Latest / Kentucky Business News / 10.22.26

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10.22.26 · Kentucky Business News

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  Speaker 1: Hello. Today I'll be reading from business sources in Lexington
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  Speaker 1: and Louisville, including the Lane Report and others from around
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  Speaker 1: the Commonwealth. Your reader today is Julia Shane. As a reminder,
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  Speaker 1: Radio Eye is a reading service intended for people who
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  Speaker 1: are blind or who have other disabilities that make it
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  Speaker 1: difficult to read printed material. Our first article comes from
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  Speaker 1: the October 20, 2026 edition of the Lane Report and
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  Speaker 1: is titled, USDA announces $ 8 billion harvest relief program for farmers,
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  Speaker 1: including those in Kentucky. The Trump administration has announced $ 8
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  Speaker 1: billion in one-time payments to American farmers to help offset
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  Speaker 1: market disruptions and rising production costs during the 2026 harvest season,
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  Speaker 1: providing potential relief for Kentucky's agricultural industry. President Donald Trump
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  Speaker 1: and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced announced the Harvest
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  Speaker 1: Fuel Relief Program on October 19th. The U.S. Department of
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  Speaker 1: Agriculture would administer the program through its Farm Service Agency,
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  Speaker 1: with payments intended to cover a portion of producers' estimated
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  Speaker 1: losses during the 2026 crop year. The announcement comes as
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky farmers contend with the cost of producing major agricultural commodities,
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  Speaker 1: including corn, soybeans, tobacco, and other crops. The USDA has
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  Speaker 1: not yet released commodity-specific payment rates, so the amount of
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  Speaker 1: assistance available to Kentucky producers remains undetermined. Today, I am
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  Speaker 1: proud to announce alongside President Trump more targeted relief is
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  Speaker 1: coming to our farmers through the Harvest Fuel Relief Program,
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  Speaker 1: Rollins said. This $ 8 billion investment will help bring certainty
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  Speaker 1: to our farmers during this harvest so they can continue
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  Speaker 1: to feed our nation. Payments based on estimated losses. The
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  Speaker 1: Harvest Fuel Relief Program will use a uniform formula to
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  Speaker 1: calculate payments based on a national average of modeled losses.
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  Speaker 1: The USDA said the methodology will draw on planted acreage
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  Speaker 1: reports from the Farm Service Agency, production cost estimates from
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  Speaker 1: the Department's Economic Research Service, and yield and price projections
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  Speaker 1: from its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. Payment rates
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  Speaker 1: for commodities covered under Title I of the Farm Bill
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  Speaker 1: are expected to be released in November. The Department said
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  Speaker 1: it will announce payment methods for other eligible commodities later.
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  Speaker 1: Unlike some other farm assistance programs, harvest fuel relief will
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  Speaker 1: not require producers to have crop insurance to participate. However,
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  Speaker 1: the USDA is encouraging farmers to use expanded risk management
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  Speaker 1: tools available through the Working Families Tax Cut Act to
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  Speaker 1: help protect against future price volatility. Producers of commodities outside
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  Speaker 1: Title I coverage, including specialty crop growers and fishermen, can
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  Speaker 1: submit information about increased fuel costs to harvestfuel at USDA.gov.
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  Speaker 1: The USDA said it will consider those submissions when determining
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  Speaker 1: payout rates. Kentucky farmers await details. The program could provide
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  Speaker 1: additional support to Kentucky agricultural producers, but key details remain outstanding,
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  Speaker 1: including the payment rates for individual crops, eligibility requirements, and
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  Speaker 1: the application timeline. The USDA is encouraging eligible producers to
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  Speaker 1: establish a login.gov account before applications open. Farmers who link
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  Speaker 1: their accounts to USDA will be able to access pre-filled
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  Speaker 1: applications online potentially simplifying the application process. The department said
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  Speaker 1: the new program builds on other federal farm assistance delivered
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  Speaker 1: this year. The Farmer Bridge Assistance Program provided $ 12 billion
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  Speaker 1: in one-time payments to more than 560,000 farmers nationwide, according
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  Speaker 1: to the USDA. The department also reported that nearly $ 14
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  Speaker 1: billion in gross payments were recently distributed through the Agricultural
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  Speaker 1: Risk Coverage and price loss coverage programs. The USDA attributed
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  Speaker 1: an estimated $ 8 billion increase in those payments to the
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  Speaker 1: Working Families Tax Cut Act. The Harvest Fuel Relief Program
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  Speaker 1: is authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act. Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: producers can monitor program updates, payment announcements, and application information
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  Speaker 1: through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The next article from
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  Speaker 1: the Lane Report is titled, Amazon to hire more than 2,500
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  Speaker 1: seasonal workers across Kentucky. Amazon plans to hire more than 2,500
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  Speaker 1: workers across Kentucky for the 2026 holiday season, including 2,500
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  Speaker 1: positions in greater Louisville as the company expands its seasonal
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  Speaker 1: workforce nationwide. The Kentucky openings are part of more than 300,000
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  Speaker 1: seasonal jobs Amazon plans to create across the United States.
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  Speaker 1: Positions include seasonal, part-time, and full-time roles supporting the company's
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  Speaker 1: operations network during the busy holiday shopping period. Full-time operation
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  Speaker 1: employees will start at a minimum of $ 20 per hour,
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  Speaker 1: with average hourly pay approaching $ 24. Including benefits, average total
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  Speaker 1: compensation for full-time employees exceeds $ 32 per hour. Seasonal employees
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  Speaker 1: earn an average of $ 20 per hour. Amazon also is
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  Speaker 1: expanding health care benefits for seasonal workers. Beginning January 1, 2027,
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  Speaker 1: seasonal employees who work at least 30 hours per week
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  Speaker 1: will be eligible for health care coverage starting on their
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  Speaker 1: first day. Plans start at $ 5 per week with $ 5 copays.
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  Speaker 1: Additional benefits available to eligible employees include an uncapped 10%
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  Speaker 1: discount on eligible groceries and everyday essentials, purchased online through Amazon.com
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  Speaker 1: and Whole Foods Market, as well as an uncapped 20%
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  Speaker 1: discount at Whole Foods Market stores. Other benefits include a
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  Speaker 1: free Amazon Prime membership, access to low-cost banking through Day
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  Speaker 1: One Financial and First Tech Federal Credit Union, prepaid tuition
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  Speaker 1: through the Career Choice Program of up to $ 5, 250 annually,
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  Speaker 1: a 401k with company matching, paid parental leave, and 24-7
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  Speaker 1: mental health support. Amazon says seasonal positions can also provide
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  Speaker 1: a pathway to long-term employment. Former seasonal employees have advanced
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  Speaker 1: into roles as trainers, managers, and other leaders throughout the
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  Speaker 1: company's operations network. Employees who remain with Amazon for three
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  Speaker 1: years see their pay increase by an average of 17%
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  Speaker 1: according to the company. New seasonal positions will be posted
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  Speaker 1: weekly from October through December, and openings will fill quickly.
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  Speaker 1: Applicants can explore opportunities at amazon.com forward slash local jobs.
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  Speaker 1: The next article from the Lane Report is titled, Air
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  Speaker 1: Canada to Launch Nonstop Louisville-Toronto Flights in April of 2027.
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  Speaker 1: New seasonal route marks SDF's first daily international service on
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  Speaker 1: a major global carrier connecting Louisville, to Air Canada's worldwide network.
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  Speaker 1: Air Canada will launch seasonal nonstop service between Louisville Muhammad
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  Speaker 1: Ali International Airport, SDF, and Toronto Pearson International Airport, YYZ,
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  Speaker 1: on April 28th of 2027, introducing a new international connection
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  Speaker 1: for Louisville area travelers and businesses. The route marks the
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  Speaker 1: arrival of a new airline at SDF, and establishes the
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  Speaker 1: airport's first scheduled international jet service to a major global
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  Speaker 1: business market on a carrier with an extensive international network.
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  Speaker 1: The seasonal service will operate through the end of October
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  Speaker 1: with flights four times a week initially and daily service
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  Speaker 1: from June through September. This is a milestone moment for
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  Speaker 1: SDF and our community, said Dan Mann, Executive Director of
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  Speaker 1: the Louisville Regional Airport Authority. For years, Toronto has been
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  Speaker 1: a high priority for us, linking our community to its
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  Speaker 1: major international business center. Mann said the route will provide
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  Speaker 1: a daily connection during the peak summer travel season, while
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  Speaker 1: opening additional opportunities for businesses and leisure travel. Toronto serves
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  Speaker 1: as a major hub for Air Canada, offering connections to
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  Speaker 1: more than 150 destinations across Canada and around the world.
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  Speaker 1: The new Louisville route will provide one-stop access to 19
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  Speaker 1: Canadian cities, and improved connections to dozens of destinations in
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  Speaker 1: Europe and Asia. Louisville is making history, and Air Canada
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  Speaker 1: is proud to be a part of it, said Alexander Lefevre,
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  Speaker 1: Vice President of Network Planning and Global Sales at Air Canada.
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  Speaker 1: We are excited to add nonstop service between Louisville and Toronto,
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  Speaker 1: connecting customers to our global network through our Toronto hub.
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  Speaker 1: The route will be operated using a 76-seat CRJ900 aircraft
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  Speaker 1: featuring business class and economy seating, Wi-Fi, and in-seat power.
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  Speaker 1: Tickets are on sale through AirCanada.com and the Air Canada app.
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  Speaker 1: Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the service represents a significant
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  Speaker 1: development for the city's international connectivity. We've waited decades to
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  Speaker 1: have a regular international flight from a major carrier and
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  Speaker 1: some thought it would never happen. But today's announcement by
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  Speaker 1: Air Canada shows confidence in our city's growth and momentum,
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  Speaker 1: Greenberg said. This regular nonstop flight to Toronto unites two
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  Speaker 1: multicultural cities that share elite culinary scenes, outstanding parks, and
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  Speaker 1: amazing waterfronts. and I know this will create jobs and
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  Speaker 1: bring even more visitors to Louisville. The route is expected
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  Speaker 1: to benefit both business and tourism. Louisville area companies will
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  Speaker 1: have easier access to Canadian markets and Air Canada's broader
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  Speaker 1: international network, while travelers from Toronto will gain a direct
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  Speaker 1: connection to Louisville's attractions, including the Kentucky Derby, Bourbon Country,
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  Speaker 1: the city's culinary scene, and its arts and music offerings.
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  Speaker 1: Anthony Gilmer, Vice President of Air Service Development and Strategic
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  Speaker 1: Marketing for the Louisville Regional Airport Authority, said Toronto has
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  Speaker 1: long been a priority because of its economic importance and
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  Speaker 1: global flight connections. The airport's relationship with Air Canada began
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  Speaker 1: with a meeting eight years ago, Gilmer said, and the
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  Speaker 1: new service represents the culmination of efforts to make the
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  Speaker 1: business case for Louisville. Cleo Battle, President and CEO of
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  Speaker 1: Louisville Tourism, said the route will allow the city to
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  Speaker 1: market itself directly to international travelers with the convenience of
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  Speaker 1: nonstop access. Bringing a new airline into the market is
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  Speaker 1: an extraordinary accomplishment, and today's announcement gives us something we
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  Speaker 1: have never had before, the ability to market Louisville in
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  Speaker 1: an international market and say, you can get here nonstop,
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  Speaker 1: Battle said. The new service received financial support through a
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  Speaker 1: two-year minimum revenue guarantee, from the Louisville Hotel Partnership. The
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  Speaker 1: arrangement is designed to help reduce an airline's financial risk
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  Speaker 1: when launching a new route, a strategy used by communities
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  Speaker 1: across the country to attract new air service. The Louisville
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  Speaker 1: Hotel Partnership is proud to make a significant two-year financial
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  Speaker 1: commitment to help bring Louisville's first international air service to
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  Speaker 1: our city, said Eamon O'Brien, chair of the Louisville Hotel Partnership.
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  Speaker 1: and Chief Operating Officer for AJS Hotels. Air Canada is
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  Speaker 1: making a substantial investment in this market, and we're proud
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  Speaker 1: to be a partner in helping launch and support a
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  Speaker 1: route that can drive incremental visitation, room nights, and economic
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  Speaker 1: impact for Louisville. Toronto pre-clearance streamlines U.S. arrivals. The new
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  Speaker 1: route will operate independently of the International Passenger Facilities, planned
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  Speaker 1: as part of SDF Next, the airport's capital improvement program.
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  Speaker 1: The project includes a four-gate concourse expansion with a Federal
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  Speaker 1: Inspection Service facility, with construction expected to begin in early 2027. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: the Toronto Service will benefit from U.S. Customs and Border
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  Speaker 1: Protection preclearance at Toronto Pearson, where U.S.-bound travelers complete customs
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  Speaker 1: and immigration inspections before departure. Flights will therefore arrive at
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  Speaker 1: SDF as domestic flights, allowing passengers to proceed directly to
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  Speaker 1: baggage claim or continue to their final destination without completing U.S.
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  Speaker 1: entry inspections upon arrival. The new route expands Louisville's air
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  Speaker 1: service options and provides travelers throughout the region with a
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  Speaker 1: direct link to a major Canadian business center and a
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  Speaker 1: gateway to international destinations. Our next article comes from the
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  Speaker 1: October 15, 2026 edition of the Courier-Journal and is titled,
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  Speaker 1: GE Appliances Bread Machine Named a Top Invention of 2026.
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  Speaker 1: A small kitchen appliance made by GE Appliances, the global
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  Speaker 1: appliance company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, has been recognized as
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  Speaker 1: one of the best inventions of 2026. Time Magazine named
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  Speaker 1: the GE Appliance Sourdough Sidekick as one of the best
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  Speaker 1: inventions of 2026. The appliance was created by King Arthur
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  Speaker 1: Baking Company and first built a GE appliance microfactory and
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  Speaker 1: community maker space based in Louisville. The novelty appliance feeds
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  Speaker 1: and maintains a sourdough starter, the most tedious part of
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  Speaker 1: baking the rustic pillowy bread, the Courier-Journal first reported when
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  Speaker 1: the product launched in the spring of 2026. The coffee
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  Speaker 1: maker-sized appliance has simplified the sourdough making process for the
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  Speaker 1: home baker. People who do sourdough carry a mental load
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  Speaker 1: of having to remember to care for the starter, and
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  Speaker 1: it can feel like it's a pet, and you feel
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  Speaker 1: guilty if you forget to feed it, and you feel
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  Speaker 1: guilty if you have to put it in the fridge
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  Speaker 1: and neglect it for a while, just like you would
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  Speaker 1: feel if you forgot to feed your dog, Laura Hammond,
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  Speaker 1: commercial director at First Build, previously told the Courier-Journal. We
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  Speaker 1: were able to come up with a brand new way
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  Speaker 1: to be able to help people manage their starter and
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  Speaker 1: without any of that concern. Time's annual list of the
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  Speaker 1: best inventions recognizes 300 extraordinary innovations changing lives. To compile
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  Speaker 1: the list, Time solicited nominations from editors and correspondents around
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  Speaker 1: the world, as well as through an online application process.
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  Speaker 1: Each contender was evaluated on factors including originality, efficacy, ambition
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  Speaker 1: and impact, according to a news release from GE Appliances.
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  Speaker 1: This is not the first time GE Appliances has landed
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  Speaker 1: on the list. In 2024, its indoor smoker, which was
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  Speaker 1: also developed at first build, also named to the Times
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  Speaker 1: Best Innovations list. Additionally, on October 15th, the Kentucky Association
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  Speaker 1: of Manufacturers named GE Appliances the 2026 Large Manufacturer of
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  Speaker 1: the Year. GE Appliances is poised to have an impactful
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  Speaker 1: year in 2027 as the company's headquarters facility, Appliance Park,
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  Speaker 1: undergoes widespread renovations. In September, the manufacturer announced a billion-dollar
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  Speaker 1: major transformation at Appliance Park that will create the largest
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  Speaker 1: home appliance manufacturing site in the United States, the Courier-Journal
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  Speaker 1: previously reported. The new and expanded production from this investment
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  Speaker 1: includes will come across the manufacturing campus with buildings 1, 2,
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  Speaker 1: and 5, bringing more laundry products to be made in Louisville,
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  Speaker 1: and securing the 4,700 production jobs at Appliance Park. The
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  Speaker 1: next article from the Louisville Courier-Journal is titled, Will a
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: Federal Hemp Ban Kill Kentucky Farms and Businesses? Written by
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  Speaker 1: Olivia Evans. Pickup trucks with flatbed trailers rumble down a
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  Speaker 1: narrow gravel road under the late morning sun, as harvest
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  Speaker 1: continues on Jay Grundy's Lebanon, Kentucky farm. It's a late
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  Speaker 1: September day, and Grundy, a fifth-generation Kentucky farmer in Marion County,
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  Speaker 1: overlooks the rows of crops getting plucked from the ground,
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  Speaker 1: while just behind him, in a small greenhouse, seedlings are
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  Speaker 1: preparing to be planted next year. A century ago, the
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  Speaker 1: hardy plants dotting Grundy's 305-acre farm would have been tobacco.
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  Speaker 1: But in the face of dwindling tobacco sales and surging
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  Speaker 1: costs to keep his farm in operation, Grundy chose to
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  Speaker 1: take a risk eight years ago. He went all in
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  Speaker 1: on hemp. Congress, led by Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, legalized
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  Speaker 1: the versatile plant desired for its multi-use harvest, high yield,
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  Speaker 1: and fast-growing season in 2018. Grundy hopes he'll be able
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  Speaker 1: to pass down the farm to his two children one day,
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  Speaker 1: just like the generation before him. as his hemp production
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  Speaker 1: has increased annually, turning a profit for the farm. But
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  Speaker 1: that opportunity is caught in the midst of a political
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  Speaker 1: battle in Washington, D.C., where a looming federal hemp ban
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  Speaker 1: threatens to append nearly a decade of revitalization and growth
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  Speaker 1: at Grundy's farm. Frankly, we're scared about what's going to
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  Speaker 1: happen if it goes away, Grundy told the Career Journal.
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  Speaker 1: That ban, ironically, is being pushed by McConnell, who inserted
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  Speaker 1: language into the fiscal year 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Bill to
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  Speaker 1: place a nationwide prohibition on many hemp-derived products, including full-spectrum CBD, Delta-8,
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  Speaker 1: and Delta-9, among others, produced legally under the Intoxicating Hemp
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  Speaker 1: Loophole created by the 2018 Farm Bill. The banned language
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  Speaker 1: ultimately became law through a broader federal funding package and
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  Speaker 1: a later continuing resolution delayed the ban from its original
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  Speaker 1: November 2026 date by 30 days until December 11, 2026.
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  Speaker 1: If legislators don't act and take further legislative action before
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  Speaker 1: December 11, the ban would leave farmers like Grundy with
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  Speaker 1: acres of crop and nowhere to sell. And while some
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  Speaker 1: legislators are vying for products to disappear from the markets, businesses, farmers,
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  Speaker 1: and consumers don't. all agree that creating regulations for hemp
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  Speaker 1: products could create a future for the industry. Now, Kentucky farmers,
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  Speaker 1: hemp processors, manufacturers, and retailers, along with consumers who have
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  Speaker 1: come to depend on these products, are scrambling to save
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  Speaker 1: an industry that was propped up with federal and state
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  Speaker 1: government support, which could all but disappear in less than 60%. days.
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  Speaker 1: There would not be an upside for me in any way, shape,
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  Speaker 1: or form, said Dwight Witten, a local radio host who
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  Speaker 1: uses CBD products regularly to help with diagnosed PTSD. This
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  Speaker 1: would be completely negative in my life. It'd be horrible
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  Speaker 1: for me. Hemp has always been grown in Kentucky. Hemp
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  Speaker 1: has been an integral part of Kentucky agriculture for centuries.
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  Speaker 1: Once one of the Commonwealth's major cash crops before federal
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  Speaker 1: restrictions limited production in the 20th century, Kentuckians have grown
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  Speaker 1: hemp for everything from fiber to textiles, the Hemp for
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  Speaker 1: Victory war effort during World War II, research, and most
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  Speaker 1: recently for various retail products. It wasn't until the Federal
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  Speaker 1: Controlled Substance Act of 1970 that equated hemp to an
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  Speaker 1: illicit drug like marijuana that Kentucky hemp production sharply declined.
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky turned a corner under the leadership of then Agricultural
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  Speaker 1: Commissioner James Comer, now a member of Congress and the
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  Speaker 1: House of Representatives, and McConnell, who helped the state chart
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  Speaker 1: a new path under the 2014 Farm Bill, which supported
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  Speaker 1: pilot projects looking at ways to potentially revive hemp as
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  Speaker 1: a cash crop in lieu of tobacco production. Then, four
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  Speaker 1: years later, again led by McConnell, hemp containing no more
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  Speaker 1: than 0.3% Delta-9-THC was legalized for cultivation and removed from
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  Speaker 1: the Controlled Substance Act. As with any new industry, the
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  Speaker 1: hemp space underwent a massive boom in Kentucky as farmers, investors,
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  Speaker 1: and entrepreneurs sought a chance to stake their claim. In 2025,
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  Speaker 1: 60 Kentucky counties had hemp production with roughly 4,700 planted
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  Speaker 1: acres of the crop, according to data from the Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: Department of Agriculture. About 98% of that hemp produced was
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  Speaker 1: used for retail hemp-derived products like gummies, oils, tinctures, and seltzers.
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  Speaker 1: An April report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found
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  Speaker 1: the nationwide hemp industry was valued at $ 739 million in 2025,
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  Speaker 1: a 64% increase from the year before. Small business owners
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  Speaker 1: like DeeDee Taylor, who owns Louisville-based 502 Hemp, said hemp
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  Speaker 1: is a funding mechanism for states. In Kentucky, which has
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  Speaker 1: a highly regulated state hemp industry, Taylor said she has
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  Speaker 1: paid about $ 14, 000 to the state in licensing and selling
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  Speaker 1: fees in 2026 alone. Now, she is concerned about what
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  Speaker 1: that ban will mean for her businesses and the consumers
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  Speaker 1: who have come to rely on the products she sells.
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  Speaker 1: For Taylor, finding a way to stop the ban is
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  Speaker 1: extra personal as her husband suffered from seizures for years
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  Speaker 1: before finding relief with CBD products. Mine and my husband's
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  Speaker 1: entire life and well-being is in this industry, Taylor said,
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  Speaker 1: so I can't imagine not doing it anymore. In April
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  Speaker 1: of 2026, in the backdrop of the proposed hemp ban,
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  Speaker 1: the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched a new
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  Speaker 1: hemp-derived products program that allows patients to utilize hemp-based products
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  Speaker 1: like the ones made by cornbread hemp for medical treatment.
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  Speaker 1: I think if the Medicare market matures, it's going to
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  Speaker 1: be an enormous opportunity for Kentucky family farms to grow
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  Speaker 1: the same acreage as they used to back with tobacco,
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  Speaker 1: Grundy said. However, even this program, which is targeted at
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  Speaker 1: senior patients, faces collapse if the ban is implemented. Facing
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  Speaker 1: a ticking clock for a hemp ban. The founders of
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  Speaker 1: Cornbread Hemp, a Kentucky hemp company dubbed the fastest growing
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  Speaker 1: hemp company in America on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list,
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  Speaker 1: are fighting to save the hemp industry and their company
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: by flying to Washington, D.C. to meet with politicians and
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: encouraging customers to call their legislators and taking to social
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: media to showcase its multi-million dollar manufacturing facility recently opened
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: in Louisville and its 100 employees. Eric Zipperl said Cornbread Hemp,
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: where he is the CEO, has spent hundreds of millions
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: of dollars building the company with tens of millions of
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: dollars invested directly into Kentucky, noting the company's Kentucky-based payroll
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: is $ 6 million annually and it pays about $ 150, 000 monthly
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: in sales tax to the state. While the company launched
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: several new products in 2026 and is on pace to
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: rake in more than $ 65 million in revenue as demand
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: continues to grow, Zipperill and his cousin and co-founder Jim
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: Higdon said, if the ban goes into effect, all of
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: that evaporates. Without relief from this ticking clock that Senator
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: McConnell set last year, We won't make it, Higdon said. U.S.
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: Representative Thomas Massey, who last year offered an amendment to
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: remove the ban language, told the Courier-Journal via email that
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: he strongly supports the production and sale of hemp-derived products.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: I believe legislative setbacks to the industry should be reversed.
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: If the ban goes into effect, Higdon and ZipRoll won't
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: only lose their business, they'll both be forced to file
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: for bankruptcy, and stand to lose everything since the millions
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: of dollars in loans from Republic Bank to support the
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: company were personally guaranteed. In 2025, Grundy, who grows hemp
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: exclusively for cornbread hemp, took out a $ 350, 000 loan on
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: a 10-year note to invest in his farm. He's only
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: one year into his payback for the loan and said
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: hemp production is what makes the income to pay it off.
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: Grundy said if the hemp ban continues, had been passed
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: prior to November 2025, he never would have made these
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: investments knowing it could potentially drag him under financially. Grundy's
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: hemp operation supports eight immigrant visa jobs, local workers, and
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: a full maintenance crew, and he leases additional barn space
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: from about 20 other property owners in the area. If
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: the ban happens, Grundy said the leases will be canceled.
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: His immigrant workers will likely need to return to their
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: home countries. and his local workers will be down a
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: job site. If hemp went away, the farm would basically
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: go dormant, Grundy said. And it's not just farms and
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: retailers that are worried about the impact of the ban.
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: The National Restaurant Association has written to Congress asking for
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: the ban to be reversed, noting hemp beverages create a $ 1. 6
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: billion opportunity for restaurants at a time when restaurants are
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: operating on razor-thin margins. How hemp products help many in
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: Kentucky with severe illnesses. Erin Pretorius doesn't want to imagine
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: a world where she can't access CBD products for her
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: eight-year-old daughter, Hannah. At age six, Hannah was diagnosed with medulloblastoma,
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: a rare cancerous brain tumor. After undergoing surgery and throughout
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: nine rounds of intensive chemotherapy, Hannah suffered from nausea and
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: residual pain. Doctors prescribed a cocktail of Zofran, Ativan, and
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: Benadryl for Hannah, all of which left her like a zombie.
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: As Hannah's health declined rapidly, Pretorius researched holistic treatments to
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: help with the persistent nausea. She started taking CBD oil
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: and Pretorius said the difference in Hannah was almost immediate.
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: Within just three days, the Spencer County mother said Hannah
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: was vomiting half as much as before and would soon
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: go on to have vomit-free days. Hannah even gained some
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: weight and her strength returned. Consumers and businesses alike are
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: pleading for hemp regulations instead of a ban. This concludes
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: the reading of the most recent business news in Lexington, Louisville,
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: and around the state. Your reader today has been Julia Shane.
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: If you have any questions or comments about this program,
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: please give our Lexington studios a call at 859-422-6390. Thanks
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: for listening, and now please stay tuned for readings from
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: the Kentucky Series here on Radio Eye.