We say, if you haven’t factored in these costs before planting then you shouldn’t be planting and by the way you should be looking at more organic methods of managing your weed issue. Also, read on after this story a little research on this farm suggests the owners are just out to make a quick buck at the expense of others and with little concern for people or the environment
The Journal Advocate reports
Logan County’s largest hemp growing operation has asked the Logan County Commissioners for help with an unexpected waste product problem.
Ty Lebsock of L7 Ag, LLC, appealed to the commissioners Tuesday morning for help with disposing of tons of black plastic used to suppress weeds on several hundred acres of hemp cultivation northwest of Sterling.
After the 2019 harvest, the plastic was gathered up and dumped on the farm near the intersection of County Roads 30 and 33. Neighbors complained that the plastic was blowing around, however, and Logan County notified L7 that he’d created an illegal dump site and it had to be properly cleaned up.
Lebsock told the commissioners Tuesday he’d considered burning the plastic but was advised that wouldn’t be legal for environmental reasons. He said he’d checked into hauling it to the Logan County Landfill but the amount of plastic made that financially unfeasible. He said he’s piled scrap lumber on top of the plastic to keep it from blowing around until he can find a suitable solution, and assured the board he has no intention of just leaving the plastic where it is.
Lebsock asked the commissioners whether the county landfill would consider a somewhat lower rate, considering the amount of plastic that has to be hauled. Landfill Superintendent Matt Chrisp was at the meeting and said he could work with Lebsock to come up with a disposal plan.
The commissioners gave Lebsock until January, 2023, to have the site cleaned up.
The board was less accommodating, however, with a request from Dashabout Shuttle and Taxi Service to be included in Logan County’s small business grant program. Lee Holtorff, owner of Dashabout, appealed to the commissioners to be included since her business serves Logan County, even though it’s headquartered in Akron. Washington County doesn’t have a similar program, she said.
Holtorff was asking to be included in the Small Business Grant Program, intended to help businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Funds for the grants are being provided by the Coronavirus Relief Fund as part of the Federal CARES Act.
Unfortunately, Holtorff was told, only businesses that reside in Logan County are eligible for the county’s grants.
Logan County agrees to help hemp producer find waste plastic solutions
Also this story from. June 11, 2019, they obviously like a bit of cheap labor too
Felons Working On Hemp Farm Raising Some Eyebrows In Colorado Community
Felons Working On Hemp Farm Raising Some Eyebrows In Colorado Community
Felons who aren’t out of prison yet have landed jobs on a hemp farm in Logan County. The Department of Corrections launched a new pilot program in Sterling that is drawing criticism from some people for its lack of transparency.
The program involves busing inmates from out of town to the L7 Hemp farm, where farmer Brad Lebsock says they plan to harvest 5,000 acres of hemp this year using organic methods.
“When you do organic methods you have to have no chemicals, no weed killer, no pesticides so it takes a lot hand labor.”
(credit: CBS)
And finding labor in rural Colorado is no easy task says Lebsock, who owns the farm with his brothers. So when the Department of Corrections offered help, Lebsock says they accepted.
“They had a good program laid out. It was safe. These guys are getting out anyways within six months.”
The program involves 12 inmates near the end of their sentences. They farm hemp during the day – monitored by two guards – and stay at the Sterling prison at night. The goal is to house them in the community.
(credit: CBS)
“It allows offenders to take that step out of an institution and really feel like they’re part of a community again working for private employer, earning a prevailing wage because that’s hopefully going to provide them with some stability once they get out into the community,” said Deputy Director of Prisons Matt Hansen.
He says the inmates come from minimum security prisons, but he won’t say what their crimes are.
“The biggest concern was what were they in prison for,” said Ty Lebsock.
(credit: CBS)
District Attorney Brittny Lewton says she, like most people in Sterling, didn’t even know about the program until it was already running. She says the community deserves input.
District Attorney Brittny Lewton
“With community corrections, the board is made up of our chief judge, the D.A., the public defender, inspector general, citizens, all kinds of people. This is completely in house, so what that means is I don’t know who they are and that causes me a great deal of concern.”
Although here, we have to come in ,as Ms Lewton isn’t a paragon of virtue either. see
August 2019 13th D.A. Brittny Lewton indicted on drug charges; files sealed for now
(credit: CBS)
Hansen says it’s something they will explore. Ty says it may be the only way the community will buy into the program.
“Full disclosure to the public would calm some nerves.”
While the pilot program in Sterling is a first for the Department of Corrections, it plans to expand community-based job training for inmates throughout the state in an attempt to lower the recidivism rate. Right now, about half of inmates release from Colorado prisons re-offend.
