July 15, 2021 | Montpelier, VT - Hemp nursery providers across Vermont provide an important service to commercial and personal hemp cultivators. Hemp growers who utilize these services rely on nursery businesses to supply their operations with high quality genetics that produce compliant potency results with consistency, and perform well in the field. In order for hemp cultivators to maintain a high level of quality control, there are a number of requirements hemp nursery businesses must follow that will be explored in this blog post.
To begin, hemp nurseries must register as commercial growers with the Vermont Hemp Program (Program). Registration can be completed using the Online Hemp Registration and Compliance Portal. When filling out the application, hemp nursery registrants must map all nursery growing locations related to hemp, using the mapping tool. In addition to the Hemp Program registration, nursery providers must also obtain a nursery license through the Nursery Inspection Program, unless gross sales are less than $1000.00, annually.
Beyond registration and licensure, hemp nursery businesses are required to maintain records and provide documentation to customers at the point of sale. As found in section 5.3 of the Vermont Hemp Rules, hemp nurseries must provide or offer the following records to each customer:
- Provide a copy of the certificate of analysis for the cultivar being transferred or sold; and
- Offer a list of any pesticides used in the cultivation of the hemp crop, clones, or plants.
These records are an important step towards making growers feel confident about their purchase. Additionally, these records help to maintain a chain of custody and are required records for growers, as well.
Farmers market vending: Vending at a farmers’ market and offering hemp plants for sale also necessitates a commercial hemp grower registration. Whether selling clones or transplants, the same rules and requirements apply. The Program will be visiting farmers’ markets throughout the season to make vendors aware of these requirements.
Q & A:
The Program has fielded questions from nurseries around Vermont. Here are answers to some of the most common questions:
Q: As a hemp nursery provider, is my business required to make sure customers are registered as hemp growers with the Program?
A: No, hemp nurseries are not required to make sure customers are registered before sale. The Program is responsible for ensuring that hemp growers are registered.
Q: As a hemp nursery provider, is my business required to take pre-harvest potency samples?
A: No, hemp nursery businesses are not required to take pre-harvest samples of any hemp nursery stock, because plants sold as nursery stock are not brought to the flowering stage. If a hemp nursery decides to bring any plants to flower, pre-harvest samples potency tests are required.
Q: Does starting seeds or transplants indoors or in a greenhouse constitute indoor growing?
A: No, starting hemp indoors or in a greenhouse does not constitute indoor growing, and thus the registration fee for nursery providers will be based off of all “outdoor” acreage devoted to hemp nursery space.
Hemp nursery businesses are an integral part of the hemp supply chain for many cultivators in Vermont. Keeping apprised of these requirements is another important step to standing up the Vermont brand.
For more information, please visit the Vermont Hemp Rules. Questions can be directed to Michael DiTomasso, Michael.DiTomasso@vermont.gov, or Stephanie Smith, Stephanie.Smith@vermont.gov.