Hemp takes center stage as 53rd annual World Ag Expo opens three-day run
There’s always something new at the World Ag Expo, even after 53 years of parading the latest gizmos and techniques before farmers.
At this year’s three-day show that starts Tuesday in Tulare, that something new is hemp.
Yes, it’s commonly associated with marijuana. But while hemp is a cannabis plant, it’s low in THC (the part that gets you high). Traditional hemp can be grown in mass quantities for use in things like textiles and bioplastics. The 2018 Farm Bill ushered in a new interest in the product, according to expo representatives.
At this year’s expo, plans are for 30 exhibitors and a seminar stage in a 9,400-square-foot tent devoted to hemp.
Tuesday at 10 a.m., Hanka Gabrielova will speak on hemp. Gabrielova is accredited by the Czech Ministry of Agriculture as an adviser in organic farming with a specialization in hemp, according to the expo.
On Wednesday, the inaugural Hemp Innovation Challenge takes the theater stage beginning at 1 p.m.. with entrepreneurs making business pitches in pursuit of prizes.
Of course, the agriculture event that’s among the largest on the planet is more than hemp. There are seminars on dairy, water and international trade; live cooking demonstrations; and plenty of vendors pitching farm supplies including electric tractors.
If you go
Grounds open: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 9-4 Thursday
Where: International Agri-Center, 4500 S. Laspina St. in Tulare just east of Highway 99
Opening Ceremonies: 8 a.m. Tuesday includes awards for Top-10 New Products and “We Believe in Growing” scholarship winners
Park & Ride: The expo has lots set up in Tulare, Visalia and Exeter; details: worldagexpo.org/admission
Tickets: $15 at the gate, $12 online (worldagexpo.org/buy-tickets) with discount code WAE20
Food: Always a highlight, served by local organizations as fundraisers
Giveaway: 2020 Toyota Tundra, $5 raffle tickets benefit the Guilds of Valley Children’s Healthcare
By the numbers
Staff: 1,400 volunteers and 25 employees
Exhibitors: 1,400
Attendees: Estimated 100,000 each year from 70 countries (last year: 102,800 attendees from 48 states and 65 countries)
Grounds: 2.6 million square feet