Hemp Crop Sampling Agents, LLC is a full service, hemp sample collection company with USDA trained and Texas licensed Hemp Handler Samplers.

Although the TDA requires a sample of a hemp crop be collected for testing before harvest, the TDA will not conduct any hemp sampling.  You must contract with a 3rd party vendor (like Hemp Crop Sampling Agents) to collect your hemp samples for testing. Hemp producers may not harvest hemp prior to the hemp being sampled and tested for THC concentration. Texas law mandates all hemp crops be tested within 15 days prior to the anticipated harvest of cannabis plants.  All hemp crop samples must be collected by authorized and licensed agents (like Hemp Crop Sampling Agents).  Moreover, the hemp crop should be harvested within 15 days from sample collection. A failure to harvest within the 15 days from sample collection will trigger a second and final sample collection. TDA does allow a second round of hemp crop sample testing.  However, the hemp crop MUST be harvested within 15 days from the second and final sample collection. Based on the strict guidelines and timeframes enforced by the TDA, we, at Hemp Crop Sampling Agents, recommend hemp crop testing be conducted more often and on a regular schedule that can be established to coincide with the needs and wishes of the producer.  Best practices for producing hemp suggest that hemp samples should be collected and tested weekly during the growing process.  Regular and early testing to determine THC levels help ensure compliance with state and federal law.

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Our Sampling Agents are trained to satisfy the Sampling Guidelines required by Texas and Federal law.  TDA guidelines include several criteria encompassing location identification, visual inspection of hemp crops and sample size determinations as well as proper gathering methods of hemp crop samples.  The producer shall accompany the Hemp Crop Sampling Agent throughout the sampling process.  First, the Hemp Crop Sampling Agent shall verify the GPS coordinates of the lot as compared with the GPS coordinates submitted by the licensee to TDA. Thereafter, the Hemp Crop Sampling Agent shall visually establish the homogeneity of the stand to establish that the growing area is of like variety. Then, for purposes of determining the number of individual plants to select for sampling, the size of the growing area shall be considered. For sampling purposes, samples from separate lots must be kept separate and not be commingled. The number of samples collected depends on the size of the field growing the hemp. For growing areas less than 1 acre in size to 10 acres, the following charts dictates the number of samples to be collected:

For growing areas larger than 10 acres, including greenhouses, the number of plants that will be selected to form a composite sample is based upon the Codex Alimentarius Recommended Methods of Sampling for the Determination of Pesticide Residues for Compliance with MRLS CAC/OL 33-1999. The sample size is estimated in a two-step process. The first step is to estimate the number of primary plants to be sampled. The second step is to adjust the estimate of primary plants by the acreage under cultivation. The initial number of primary plants is estimated using

where 𝒑 is the confidence level to detect hemp plants having THC content greater than the acceptable hemp THC level and 𝒊 is the proportion of hemp plants having THC content greater than the acceptable hemp THC level. The values for 𝒊 are based on past experience in the same or similar growing areas.

The initial primary plants estimate is adjusted by the number of acres to calculate the minimum number of primary plants for compositing as follows

where 𝒏 is the minimum number of primary plants to be selected for forming a composite sample, 𝒏𝟎 is the initial number of primary plants, and 𝑵 is the number of acres under cultivation. The adjusted primary plant sample sizes for lots from 11 to 173 acres in size are shown in the following table:

The sample size must be of adequate volume to accommodate laboratory tests. A Hemp Crop Sampling Agent shall utilize a paper sample bag for collecting sample cuttings and ensure that each bag has the minimum number of cuttings, 𝒏, as calculated. Thereafter, the Hemp Crop Sampling Agent shall seal each bag and record the sample number.

Hemp Crop Sampling Agents is always looking for motivated, meticulous, and committed people to join our team of licensed sampling agents. It is our mission to build a company with integrity that provides quality services and lasting value to our clients, while simultaneously advancing the career aspirations of our sampling agents. If you have the interest, drive, and commitment to excel in our field and workplace, we invite you to apply to Hemp Crop Sampling Agents now.

If you’re interested in opportunities with Hemp Crop Sampling Agents, please fill out the contact form below and we will be in touch.