Kentucky's first experimental hemp crop has grown with the arrival of another shipment of imported seeds that immediately went into the ground.
The state's agriculture department says nearly 950 pounds of Canadian seeds cleared customs without any legal drama. An earlier shipment from Italy was detained for a time by customs officials in Louisville, setting off a legal fight between the state agency and the federal government.
Adam Watson, the agriculture department's hemp coordinator, said the Canadian seeds were planted last week. He said seeds put into the soil in late May have already sprouted into leafy plants that are six feet high or taller.
Test plots across the state will help researchers and farmers determine the crop's potential in Kentucky.
