talking hemp, how vegetable farmers adapt and a little distance learning

Today's news is swallowed up by coronavirus and Farm Progress is not ignoring the issue. In this latest episode of the podcast Around Farm Progress, three editors dig into some key ag topics. In Illinois, Austin Keating, Prairie Farmer magazine, offers a deep dive on hemp production. This super-hot crop from 2019 may have cooled some, but farmers are still interested in the market potential. But there are some stumbling blocks to consider and Keating has been following the issue. He shares details on testing, interstate transport and the challenge of marketing this crop. In the Southeast, pictures of crops rotting in the field are as hard on the farmers as they are on a hungry public. Brad Haire, Southeast Farm Press, shares news of growers who have pivoted as the market changed, creating new ways to put fresh crops in the hands of consumers. He also shares some good commodity news in the wake of coronavirus, and least for peanut and rice growers. In Nebraska, the editorial team at Nebraska Farmer watched schools close and decided they had an opportunity. Curt Arens of the team shares how their online galleries for historic places in the state are gaining some attention not only from history buffs but students and teachers seeking new material for distance learning. And Arens has a teacher in the house who's learning on-the-fly how to teach remotely. Photo: Arina Bogachy/iStock/Getty Images Plus; Jessica Brim Kirk/Lewis Taylor Farms; Peter Dazeley/iStock/Getty Images Plus