Let's Talk Hemp

Tag: Harvest

  • Hemp Producers Face Harvest Challenges

    Hemp Producers Face Harvest Challenges

    Hemp Producers Face Harvest Challenges; Seek Creative Ways to Profit in 2019

    By Steven Hoffman

    States and farmers throughout the U.S. are celebrating the nation’s first legal hemp harvest in more than 80 years, and this year’s harvest is estimated by Vote Hemp to come in at 115,000 – 138,000 acres, up 50% over 2018 hemp harvest levels. However, many first-time and even more experienced growers faced a number of adverse conditions and/or they went through a steep learning curve this growing season, resulting in significant crop and monetary losses for some producers and processors.

    In addition, among the hemp industry’s growing pains for many new producers has been finding an end market for harvested product. Federal legalization of industrial hemp as a result of the 2018 Farm Bill brought on a “green rush” of new farmers across the country. With so much product on the market and jitters around possible links between CBD and a recent rash of vaping injuries and fatalities, a good portion of the nation’s 2019 hemp harvest could end up in storage.

    “There’s a lot of excitement about the new [hemp] crop in New Mexico,” the state’s Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte told the Albuquerque Journal. Witte noted that more farmers joined the state’s hemp program this past year than the Department of Agriculture anticipated. It’s also a learning year for hemp producers, with plenty of trial and error as growers attempted to find the right approach to growing in New Mexico’s sometimes unforgiving conditions, Duke Rodriguez, President and CEO of Ultra Health, New Mexico’s largest medical marijuana producer and parent company of Ultra Hemp, told the Albuquerque Journal. Rodriguez said he expects only a third of the hemp grown this year to be successfully harvested. “Even for our own grow, we had what I would consider mixed results,” he said.

    For hemp farmers in the Midwest, torrential spring rains damaged many crops, including hemp, or delayed planting. “The late planting date caused challenges because the plants didn’t get as tall, they never canopied and that created weed problems,” farmer Mark Boyer told WFYI News in Indianapolis, IN. However, many Midwestern farmers remain hopeful that hemp will provide farmers — many of whom have been struggling due to low commodity prices — the chance to diversify, and it could generate the next generation of farmers, Justin Swanson, an attorney and the Midwest Hemp Council’s co-founder, told WFYI News.

    MA State Edibles Ban Chokes Off Lucrative Market for Farmers

    In Massachusetts, seeds were already in the ground in June when state agricultural officials without warning banned the state’s hemp farmers and processors from making or selling practically any edible product infused with hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD. While claiming that the ban was a clarification of existing law, to the 104 licensed hemp farmers in the state, the ban cut off one of the most lucrative markets for their crops and disrupted farmers’ financial calculations for the 2019 growing season.

    Now, the Boston Globe reported, farmers claim “the disaster they warned of all summer has arrived: tens of thousands of pounds of hemp harvested this fall and currently drying in barns across Massachusetts have nowhere to go, with edibles makers sidelined and other buyers offering extremely low prices to use the crop as biomass for fuel or feed. Lacking a financial incentive to process the plants into CBD and with state rules also banning exports and the sale of smokable hemp flower, growers are bracing for ruin,” the Globe reported. “Everybody is finishing the harvest, and none of us know what to do,’’ Linda Noel, a longtime farmer in Franklin, MA, told the Globe. Noel said she was offered $100 per pound for her artisanal hemp crop instead of the $500 she expected or the more than $900 per pound that premium, well-trimmed hemp might fetch in nearby Vermont, which has more liberal regulations, the Globe reported. “The state keeps changing the rules halfway through the game. It’s insulting,” she said.

    Producers Facing Five Big Challenges in 2019

    According to a recent report in Forbes, there are still too many uncertainties and challenges that the agricultural sect must face before hemp as a crop takes off in the way that advocates have long predicted. Forbes writer Mike Adams noted that the following are the most common problems hemp farmers have been dealing with since America’s latest cash crop was made legal.

    • Poor first-year yields make it difficult for farmers to be profitable – Torrential spring rains in the nation’s heartland – which some call a “sweet spot” for growing hemp – delayed planting dates, stunted plants and affected yield for many first-time farmers.
    • Growing hemp is more labor intensive than traditional crops – Growing hemp is a laborious affair, especially since many farmers do not presently have the proper equipment to efficiently see the process through from seed to harvest.
    • Some of the hemp seed being sold for CBD-rich plants is of questionable quality – Farmers interested in producing plants to sell go CBD processors require all female plants. However, a Philadelphia Inquirer report indicates that for many growers male plants showing up in the crop have negatively affected harvesting of plants, rendering some crops “worthless.”
    • Thieves are stealing hemp plants – With thieves often confusing hemp for its intoxicating cousin marijuana, growers are being forced to either invest in increased security or recruit watchmen to keep a constant lookout. Often the farmers themselves are losing sleep keeping watch at night over their hemp fields.
    • Too much hemp is being produced with no new markets to which producers can sell – Now that the first harvest is considered mostly a wrap, many farmers are struggling to find a market where they can sell it. “It’s not like corn or wheat or other commodities, where you just go down to the local grain elevator,” Matt Cyrus, the president of the Deschutes County (Oregon) Farm Bureau, toldthe Philadelphia Inquirer.

    Ways Farmers May Profit this Season

    Ultimately, 2019’s growing pains will be a good thing for hemp producers. In New Mexico, for example, Duke Rodriguez noted that the learning process has helped growers identify strains and discover growing techniques that will allow hemp to thrive in New Mexico’s climate. In fact, Rodriguez told the Albuquerque Journal that, given the available land and direct sunlight, New Mexico could become a “major powerhouse” in hemp production. New Mexico Agriculture Secretary Witte and Rodriguez both agreed that it would be beneficial for New Mexico’s hemp industry to focus on adding value by processing and extracting oil from hemp going forward, through public or private investment.

    For hemp producers throughout the U.S., from posting hemp for sale on PanXchange, a new online hemp trading platform or working with brokers, experts say that profit opportunities aren’t lost even for those who haven’t yet sold their hemp crops, “as long as cultivators are able to harvest and take steps to protect their hemp from dampness, mold and other potentially ruinous dangers,” Hemp Industry Daily reported.

    Farmers who can’t sell their raw crops immediately or get them to an extractor should try to do as much preprocessing as possible to buy themselves some time, Joel Bedard, CEO of The Vermont Hemp Co. in Corinth, VT, suggested in Hemp Industry Daily. Preprocessed dry material can be stored in large white sacks or totes and plastic bins until farmers can find a buyer or an extractor for further processing, but even well-stored, dried material shouldn’t be kept beyond six months, Bedard said.

    Farmers who can get their hemp to an extractor for processing should try to have it processed into winterized, decarboxylated crude oil, advised William Goodall, CEO of Denver-based Eco Extract Labs. “The sooner that you can extract it and get it into a concentrated oil and then sort in a barrel, preferably a cool location, the more you’ll get out of your plants,” Goodall told Hemp Industry Daily.

    Ultimately, experts also advise to “network, network, network.” Some farmers have also found that posting photos and details of their crops on social media can help move material. Wesley Ray, Co-founder of Combined Hemp in Bend, OR, uses LinkedIn to promote his hemp farm. “Comments turn into (direct messages) and then eventually farm visits, Ray told Hemp Industry Daily.

    In addition to the PanXchange, other online hemp trading platforms include The Hemp Marketplace, which began operation in 2017, and the Hemp Exchange, founded in 2019.

    Photo: Compass Natural

    # # #

    Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing brand marketing, PR, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic, sustainable and hemp/CBD products businesses. Compass Natural serves in PR and programming for NoCo Hemp Expo and  Southern Hemp Expo, and Hoffman serves as Editor of the weekly Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, published by We are for Better Alternatives. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

     

  • 2nd Annual SLV Hemp Symposium Returns to Adams State University

    2nd Annual SLV Hemp Symposium Returns to Adams State University

    Bringing hemp education, economics, and environmental information to Alamosa Colorado and the San Luis Valley.

    Education is Power! Come network and learn from like-minded individuals in the hemp industry.

    As the hemp industry further demonstrates its potential to create new job markets, revolutionize our economy, and prove to be both nutritionally and environmentally beneficial, Colorado universities are realizing the need to incorporate hemp into higher education.

    The Second Annual San Luis Valley (SLV) Hemp Symposium will take place on Friday, November 10, on the (ASU) campus in Alamosa, Colorado. This year’s symposium, taking place in the Student Union building, is presented by International Hemp Solutions and features Let’s Talk Hemp, an all-day speaker series and exhibitor expo. The symposium covers a wide range of hemp topics including legislation and regulation, best farming practices, technology, hemp foods & nutrition, marketing your hemp business in today’s environment, and more. Panel members include industry experts and entrepreneurs such as, Tim Gordon from COHIA (Colorado Hemp Industries Association), Tom Dermody from Industrial Hemp Research Foundation, Alan Parsons from Power Zone, Morris Beegle of NoCo Hemp Expo, Bob Hoban from Hoban Law Group, Terry Moran from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, and Ryan Loflin, the first US farmer in 50+ years to successfully plant, grow, and harvest a commercial scale hemp crop in 2013 before it was federally allowed via the 2014 Farm Bill.

    Symposium host, ASU, illustrates the importance of having education and research grow simultaneously with infrastructure. Having launched their Industrial Hemp Initiative this July, ASU aims to create an SLV Viable Hemp Seed Program and to develop a large-scale, hemp-based economy in the San Luis Valley. The initiative focuses on what ASU President, Beverlee J. McClure, calls the four E’s: Economy, Environment, Education, and Entrepreneurship.

    Tickets are an affordable $10 for the Let’s Talk Hemp speaker series and free to walk through the mini-expo featuring 15-20 hemp based companies and organizations. Tickets are easily purchased on-line via the SLV Hemp Symposium TICKET SALES webpage.

    For more information visit the HempEvents.org website. Come join the movement while becoming educated by industry leaders.

  • 4th Annual Hemp Harvest Party!

    4th Annual Hemp Harvest Party!

    After 4 years the US hemp industry is finally starting to lose its baby-fat… Look how many more farmers and how many more acres of hemp were grown in Colorado and across the U.S. in just a single year!

    At the 4th Annual Hemp Harvest Party, on Saturday, October 14th you can experience the living U.S. hemp movement in action, presented by Lilu’s Garden.

    Join industry leaders CoHempCo and Colorado Hemp Project as they host at the Oak Room at Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, CO, from 8pm-midnight to celebrate “an industry of trail blazers and leaders who have worked hard to accelerate the progress made during this year’s planting, growing and harvesting season.”

    Growers, processors, distributors, and even users are all pioneers in the hemp movement. Enjoy live entertainment with big screen hemp movies, network with hemp enthusiasts, and satisfy in amazing Oskar Blues beer flavors, hemp mulled wines, whiskey and vodka. Grab a special hemp cappuccino or latte from SteepFuze, and savor tasty hemp baklava desserts from Satya Creative.

    Meet Chef Kent of Z-Catering who will be creating special hemp-harvested goodies for purchase, featuring “Hemp Rocks” a German-style krautburger made with farm-to-fork fresh veggies and meats, spiced with a hemp-infusion, and topped with Colorado Hemp Company’s Hemp Green Chili. (Vegan and GF Options)

    The hemp industry itself is gaining weight quickly with more consistent planting of stable genetics; its firming-up muscle from another season of harvesting and processing; and more and more knowledge and experiences are gained and shared each day.

    The Oak Room is a wonderfully-warm event space with lots of tall solid tables, leather cushion booths, and high brewery ceilings. Purchase tickets today as this event is always a lot of fun and generally sells out!

    Right now, we are all pioneers in the movement. We are all leaders in our own individual hemp projects. We all have something to offer.

    Come celebrate and encourage each other as equals in the larger hemp community. For right now, the success of the community depends not on just one person, but on the endurance of all its members.

    Thomas Ivory, Jr.

  • Hemp Harvest Party: A Celebration of the Season

    Hemp Harvest Party: A Celebration of the Season

    By: Thomas Ivory –  Colorado’s third harvest of regulated outdoor industrial hemp is soon complete, just like the dwindling hot days of summer. The cool autumn nights ask for much work still to be done, but time for celebrating the bounty of hard work and dedication is also appreciated.

    We are lucky in Colorado to have grown as a community and industry in so many prosperous and innovative ways over the past few years. Our continued professionalism is more than setting an example for other States; it is creating aristocratic conversation for all States and governments to participate.

    Let us not forget those less fortunate by continuing support for individual and State rights to grow industrial hemp and uphold the constitutions and the Bill of Rights.

    To celebrate Colorado’s (and the whole country’s) 2016 outdoor industrial hemp harvest, Colorado Hemp Company and Colorado Hemp Project is hosting its third annual Hemp Harvest Party!

    They are collecting pictures from the 2016 season, from planting to harvesting, to be displayed in a video released at the party.

    The hemp harvest of 2014 in Sterling, Colorado, with Bill Billings and his daughter Dani, set the stage for the first CHC harvest party. This event was epic — right out on the farmland, hemp field swaying directly behind live musicians, skateboarders on a half-pipe, hemp vendors under shade, and in the middle of it all: a hemp maze.

    Walnut Room in Denver brought the party to the city in 2015. Now, more of the State was represented with easier access to the countrywide celebration. CHC honored all industrial hemp participants by gathering photos of the second year’s outdoor hemp season and presenting a video at the party.

    The capitol city was so good to the Hempsters last year that CoHempCo is excited to host again the third annual Hemp Harvest Party 2016 at the Globe Hall in Denver, Colorado, Friday, October 14th, from 8pm-close. This will be an intimate opportunity to network, listen to live music, watch a photo-video, and celebrate the progress of sustainable agriculture.

    The Taylor Scott Band will be headlining the party featuring Dave Beegle. Check out the sound recently recorded in Old Town, Fort Collins, by RAYBURN MEDIA. Also taking the stage will be Rob Drabkin, and Colorado local Rob Trueblood (who has opened the event the past two years) will again grace the stage first.

    General admission and sponsorship tickets are on sale now. Get them online HERE

    Again, we are blessed in Colorado to have a conscientious community where we demand our statewide right to grow industrial hemp and practice sustainable agriculture. Lets celebrate together and show the rest of the country there are gifts and rewards from our communal efforts.

    And please remember, for the industry to function properly, we need the whole country participating in progressive living. Contact State representatives; e-mail Senators, Congressmen, Lobbyist; sign petitions to let those in charge know: the people of America want healthier and happier lives. We want to grow industrial hemp.

  • NoCo founder envisions ‘an industry that will be unstoppable’

    NoCo founder envisions ‘an industry that will be unstoppable’

    INTERVIEW: MORRIS BEEGLE
    Founder & Owner
    Colorado Hemp Company

    Morris Beegle spent more than 20 years in the American entertainment industry before turning his attention to the growing U.S. market for ecological, sustainable products. He is the founder and owner of the Colorado Hemp Company (CHC), organizer of NoCo Expo, one of the premier U.S.-based hemp industry trade shows, which recently held its third annual Expo. CHC also offers a wide range of marketing, product and brand development services for hemp-based producers and retailers. Morris is on the business advisory council of the (U.S.) National Hemp Association.

    Read the full article here at Hemptoday.com

  • The Rebirth of Industrial Hemp:  Processing and Bio-refineries 

    The Rebirth of Industrial Hemp:  Processing and Bio-refineries 

    Hemp is on the rise today, and facilities like Pure Hemp Technology and contributing to what Carl Lehrburger calls, “the thrust of the hemp revolution”. 

    By: Abbie Marks
    With the passing of the federal Farm Bill and supporting state pilot programs, local businesses are providing farmers an opportunity in industrial hemp while manufacturing eco-friendly products.

    Pure Hemp Technology, a hemp processing plant and bio-refinery located in Fort Lupton, CO is doing just that, promoting sustainable agriculture by converting industrial hemp into useable products.

    As of last year, Colorado Department of Agriculture reported 3,675 acres of hemp grown in 2016, nearly tripling in volume of growing space and in number of participants last year. According to the National Hemp Association, hemp farming nationwide grew 1,000% in 2015.

    Hemp farmers are driving the demand for companies like Pure Hemp Technology to process hemp today.

    In this video with Ed Lehrburger, Founder of Pure Hemp Technology and Dani Billings, Co-Founder  of Colorado Hemp Project and Nature’s Root discuss the role of the hemp plant in Colorado’s’ booming agricultural economy.

    “Processing represents the thrust of the hemp revolution.” –Carl Lehrburger, Executive Manager of Pure Hemp Technology

    Pure Hemp Technology is a wet processing plant which distinguishes them in their approach and represents a key “central supply chain” that simply doesn’t exist for whole plant processing.

    industrial-hemp-blog
    (media credit: www.purehemptech.com)

    This allows plants like Pure Vision to refine hemp into higher value products and strains in addition to fiber, pulps for paper, and other materials like lignin which consists of 20% of the plant. These materials  are processed into several applications from chemicals and plastics to sugars, sweeteners, alcohol, and more.

    Pure Vision/Pure Hemp Technology is a registered R&D facility in Colorado, producing different grades of pulps and stalks/hurd, long fibers, into useful products for green businesses.

    Processing these co-products into these higher value products is critical to growing hemp.

    “A company looking into textiles, processing, seed, etc, that only represents a fraction (of the market value),” says Lehrburger, “it makes growing it (hemp) more valuable (for American farmers).”

    Facilities like Pure Hemp Technology provide farmers a means to commodify their harvest as well as readily available sustainable alternatives and to everyday consumer goods.

    “Farmers have to be successful, pricing of commodities has to also be successful to buy seed, specialized equipment, etc.”

    In light of the decline in opportunity and the challenges faced by Rural American farmers today, Lehrburger discussed the potential for jobs not only in the growing and agricultural sectors but in processing and manufacturing.

    “The start of the hemp industry seems to represents a significant opportunity for revitalizing rural America, where the bigger picture is replacing oil-based products with bio-based products.”

    In this article from Environmental Health News, Jessica Knoblauch reports that “evidence is mounting that the chemical building blocks that make plastics so versatile are the same components that might harm people and the environment. And its production and disposal contribute to an array of environmental problems.” 1.

    Supporting the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, urging businesses to consider go green, and reaching out to congress is a huge push away from plastics and a way to help surge the rebirth of industrial hemp.

    For more information on hemp processing and bio-refineries like Pure Hemp Technology, join Ed Lerhburger and Carl Lerhburger at NoCo Hemp Expo on April 1-2 at The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland, CO. Ed will be speaking at the Let’s Talk Hemp stage along with several key industry experts and business leaders during Saturday, April 2. To learn more about the expo and view a full schedule of events click here!

    1. Knoblauch, Jessica A. “The Environmental Toll of Plastics.” Environmental Health News. N.p., 2 July 2009. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.

     

  • Driving Hemp into the Future: BMW Goes Biodegradable

    Driving Hemp into the Future: BMW Goes Biodegradable

    Lighter-weight, fuel-efficient vehicles with hemp are right down the road.

     By: Brad Shannon

    Why use hemp to make automobiles? For a number of reasons. Hemp is lighter than steel or fiberglass, resists dents and is not brittle like carbon fiber, and it is biodegradable. Most importantly, hemp is carbon negative, says Bruce Dietzen of Renew Sports Cars.

     hemp-car1
    (BMW door panel – media credit: Redspiderfish/Flickr)

     Work is ongoing in Australia and Europe to create plant-based materials to replace parts that today use plastic and metal. A reduction in weight of 30% for such parts provides an instant boost in fuel economy, with a higher strength-to-weight ratio than steel. When it reaches the end of its useful life, just bury it and let it biodegrade.

    You may have come across the story of Henry Ford’s hemp car online. Unfortunately, it seems that there is a lot of myth to that tale, according to The Angry Historian – at least when it comes to how much of the car was actually made of hemp. Rather, the plastic body panels used standard resin binder combined with natural materials such as hemp fiber as fill material. That popular image of Ford taking a whack at a car with an axe? It was a soybean-based material.

    hemp-car2

    (media credit: Ford archives)

     A sleeker, safer, faster modern take on a hemp car is a slick sports car built on a Mazda Miata chassis by Dietzen. The car’s body is made of hemp, and runs on biofuel that is a closed carbon loop in that it does not add any new carbon to the atmosphere when burned. It made an appearance down the road from us in Denver late last year. The next big step, it appears, could be vehicles with 3D printed hemp bodies; but some find it hard to beat the Lotus Eco Elise prototype from the 2008 British Motor Show, or the i3 and i8 concepts from BMW that incorporated hemp.

    hemp-car3
    (media credit: Renew Sports Cars)

     If you’re like most, though, your budget may run more along the lines of the electric Kestrel with hemp body panels promised by Calgary, Canada-based Motiv Industries (a neighboring market with more enlightened views on hemp cultivation that puts companies there at an advantage).

    hemp-car4
    (media credit: Motiv Industries)

      Not ready for a hemp-based car body? How about a nicer, more natural interior? Mercedes led the industry with jute-based door panels in its E-class, and BMW and Audi VW have followed in the use of plant fibers in their vehicles.

    hemp-car5
    (media credit: Lotus)

     Learn more about hemp and its future in the automotive and other industries from a wide variety of experts at the NoCo Hemp Expo 2016 at The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland, CO April 1-2.

     

  • The Stage is Set! Industrial Hemp Expo Unites Global Participants 

    The Stage is Set! Industrial Hemp Expo Unites Global Participants 

    Sponsored By Game Changers: Seed CX

    The Time is Now to Sow the Seed

     

    Are you ready for the largest hemp event in North America?

     

    Opening Ceremonies begin Friday, April 1st at 10 AM at The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland, CO. The NoCo Hemp Expo, now in its third year,  is the place to be for all things hemp. Colorado Hemp Company is honored to bring together the most experienced thought leaders from around the globe. 

     

    On April 2, stop by the Colorado Hemp Company Booth from 2-3 PM for your very own hemp-printed Declaration of Independence or pocket Constitution and have it autographed by our special guest Ben Franklin, Christopher Lowell.  Visit the Let’s Talk Hemp Stage as he shares his knowledge of hemp in the U.S from the perspective of one of our nation’s brightest inventors and leaders.Inline image 1

     

    Did you know? Benjamin Franklin’s discovery of the electric current set in place the building blocks to modern electricity as well as many modern terms and applications still used today like the battery.

    You won’t want to miss the myriad of hemp activities happening at NoCo Hemp Expo this weekend! Speaking on Processing and Technology, Doug Fine joins Pure Hemp Technology’s Ed Lehrburger and other knowledgeable panelists for an in-depth look into the future of hemp. From bio-refineries to hemp super capacitors, the applications for the hemp plant are endless and will be discussed at NoCo3. 

     

    Learn how to juice using hemp with professional Chef and Certified Biofeedback Specialist Cece Stalter of CBDRx. Take a glance into health, wellness, and nutrition with panelists like Dr. Bob Melamede, Ph.D. Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry and sample some of Ari Sherman’s Evo Hemp bars. 

     

    Join the fun with paper-making and hemp building workshops and more at the Quicksilver Scientific Stage. Embrace the world of quality hemp products from over 130 exhibitors at the expo or attend  a panel on U.S. made products featuring Dani Billings, Founder of Nature’s Root and Summer Star-Haeske, Owner/Co-Founder of EnviroTextiles. 

     

    Stick around for Keynote Speech from Doug Fine on The State of The Hemp Industry in 2016 and a message from Ben Franklin on Patriotism, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness happening at 4:00 PM in the Let’s Talk Hemp Theater.  

     

    Closing out NoCo3, Rep. Jared Polis will be delivering the Call to Action and speaking on the state the hemp industry in terms of in-state and federal legislation as well as the economic opportunities available in hemp. Polis and his Staff have been championing for hemp since the inaugural NoCo Hemp Expo was first produced in 2014. Come learn more about the state of hemp and be a part of the movement happening throughout the U.S. 

     

    Click here for a live schedule of the event. Purchase your tickets today before prices go up on Friday at the door! Enjoy a weekend dedicated to  hemp with live entertainment, hands-on activities, art, networking, and more at #NoCoHempExpo and be sure to check out the live HempWall where you can connect your message with everyone at the expo. 

     

    About NoCo Hemp Expo, Colorado Hemp Company and TreeFreeHemp

    WAFBA LLC (We Are For Better Alternatives) is home to the NoCo Hemp Expo, TreeFreeHemp and Colorado Hemp Company located in Loveland, Colorado and operating since 2012. Areas of focus include product and brand development, marketing, printing, production, events and advocacy.

     

    Press Contact: Abbie Marks 

    (985) 518-7493

    abbie@nocohempexpo.com 

  • The Future of Sustainable Building: Eco-Friendly Insulation, HempCrete and More

    The Future of Sustainable Building: Eco-Friendly Insulation, HempCrete and More

    John Patterson of Tiny Hemp Homes and Joy Beckerman of Hemp Ace International describe how hemp is an ideal material for construction and see its application in commercial and home building growing in 2016.

    By: Brad Shannon

    Hemp as a building material has roots that stretch back millennia. Buildings constructed thousands of years ago using hemp still stand today at Ellora Caves in India, a testament to the plant’s suitability and durability as a construction material.

    “Hemp as a building material is not a new idea,” notes Joy Beckerman of Hemp Ace International. “It’s an ancient trend proven over thousands of years, and there’s no need for new research to find ways to use it – we already know.”

    Including the long list of benefits from green building, the versatility and sustainability of hemp is perhaps best showcased in the myriad ways it can be used as a building material today.

    John Patterson of Tiny Hemp Houses notes that “A hemp wall replaces the combination of drywall, insulation, exterior boarding, house wrap, siding, caulk and paint all in one thermal wall system. It’s great at keeping a more comfortable constant temperature, is fire resistant, breathable, mold-, pest- and mildew-resistant, and over time extremely affordable.”

    This helps create a home where, as Sergiy Kovalenkov’s company Hempire UA notes, hemp insulation and a high thermal mass helps regulate temperature and humidity to reduce heating and cooling costs; hemp materials create naturally vapor-permeable walls reduce or eliminate the need for ventilation; and hemp helps create a quiet living space that is non-flammable, resists mold and mildew, and repels pests. Using natural materials eliminates the possibility of toxic off-gassing from manmade materials, which could have a positive impact on our health.

    tiny-hemp-home1
    (Hemp stalks showing the interior hurd media credit: HempCrete WorkShops)

    Beyond being a versatile building material, using hemp for building is also good for the earth. Growing hemp helps not only reduce CO2 emissions, but actively removes CO2 from the air.

    tiny-hemp-home2
    (Hemp hurd ready for use media credit: HempCrete Workshops)

    Tiny Hemp Homes notes that industrial hemp is only grown on about 100,000 hectares globally, producing a crop valued at about $600 billion across industries that use hemp as a raw material.

    That market will no doubt grow in the footsteps of what Beckerman describes as “a tremendous surge in projects globally and in the U.S., including commercial projects like the Marks & Spencer Cheshire Oaks store and The Triangle Project, a 40-unit housing complex, both in the UK. They use much less energy than traditional construction, and that is one thing that is making this something that is not just for tiny homes or pods.”

    tiny-hemp-home3
    (HempCrete, Hemp Insulation, and Hemp Chip Board media credit: HempCrete Workshops)

    Learn more about building with hemp from local, national, and global experts like Frank Wetenkamp, a Natural Building Professional with Tiny Hemp Houses, Joy Beckerman of Hemp Ace International, John Patterson of Tiny Hemp Houses, Sergiy Kovalenkov of Hempire UA, David Neisingh of Reakiro Labs, Anndrea Hermann of Hemp Technologies and many others at NoCo Hemp Expo 2016 at The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland, CO April 1-2.

    In particular, don’t miss the Building with Hemp sessions featuring all of these folks in a panel discussion. Plan to catch one of these sessions:

     

    April 1

    Hempcrete Mixing with a Natural Plaster Finish
    1:00 to 2:30 pm on the Quicksilver Scientific Workshop Stage

    April 2

    Hempcrete Mixing with a Natural Plaster Finish
    Noon to 1:30 pm on the Quicksilver Scientific Workshop Stage

    2:45 to 3:25 pm in the Hemp Business Journal Summit Room

    tiny-hemp-home4(media credit: HempCrete Workshops)

  • Hemp Road Trip: Bringing Back the Local Farmer

    Hemp Road Trip: Bringing Back the Local Farmer

    Rick Trojan and his team at The Hemp Road Trip rally for change, supporting farmers and informing citizens about the importance of The Industrial Hemp Farming Act.

    By: Thomas Ivory, Jr.

    Traveling America in a B100 biodiesel short-bus decorated with “What can hemp do…” graphics and a fine looking man in a sport-coat behind the steering-wheel can be quite adventurous. Venturing from Denver, Colorado, towards Eastern America, this road trip has one purpose: to educate U.S. citizens about hemp

    “The initial course was 4 months, and we left January 28th,” said Rick Trojan, Hemp Road Trip founder, speaker, and driver. “We wanted to go around to talk with people and start educating, on a grassroots level, about this (hemp) plant and this crop… We have met people from farmers, to students, to teachers, to just regular citizens.”

    The intent, also, is to get Industrial Hemp recognized on a political level. “The original plan was to follow the presidential primaries,” said Trojan. “We went to Iowa, and then we ended up in New Hampshire during their primaries. We went to Washington D.C., and then down to the Carolinas during their primaries. That was the initial flow, to follow the primaries. But then, as we got on the road, we let serendipity take its course, and we started meeting people here and there. So we adapted our schedule, to keep it fluid.”

    Trojan added, “Convincing politicians to come on board (being pro-hemp) is critical to the passing of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, which is what we’re focusing on this year, for 2016.”

    Legislation concerning Industrial Hemp has been around for a while. The Hemp Road Trip strives toward creating awareness and support for these proposals.

    “There are a couple of bills in front of the House and the Senate, at the moment, having to do with hemp – whether its CBD specific bills or whether its the Industrial Hemp Farming Act – which are the House Bill H.R. 525 and Senate Bill 134,” said Trojan. “And these bills have been proposed for the past 10 years. Essentially, what they would do is take hemp off the controlled substance act – de-schedule hemp –meaning hemp would no longer be considered a drug… Another bill, presented by Bernie Sanders, Senate Bill 2237, would actually declassify cannabis in general.”

    This political movement would help American farmers have more agricultural options. “We’re finding: farmers want something different to plant,” said Trojan.

    “Having this as an option, I mean, not all farmers are going to plant hemp. Just like not all farmers plant corn, or soy, or cotton. Farmers are going to find what works for them. But they need to have this arrow in their quiver, if you will.”

    For Industrial Hemp to be a concern for politicians, they need to know it is a concern for the people who elected them. “The politicians are for their constituents,” said Trojan. “They have 100 things on their plate. They deal with things they hear from their constituents. So, that has really been our focus: to get people to call their elected officials, on a State and Federal level, to let them know about hemp… Hearing from the people themselves, if we truly want to treat this as a democracy and exercise our right as citizens, we should take the time to call or e-mail our representatives to let them know that this (illegalization of hemp) law needs to be changed.”

    Trojan added. “We’re focusing on the Industrial Hemp Farming Act because at the moment it has the most momentum, from my view.”

    Momentum on a political level begins with proper knowledge and education from the citizens. “80 years of misinformation has been intentionally presented,” said Trojan. “It is time to get the misinformation out and the correct information in, and then people can choose what they want… With the Internet, it is such a valuable resource. People can educate themselves and be an activist. If only on this one issue, they would have done a good deed – a good deed for themselves, their families, their country, and the economy. I think it just makes sense to educate themselves, and to talk to friends and family, and to talk to their legislatures (about legalizing Industrial Hemp).”

    By the 1st of April, the B100 short-bus and Hemp Road Trip will return to Colorado for NoCo3 Hemp Expo, completing the first phase of the trip. The second phase, which will begin sometime in April, includes western America: Nebraska, California, and Washington state.

    To view Hemp Road Trip photos (of two brought along hemp-based US flags unraveled in front of State Houses, and with several presidential candidates), informative Industrial Hemp links and resources, and to donate to the road trip cause, visit: www.hemproadtrip.com.

    And visit your State website for information on how to contact your local representative and congressperson.

    “We should allow our farmers to get hemp in the ground and bring back the local farmer and the family farmer,” said Trojan. “We (Hemp Road Trip) will continue on our quest to educate the people.”

  • 3rd Annual NoCo Hemp Expo to Host Hemp Investment Summit

    3rd Annual NoCo Hemp Expo to Host Hemp Investment Summit

    Presented by: The Hemp Business Journal

    Tickets are on sale now​​ for the largest hemp‐centric Trade Show and Conference in North America. With over 100 exhibitors, 50+ speakers and industry experts, 2016 is gearing up to be one of the most important years in history for the industrial hemp movement.

    April 1‐2 at The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland, CO will feature an assortment of fun‐filled workshops and program add‐ons including “Let’s Talk Hemp” and “The Hemp Investment Summit” presented by the ​The Hemp Business Journal.​

    “We are excited to have the first‐ever nationally hemp‐focused Investment Summit as part of our conference. Our partners at The Hemp Business Journal and ​Business Catapult​ are bringing together the investment sector and investment ready companies throughout the hemp industry with the potential for funding right off the expo floor.”

    —Morris Beegle, ​Founder @ NoCo Hemp Expo

    The investment summit marks a significant shift toward entrepreneurship and professional development in the hemp industry. Access is strictly limited to 65 attendees, so click ​here​ to reserve your VIP ticket today or to register as a founder or accredited investor.

    “All the World’s a Stage,” says Morris, “ and in the Hemp world today, there is no bigger stage than The NoCo Hemp Expo. “

    Hemp advocates, business leaders, state officials, and educators will assemble together for a weekend of education, entertainment, innovation, commerce, and All Things Hemp!

    Invest in progress this spring by attending the third annual NoCo Hemp Expo and join in the excitement of this emerging industry.

    Abbie Marks
    On The Mark PR
    (985) 518-7493
    abbiemarkswriting@gmail.com

  • Colorado Companies Head to Washington DC for Hemp on the Hill

    Colorado Companies Head to Washington DC for Hemp on the Hill

    Jared PolisCongressman Jared Polis (CO.2) will host the “Industrial Hemp Expo and Conversation” on Tuesday, February 2, 2016 on Capitol Hill. The Expo will feature key industry speakers, leading hemp companies, and state and federal officials who are coming together to discuss hemp and its remarkable industrial advancements in recent years.

    Colorado, Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee, Indiana, Virginia, and North Carolina have become leaders in the hemp movement in recent years making progress at the state level by taking advantage of federal legalization opportuni
    ties provided in the 2014 Farm Bill.

    These states make up the heart of the hemp industry and are host to some of the most amazing individuals working hard to legitimize and fully legalize industrial hemp on the federal level.

    According to The Hemp Business Journal, market research puts the U.S. hemp industry at approximately $500 million in sales for year ending 2014. Market research also suggests a nearly $2 billion hemp industry by 2020.

    “Hemp is an agricultural crop that can benefit local economies across the country, and a crop that never should have been illegal in the first place. Hemp is not a drug, and should have zero association or interference from the DEA or FDA.” —Morris Beegle, Founder @ Colorado Hemp Company and The NoCo Hemp Expo.

    “I’m looking forward to joining my fellow hemp constituents in Washington DC at Hemp on the Hill,” says Beegle, “and convincing members of Congress to finally jump on board and do the right thing, pull hemp completely off of the controlled substances list.“

    Colorado Hemp Company joins the expo in February along with National Hemp Association, Evo Hemp and renowned hemp experts like Barbara Filippone at EnviroTextiles and Author Doug Fine who have worked to spearhead the legalization of hemp in Colorado and nationwide.

    Join Congressman Polis and Colorado Hemp Company at Rayburn Foyer in Washington DC and meet the faces of the hemp industry at our nation’s capital.

    WHAT:  “Industrial Hemp Expo and Conversation on The Hill”

    WHO: Senator Ron Wyden (OR),
    Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR.3)
    Congressman Thomas Massie (KY.4)
    Colorado Hemp Co. and NoCo Hemp Expo – Morris Beegle, Founder
    Evo Hemp – Ari Sherman, President
    Hemp Road Show and Moonrise Extracts – Rick Trojan, Owner
    National Hemp Association – Samantha Walsh, Board of Directors
    Envirotextiles – Barbara Filippone, President
    Hemp Industries Association – Eric Steenstra – Executive Director
    Doug Fine – Author and Investigative Journalist
    Coach Freddie – iHemp Revolution Podcast
    Edgar Winters – Oregon Farmer
    Mike Bowman – Colorado 5th Gen. Hemp Farmer

    WHEN:  Tuesday, February 2, 2016
                       10 am – 2 pm

    WHERE: 1st Floor Rayburn HOB
    Rayburn Foyer, 45 Independence Ave. SW
    Washington D.C. 20515

    RSVP:              To RSVP for “Industrial Hemp Expo and Conversation on The Hill” and for the latest information about the key speakers presenting, please visit http://industrialhempexpo.eventbrite.com

    About NoCo Hemp Expo, Colorado Hemp Company and TreeFreeHemp:

    WAFBA LLC(We Are For Better Alternatives) is home to the NoCo Hemp Expo, TreeFreeHemp and Colorado Hemp Company  located in Loveland, Colorado and operating since 2012. Areas of focus include product and brand development, marketing, printing, production, events and advocacy.

    Abbie Marks
    On The Mark P.R
    abbiemarkswriting@gmail.com
    (985) 518-7493