Hemp harvest underway east of Sisters

The folks who are waiting for the noise to die down from the agricultural fans fighting off frost on 30 acres of industrial hemp east of Sisters will have to wait a bit for quiet nights.

Matt Cyrus told The Nugget last week that the harvest on a couple of parcels in the Cloverdale Road area will wrap up "in a week or two."

"This stuff is all one plant at a time," he said. "It's all hand-harvesting."

The Cyrus family planted about 30 acres total in what may become a significant agricultural industry in the region.

"We've planted more than 100 different strains and (are) trying to identify what works and what doesn't work in Central Oregon - or at least in our climate," Matt said. "We've definitely identified some winners and losers."

The operation has had an impact on people living in the area, as frost-abatement operations - including using helicopters to stir the air enough to prevent frost from forming on plants - have disrupted some folks' sleep in the area for several weeks. Some have told The Nugget that they've gone so far as to leave for the duration.

"In order to protect the plants from killer frosts, we employed both wind machines and - as needed on very cold nights - helicopters to force the warmer air down to ground level," Cyrus said. "We found that the air at 100 feet above the ground is generally about 20 degrees warmer than at ground level."

Cyrus told The Nugget that he's stopped the helicopter flights. People may continue to hear wind-generating machines till the end of the harvest - "the fans probably - the helicopters, no.

"Harvest has been underway since mid-October and is expected to last another 10 days to two weeks," Cyrus told The Nugget. "We are currently employing about 25 people to help with the harvest, which includes hand-cutting and transporting to one of various locations to be hung to dry. This process is similar to drying tobacco. Once dried, it will be further processed and then have the oil extracted from the leaves and flowers. The cannabidiol (CBD) extract will then be sold for use in products from lotions and creams to supplements or infused products.

"The market is exploding with CBD-infused products," Cyrus said. "CBD can now be found in energy drinks, beer, hard alcohol, honey sticks, chocolates, and many other products."

Cyrus emphasized the experimental nature of the crop.

Industrial hemp is distinct from its relative, marijuana; by regulation it can only contain a tiny percentage of THC, the chemical compound that creates the high associated with marijuana use.

Hemp has myriad uses - from paper products and clothing made out of the fiber to food (hemp hearts are featured at Costco) to use of hemp oil for industrial lubrication and skin-care products. Hemp can also be used to create biodegradable plastics.

Hemp-derived CBD oils are believed to have a range of medicinal benefits in treating chronic conditions.

Cyrus told The Nugget that he hopes to identify what works from this crop and next year hopefully plant earlier in the season with a target of a mid-September harvest. An earlier harvest would likely avoid the need for the level of frost abatement required this season.

"It's a new crop and we're all learning how it works," Cyrus said.

(Editor's note: Jerry Baldock contributed to this report).

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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