Hemp is a hardy plant and grows very quickly in diverse soil conditions.

“It takes about 120 days for a plant to mature,” said Bruce Perlowin. He is the CEO of Hemp Inc. and has been in the hemp industry for about 11 years. His company’s growing and processing operations are in North Carolina, Oregon and soon, Arizona.

Six years ago, Hemp Inc. purchased 4,500 acres near Golden Valley, north of Kingman. Perlowin said 1,800 of those acres are flat enough to be used to grow hemp. Another 2,500 rolling acres will be used for Hemp Inc.’s partnership with Keepers of the Wild, an exotic animal sanctuary in the vicinity. Hemp Inc.’s parcel for the animals will be named “Wild Planet,” he said.

Perlowin thinks the Golden Valley farmland can produce two hemp crops per year. And he’s optimistic about the quality of the plants’ CBD oil.

“The soil in this part of the desert is rich in everything except nitrogen, lime and organic matter. We can add those things into the soil,” he said.

A mature hemp plant’s root system reaches down about 18 inches, well above the caliche layer in the Golden Valley area. It requires little water and modest amounts of fertilizer.

“I know it’s a good area for growing things because we have an orchard we planted with about 1,500 trees. On five acres, we’re growing several varieties of apples, pears, pomegranates and nectarines. We give away all the food,” Perlowin said.

He hopes to begin planting hemp in late July and early August.

Arizona law recognizes hemp as an agricultural product and permits the study, harvest, transport, and processing of hemp by those who are licensed by the Arizona Department of Agriculture.

Hemp Inc. offers free information to those who want to learn more about hemp farming. A meeting occurs every Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the Golden Valley farm. It takes about 90 minutes to get there from Lake Havasu City.

Take the US 93/Beale Street exit off I-40 in Kingman as if traveling to Las Vegas. Go west along Cottonwood Road (mile marker 45) from Highway 93 and then travel 2.5 miles to Amana Street. Travel on Amana Street for about five miles until you reach Hemp Inc.’s property. To put the location into a smart phone, type in Cottonwood Road and Amana Street as the destination.

Perlowin said he and his crew of eight full time and eight part time employees welcome visitors. He is in the process of building an area for motorhomes to park and stay for brief periods.

“We allow people to camp here for a few days – not longer than a week, though,” he said.

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