**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** RECENT SUCCESS OF PRODUCERS IN THE NORTHEAST AT PLANTING, GROWING, AND HARVESTING INDUSTRIALHEMP HAS GENERATED ENTHUSIASM AROUND HEMP'S POTENTIAL AS A REGENERATIVE FIBER CASH CROP WITHINTHE REGION. THIS SUCCESS HAS PIQUED THE INTEREST OF DEVELOPERS WHO SEEK TO EXPAND THE VALUE CHAINTO INCLUDE NATURAL FIBER PROCESSING FACILITIES FOR NEW MANUFACTURING APPLICATIONS. WITH THEINTENTION OF PRIORITIZING PLANT HEALTH, PLANT PRODUCTION, AND PLANT PRODUCTS, THIS PROJECT WILLCONCENTRATE ON BUILDING REGION-SPECIFIC HEMP FIBER AGRONOMIC AND HARVEST INFORMATION AVAILABLETO FARMERS THAT CURRENTLY OBSTRUCTS THEM FROM ADOPTING INDUSTRIAL HEMP INTO THEIR ROTATIONS ANDMEETING THE STANDARDS THAT THE MARKET REQUIRES. FURTHERMORE, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO BRIDGE THE GAPSBETWEEN PRODUCERS, PROCESSORS AND MANUFACTURERS BY DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE FIBER QUALITYSPECIFICATIONS THAT WILL CREATE CONGRUENCY AMONGST FARMERS AND PROCESSORS AROUND HOW THE RAWMATERIAL SHOULD BE MANAGED. THESE FIBER STANDARDS WILL BE TRANSLATABLE AT THE SCALE OF SMALL TOMID-SIZED REGIONAL PROCESSING FACILITIES WITH A FOCUS ON (1) EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CROP IN ROTATIONAND IMPACTS ON SOIL HEALTH; (2) EFFECT OF VARIETY ON YIELD AND BAST:HURD RATIO; (3) EFFECT OF SEEDINGRATE ON YIELD AND BAST:HURD RATIO; (4) EFFECT OF HARVEST TIMING ON YIELD AND FIBER QUALITY; AND (5)EFFECT OF RETTING DURATION AND METHOD ON FIBER QUALITY. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO IDENTIFY HEMP FIBERHARVEST PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ENSURE THAT INDUSTRY QUALITY STANDARDS ARE RECOGNIZED, AND WILLDISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION TO FARMERS IN THE NORTHEAST REGION THROUGH ON-FARM RESEARCH,OUTREACH EVENTS, SHORT COURES, AND FARMER-TO-FARMER DISCOURSE.AS PROJECT PROGRESS IS MADE, WE EXPECT OUR OUTCOMES WILL EVOLVE INTO ACTUAL CHANGE IN FARMERPRODUCTION PRACTICES. AFTER THREE YEARS OF RESEARCH AND OUTREACH, WE EXPECT THAT AT LEAST 50FARMERS WILL HAVE ADOPTED HEMP FIBER PRODUCTION/PRACTICES THAT PRODUCE A MARKETABLE CROP. THESE50 FARMERS, 30 WILL INDICATE AN IMPROVEMENT IN HEMP FIBER YIELD, QUALITY, SOIL HEALTH, AND/OR FARMVIABILITY.