Hemp Center of Excellence Consultants Chosen
The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is partnering with the Denver-based MPG Consulting as pushes ahead on the state Hemp Center of Excellence. The CDA finalized a deal that will have MPG assist in the development of a strategic plan for the center.
The strategic plan will be completed by July 2021.
Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg says this has been an effort by over 200 stakeholders across the state.
Greenberg: ”The Center of Excellence in my mind is the gravitational force of all of that effort here in Colorado. It will draw resources and research here to the state to further Colorado’s leadership in the industry. It will give us a lot of flexibility in terms of what we decided to do as a state, as a community, as an industry to provide a pathway to open these doors for producers and businesses alike, to advance their opportunities, but also advance our state’s stewardship. I think there’s a lot we can do to combine a lot of our goals in Colorado in a way that helps build a strong, resilient, vibrant marketplace for Colorado producers.
Greenberg stressed that it is very early in the process. A lot of questions will need to be answered over the next five months. By summer she says they hope to have basic guidance about the center’s physical structure and management as well as its mission; how it will be used to best serve Colorado.
The CDA says the selection of MPG was based on the recommendation of an independent review committee, which included a member of the Colorado Agriculture Commission, a member of the Hemp Advisory Committee, and other leaders and experts in Colorado agriculture and purchasing.
