SUNY Canton to Host North Country Hemp Expo

Event to Feature Agriculture, Scientific and Policy Guest Speakers

SUNY Canton’s 2020 North Country Hemp Expo will feature local and international experts who will discuss and answer questions about the growing industry.

The event will be held Friday, April 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Richard W. Miller Campus Center’s Kingston Theater and is free and open to the public.

Industrial hemp is an expanding, multi-million dollar business. It's a versatile crop that can be used for food, clothing, body products, auto parts and building materials.

“Many North Country farmers are now growing industrial hemp and many more are interested,” said SUNY Canton’s Dean of the School of Business and Liberal Arts Philip T. Neisser. “In order to be successful, they need to know what to expect when it comes to hemp prices, hemp law and hemp regulation. They also need to know the details about hemp harvesting and processing. This event aims to educate attendees about these topics and connect them with industry experts.”

The guest speakers are:

• Chris Becker, Ph.D., is a research scientist with BAAR Scientific LLC, located in Phelps, N.Y. Becker is a plant pathologist and conducts independent research with pest management products, biostimulants and nutritional products for Northeastern crops. His latest research is focused on hemp cultivation and processing.
• Allan Gandelman is the owner and co-manager of Main Street Farms in Cortland, which he started in 2011. Today, the farm grows more than 50 types of vegetables. He is now on a mission to grow hemp for CBD and to create safe, effective and affordable remedies to those seeking natural alternatives to traditional healthcare.
• Jennifer Gilbert-Jenkins, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Agricultural Science at SUNY Morrisville and is the lead professor of the Morrisville Industrial Hemp Program, which focuses on the agronomic practices necessary to maximize hemp seed and fiber quality and quantity in both organic and conventional settings.
• Kitty O’Neill, Ph.D., is a regional field crops and soils specialist and the team leader of the Northern New York Regional Agriculture Team. Her work focuses on providing field crop producers, consultants and industry representatives with the knowledge and educational resources necessary to improve crop production and management practices.
• Marc Privitera is the CEO of PreProcess Inc. and a chemical engineer. He uses his expertise in the food, beverage, and pharma industries to aid clients in scaling hemp and cannabis grows, extractions, and processing.
• Keanan and Reuben Stone own and operate Valley Bio Limited, a registered seed establishment and varietal research site, as well as Stone Farms, a 1,000-acre seed production farm specializing in pedigree seed production of hemp, soybeans, cereals and other crops in Ontario, Canada. Keanan is also general manager of UniSeeds Inc., an agribusiness focused on development and marketing of industrial hemp cultivars.
• Timothy Sweeney, J.D., is an agricultural policy analyst with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, where his portfolio includes the Industrial Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program.

For more information about the event, contact Hiren Bhavsar at (315) 386-7649.