If Don Zolman were a quitter, he might have given up on the hemp crop that he’s begun harvesting just east of downtown Warsaw.

A chilly and rainy spring either washed out some crops or delayed planting for many farmers in the Midwest, including those who were trying to legally grow hemp for the first time since it was cultivated during World War II to produce everything from parachute chords to rope.

Following hemp’s decriminalization in the 2018 Farm Bill, permits were taken out to grow thousands of acres of hemp for its fiber, seed and cannabidiol or CBD content in both Indiana and Michigan.

Like many farmers, Zolman didn’t want to take too big a gamble on hemp, setting aside about 25 acres for plants developed for seed production and another 20 acres for plants capable of producing high levels of CBD — a compound that is now being used to provide relief from pain, anxiety, sleep problems, epilepsy and other issues.

Mark Boyer, who grew 50 acres for seed production last year as part of a research project sanctioned by Purdue University, planted the same amount this year on his farm in Converse, Ind., with the intent of cold-pressing the seeds into high-quality food oil and using the leftovers for high-protein animal feed.

Though no one is sure yet whether the first legal harvest in both states will end up being profitable — after the price for seeds, plants, labor and other inputs are factored in — a lot was learned about the plant, which could offer many hundreds of uses and provide an additional crop for farmers.

“The late planting date caused challenges,” Boyer said, referring to the wet conditions this year. “Because the plants didn’t get as tall, they never canopied and that created weed problems.”

And because regulations are still being worked out regarding hemp production, no chemicals have been approved yet to control weeds, bugs or other problems the plants might encounter.

“We’re still on our own,” said Boyer, resulting in more vigilance and more labor.

Though Boyer was able to use modern farm machinery to plant and harvest his seed hemp, varieties bred for their CBD content are often planted as seedlings, which is extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming.

That was the case at Zolman’s farm near Warsaw, and because some of the seedlings died, additional labor was required to get new ones in the ground. On top of that, the field had to be monitored throughout the summer for weeds, bugs, cross-pollination and other factors that could affect the CBD content of the plants.

It required so much attention, in fact, that Zolman hired a neighbor — Heather Short — who wanted to help out and was interested in learning more about the new plant.

“It’s a beautiful plant, but it requires time and attention,” said Short, while keeping an eye open for baby caterpillars that could cause serious damage to a plant.

Beyond the late start and dealing with the challenges of a new crop, Zolman had hoped to use a sickle mower to harvest the CBD-rich plants. The machine, however, shook the plants so much that there was risk of losing the flowers where most of the cannabidiol is stored.

There was seemingly no option but to use machetes to cut down the surprisingly thick-stalked plants, which could then be collected by machine and chopped into bits and pieces.

Zolman said the harvest will be shipped to nearby Mentone where it will be dried and then likely sent to a new CBD-processing plant in Michigan City.

Zolman experimented with eight different varieties of hemp that were bred for CBD including the spacing between plants and even whether the plants preferred being watered on top or down by the roots.

“We’re trying to find the best plants and the best methods for our soil,” said Zolman, who pointed out clearly stunted plants that didn’t perform as well as others such as Cherry Wine and Sweet that developed into what looked like small pine trees from a distance.

Just about 10 miles west of Flint, Mich., Dave Crabill helped plant about an acre of CBD-bred plants with a partner and learned some valuable lessons. Both the Cherry Wine and Youngsim 10 varieties did well, but he was surprised by the amount of labor involved.

Michigan farmers jumped into hemp with both feet, planting nearly 20,000 acres of plants developed for CBD, said Crabill, who serves as communications director for iHemp Michigan, which aims to educate and connect those interested in the possibilities of industrial hemp.

Farmers in Indiana were more conservative, planting about 3,000 acres of hemp plants for fiber, seed and CBD production, said Justin Swanson, an attorney and co-founder of the Midwest Hemp Council.

Considering that only 24 acres of hemp was planted in Indiana last year, Swanson views this year as a big success and believes planting will double or triple next year as farmers learn how to cultivate the plant and supporting markets begin to develop.

“There’s a huge learning curve and a lot of infrastructure that is just beginning to develop,” said Swanson, referring to businesses that might become trusted sources of seeds, plants, equipment and processing. “But you won’t get a mature supply chain unless some pioneers take risks.”

In the end of the day, Swanson believes fiber might end up being the most important industrial hemp crop because of its many uses for textiles, bioplastics, insulation, building materials and more.

“CBD is the movie star in the industry,” Swanson said. “But fiber might be the long-term game.”

Swanson said the development of a new crop gives farmers — many of whom have been struggling as the result of low commodity prices — the opportunity to diversify and that might be enough to create the next generation of farmers.

“These guys were the trailblazers,” Swanson said. “In a few years, their efforts might start paying off.

“But we’re just at the beginning.”

That’s how Zolman and Boyer see it.

“This was a research crop, but everyone knew that going in,” said Boyer. “Hemp has been basically ignored for about 80 years, so we don’t have any experience with it. It’s going to take some time.”

Both farmers see 2019 as just the start.

“We’re literally just approaching the starting line,” Boyer said. “We have to build markets for these crops.”