Growing organic hemp is the first step in making CBD oil; harvesting and drying that hemp is next. We grow hemp in the northeastern United States, so the amount of hemp we yield is determined by many factors including how much hemp we plant, how much it grows over the season, and how much we are able to harvest and dry before botrytis (crop rot) takes its toll. Weather is a major factor in all of this.
We Dry Hemp in New Barns
We dry our hemp in new drying facilities. We never use old barns that have previously housed livestock or animals because drying in these barns can ruin the quality of the hemp crop. Farmers should think twice before attempting to convert barns that have housed animals into hemp drying barns. Concrete and wood are porous materials that can absorb the moisture and gasses to which they are exposed. Even after sanding and sealing wood on the walls and ceilings and applying a treatment to the concrete floor in an old barn, drying a crop to 5% humidity will pull the smell of animal urine from the depths of these structures. Those conditions won't create a premium hemp product.
To ensure Sunsoil CBD is a premium product, we build new drying facilities each time we expand our operation. Our drying barns are constructed with non-pressure treated wood, with no paint (to prevent off-gassing), and on fresh concrete slabs that have never been exposed to livestock. We think this is the only way to ensure you're getting the best full spectrum hemp CBD oil.
Our Newest Hemp Drying Facility
In 2019, we doubled our acreage and plants and needed even more space to dry our hemp after harvest. Our newest hemp drying facility will provide 20,000 sq. ft of drying space along with over six million BTUs of heat and large exhaust fans to provide constant air flow. The cool, wet conditions of autumn in northern Vermont necessitate this amount of heat and air flow. We also take extreme care to ensure our hemp doesn't get overly dry; we ensure the terpenes and cannabinoids in our hemp are well-preserved from harvest through extraction.
We've been perfecting how we dry hemp for years and we've spent time refining our process. It's just one more way we work to bring you premium, effective hemp-based CBD oil.