DES MOINES — Iowa’s fields are filled with rows upon rows of corn and soybeans.

Maybe make a little room for hemp.

A new crop may be available to Iowa farmers next year, as some state lawmakers are designing a program for growing industrial hemp.

“I think there’s potential for an alternative crop for Iowa farmers,” said Tim Kapucian, a Republican state senator and farmer from Keystone, Iowa.

Industrial hemp is plant member of the cannabis family. The plant’s seeds and stalks have myriad commercial uses, including in building materials, paper, textiles, oils and food.

Read the full article on the Waterloo Cedar Falls-Courier website.