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Montana 2024, Part One: The Goodness of Hemp

Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast

Release Date: 11/09/2024

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Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast

The NoCo Hemp Expo wrapped up its eleventh annual event last week in Estes Park, Colorado. The overall mood was optimistic, according to attendees, but there was an undercurrent of uncertainty and angst. The industry stands at a crossroads. Is it too dramatic (or melodramatic) to call it the battle for the soul of the industry? The word hemp means different things to different people, but for over a thousand years, the English word hemp meant one thing: the crop you farm at scale to produce raw materials for industry and food — ropes, sail cloth, paper, animal feed. But now, a quarter way...

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Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast

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This week on the Hemp Show, we talk with global hemp expert and co-founder of the Hemp Plastic Company, Paul Benhaim.  Benhaim takes us on a deep dive into hemp plastics — and why he believes scalability is more important than purity. We'll hear about the company and the process of turning hemp into objects like didgeridoos and car parts. Benhaim has been in the hemp industry for over 30 years, finding early success with a hemp health bar in Europe in the 1990s before moving to Australia where he founded the largest hemp food company in the Southern Hemisphere. Benhaim tells us...

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Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast

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Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast

On this episode of the Hemp Podcast, we welcome back Geoff Whaling, chair of the National Hemp Association, for an in-depth discussion on the evolving landscape of the hemp industry under the new administration. We cover the uncertainty surrounding the NHA’s $19.8 million climate-smart grant, the impact of leadership changes in Washington, and the ongoing push for hemp as an approved food and animal feed ingredient. Whaling shares his insights on the Farm Bill negotiations, the role of key officials in the USDA, and why he remains optimistic about hemp’s future despite political shifts....

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More Episodes

This is part one of our coverage of the 2024 Montana Hemp Summit, also known as the "Goodness of Hemp" Summit, that took place in Great Falls, Montana, Oct. 15-17.

First, please take action now. Help support the One Plant Kickstarter campaign.

The episode opens with a conversation with Ken Elliott, co-founder of IND HEMP in Montana. Host Eric Hurlock and Ken talk about the recent summit, the introduction of HEMI, and why people in the hemp industry should stop what they’re doing right now and go help throw in on the "One Plant" documentary film KickStarter Campaign.

Then you'll hear a series of interviews that Eric conducted with attendees at the summit.

By order of appearance:

Eduardo Garcia

Chef and CEO of Montana Mex and Dream Farm, Eduardo shares his enthusiasm for hemp as a superfood and sustainable material. His work focuses on educating people about the connection between food, health and environmental sustainability.

Cheryl Mitchell

A food scientist with Steuben Foods in the Grains, Nuts and Seeds Ingredient Manufacturing division, Cheryl specializes in plant-based beverages. She talks about her process for creating nutrient-rich, highly digestible hemp milk and the health potential of hemp as a food source.

Erica Campbell

Co-founder and partner at InCommon Group, a food systems strategic consulting firm, Erica discusses her work in advancing regenerative agriculture. She highlights her involvement in the films "Kiss the Ground" and "Common Ground" and introduces the 100 Million Acres campaign to promote sustainable farming practices.

Anjli Kumar

Founder of Inner Bark Heritage, a sustainable textile startup in Atlanta, Georgia, Anjli explains her efforts to establish a U.S.-based farm-to-fabric hemp textile supply chain. She aims to make hemp apparel mainstream by managing each step from decortication to finished fabric.

Guy Carpenter

Hemp textile expert and founder of Bear Fiber, Guy shares his work on creating the Benton shirt, a hemp-cotton blend garment produced entirely in the U.S. He emphasizes the importance of re-establishing American hemp textile production for sustainable clothing options.

Steve Groff

Regenerative agriculture educator and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, hemp farmer, Steve reflects on the Montana Hemp Summit's networking value. He shares insights from his partnership with Larry Serbin on green decortication research and discusses hemp’s potential in reclaiming saline soils for agriculture.

Larry Serbin

An OG hemp entrepreneur collaborating with Steve Groff on green decortication research, Larry appreciates the summit’s role in building connections. His work focuses on advancing hemp processing technology to support a sustainable future for the industry.

Jordan Berger and Maxwell Duryea

Filmmakers from Sunflower Films, Jordan and Maxwell discuss their documentary "One Plant," which highlights hemp’s many applications. They share their excitement about launching a Kickstarter campaign at the summit to fund the film’s completion and bring awareness of hemp to a broader audience.

Bob Quinn

Organic farmer and founder of Montana Flour and Grain, Bob talks about his research with IND HEMP on using hemp to mitigate saline soil in Montana. Known for his work with ancient grains like Kamut, he sees hemp as a key player in regenerative farming.

https://quinninstitute.org/

Contact:

Questions or comments? Reach out to Eric at [email protected]

Credits:

This episode of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast is produced by Eric Hurlock. Music by Tin Bird Shadow.

Thank you to our Sponsors:

IND HEMP

Americhanvre

Mpactful Ventures

Forever Green