By DEBORAH BEHRENDS
Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana farmers interested in growing hemp are invited to a panel discussion from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17 during the Indiana Farm Equipment and Technology Expo at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Regan Holtsclaw, deputy communications director with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, said the agenda is still being hammered out, but some of the topics to be covered include hemp licensing and regulation, research, recently-enacted USDA guidelines and a general question-and-answer session.
Panel participants include Dr. Robert D. Waltz, Indiana state chemist and seed commissioner; Justin Swanson, president of the Midwest Hemp Council; Marguerite Bolt, hemp extension specialist, Purdue University Department of Agronomy and Mark Boyer, hemp farmer of Converse, Ind.