Industrial Hemp Podcast

Click to read the show notes. Podcast episode 32 goes to Barto, Pennsylvania — to Wildfox Farm — where Ben and Karah Davies own and operate what two years ago was simply an organic produce and pastured meat farm. But the farm is now also a leader of industrial hemp growth in eastern Berks County. For first year hemp growers, this conversation with Ben Davies should be enlightening and helpful, especially for those growing for CBD. Davies grew hemp for the first time last year and has stories to tell — stories about getting seeds and spacing the plants in the field, the challenges of third party testing and family bonding during the weeks' long harvest, and driving cross-state with a U-Haul full of fragrant hemp bales. It's rare glimpse into the early days of hemp in Pennsylvania. Wildfox Provisions is the name of the farm's hemp operation, and Davies said the company is building a farmer collective in order to train nearby farmers. "They are all fully equipped to succeed," Davies said during the podcast interview. He said they already have the tools they need to do well with hemp and that they "already know how to grow it -- but they just don't know it yet." Get the whole story and more, plus hemp industry news, including a request for yield data to help develop a federal crop insurance program. Here's the link to the crop yield data form to that will help in the development of a federal crop insurance program that was mentioned in the show: http://bit.ly/hempdata Learn more about Wildfox Provisions: https://www.wildfoxprovisions.com/

Click to read the show notes. The Industrial Hemp podcast goes on the road this week to a farm in Berks County, Pennsylvania, where two local businesses are collaborating to build a tiny house made from hemp. COEXIST Build is a design and build company owned and operated by architect Anastasiya Konopitskaya and her husband Drew Oberholtzer, and Americhanvre is a hempcrete and cask hemp company owned by Cameron McIntosh. These three are working together to create a small house made from hemp built on a flatbed trailer, which will be on display at the Canopy Growth exhibit at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo in New York City May 29 to June 1. The interview with Anastasiya, Drew and Cameron was recorded inside the hemp house. Episode 31. Check out the hemp house on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/hemphouseonwheels/ Coexist: http://www.coexist.build/ Americhavre: https://americhanvre.com/ Also, they have podcast. Check it out here: www.thehempentrepreneurpodcast.org

There's been a lot of speculation that hemp seed cake – the byproduct of crushing hemp seed for oil – would make an excellent feed for beef and dairy cattle, as well as for other types of livestock, such as poultry and pork. The nutritional profile of the hemp cake looks pretty good. It's super high in protein and omega 3 & 6 fats, but there are some not so attractive qualities to hemp seed too, according to Dr. Joseph Bender, a veterinarian from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Bender discusses his analysis and talks about the pros and cons of hemp as a livestock feed on this episode of the podcast. Plus we hear from hemp farmer Tom Culton from West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, as he puts a few early hemp seedlings in the ground. Episode 30.

Click to read the show notes. Colon cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute, and claimed the lives of more than 50,000 Americans in 2018. Promising new research from Penn State College of Medicine shows that certain compounds found in the hemp plant may be helpful in fighting the disease. On this week's podcast we talk to Kent Vrana, chair of the Department of Pharmacology at Penn State College of Medicine, where his team conducted the research that identified cannabinoid compounds that inhibited the growth of colon cancer cells in lab tests. Plus, news from the FDA concerning the regulation of CBD, and a recap of recent hemp farmer meetings in Pennsylvania. Episode 29. Read more: https://news.psu.edu/story/557660/2019/02/06/research/cannabinoid-compounds-may-inhibit-growth-colon-cancer-cells

Click to read the show notes. Susquehanna Mills is an oil seed processor in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, where the owner Josh Leidhecker started growing hemp on a research permit in 2017, since then he's added substantial hemp acreage to his farming operation, as well as a line of hemp related products to his processing business. We talk to Josh about getting started in hemp, why he considers his operation to be "full circle" and what he thinks other farmers need to consider before jumping into industrial hemp. Also on the show, we discuss some current hemp events, including Groff North America's recent Hemp Farmer Supper and Canopy Growth's acquisition of a Berks County hemp company. Episode 28.

Episode 27 is highlight reel of USDA's recent 2018 Farm Bill Listening Session on Domestic Hemp Production that was held March 13, 2019. The USDA invited public comments in order to help inform their process of drawing up regulations and guidelines for the hemp industry in the United States. Comments were made by several agriculture departments from hemp growing states, cannabis industry professionals, lobbying groups and lawyers, and Native American tribes. The session was led by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator Bruce Summers.

Episode 26 of the Industrial Hemp Podcast gathers perspective from various places. First we talk to Pennsylvania Senator Judy Schwank about the new Senate bill that clears the way for CBD to be used as an ingredient in food and cosmetics. Then Penn State Extension educator Jeff Graybill shares words of caution for farmers as they make their journey into hemp. Bill Roberts describes the vision of the hemp steering committee that is working with the state ag department to jump start the industry in Pennsylvania. And finally we visit with Tom Culton, the first farmer to grow hemp in Hempfield, PA, in over 80 years.

On this week's Industrial Hemp Podcast, we talk to Cornell University horticulture professor Dr. Larry Smart, one of the leaders of the hemp research team at Cornell. We discuss his long term study of the shrub willow as a bio-energy source and how that research prepared him for working with hemp. We talk about hemp genetics, the implications of hemp's dioecious nature, the challenges and promises of industrial hemp, and what farmers can do to avoid getting the short end of the stick as this industry develops.

On this week's podcast we talk to Cover Crop Coach Steve Groff and local business leader and greenhouse grower Tim Good talk about their new venture into industrial hemp called Keystone Agri-Science. Find out why Tim Good says hemp "is the best opportunity ever for agriculture, just as the farmers are struggling, and I can't help but think that God must have been looking out for his farmers." We dig in deep on growing and harvesting practices, as well as finding good genetics, and what hemp can do for your soil. Give a listen.

The Farm Bureau has supported the reintroduction of industrial hemp as a commodity crop for many years. In fact, Mark O'Neill, communications director for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, says that without the lobbying efforts of Farm Bureau, industrial hemp would still be classified as a schedule 1 narcotic. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to O'Neil and his colleague, Bill Neilson, the director of Commodities and Compliance at Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. We hear what the Farm Bureau is doing to help farmers navigate this new world of industrial hemp. Plus, a few announcements and listener emails. Give a listen.

What does world class cyclist Floyd Landis have to do with industrial hemp? As it turns out, quite a bit. Lancaster County native and one time winner of the Tour de France, Landis opened a CBD café in Leadville, Colorado, and launched a very successful brand of CBD products — Floyd's of Leadville. The prodigal son has returned to Lancaster County to open Floyd's of Lancaster with another accomplished Lancaster County cyclist, Jake Sitler. The team is working with local farmers to develop a full line of Pennsylvania-produced CBD products made from Pennsylvania-grown industrial hemp. The interview with Landis and Sitler touches on Landis's controversial backstory while focusing on the hemp industry, their relationship with farmers, and their plan for success in the city of Lancaster.

Click to read the show notes. On this week's show we talk to Jay Burstein of BugOut Guitars in Randolph, Vermont, where he's been making guitars and ukuleles out of industrial hemp. These guitars and ukes are super durable, extremely playable, and are made for adventure. Burstein tells the story of how he first started making stringed instruments and why he ultimately was compelled to build them from hemp fibers. These instruments illuminate yet another possibility for industrial hemp – and this time it's musical. Check out: http://www.bugoutguitars.com/

Click to read the full show notes. What's the industrial hemp program like in the great state of New York? We spend some time with Commissioner Richard Ball of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to find out. We'll hear about the permitting process for growers, available grant money for growers and processors, what farmers should be doing now to prepare for hemp, and we'll hear about the plans for that new hemp processing plant recently announced by Canopy Growth Corporation. Also, here's the link to WGAL TV's story about our Industrial Hemp Podcast: http://wgal.com/article/industrial-hemp-may-be-industry-to-watch/26080443?src=app

Exciting news from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture this week announcing the lift of the acreage cap on industrial hemp, a move that will usher in a new age of hemp in Pennsylvania by opening up the crop to commercial production. We talk to PA Hemp Industry Council executive director Erica Stark and Purple Peace Hemp founder Jessie Johnson about these changes and what they mean for farmers in the state. Plus, we hear from Jordan Sinclair of Canopy Growth Corporation, the Canadian cannabis company that recently announced plans to build a hemp industrial park in New York State.

Of the tens of thousands of uses of industrial hemp, one of the most practical is as a building material known as hempcrete, created by mixing the inner woody core of the hemp plant, known as the hurd, with lime. It's lightweight, insulating, naturally mold-resistant, and strong. An innovative company from Alberta, Canada, has gone a step further and has patented a structural hempcrete block that fits together like Lego. On today's show we talk to one of the founders of Just BioFiber — Michael deChamplain — about the blocks and how they are capturing carbon and the hearts of green builders.

Our seventeenth podcast features a conversation with healthcare educator and consultant, Jessie Johnson, founder of Purple Peace, LLC, which holds a research permit for growing industrial hemp in Pennsylvania. With over 12 years of experience in growing cannabis, Ms. Johnson has a unique perspective on industrial hemp and is interested in helping farmers maximize their profits with hemp.

Farmers can and will save the world, according to Bruce Michael Dietzen, founder of Carbon Negative Technology and Renew Sports Cars. The prototype of his sports car made from industrial hemp was featured on an episode of Jay Leno's Garage. Bruce is tired of talking about the problem of climate change and instead wants to shift the conversation to the solutions for climate change, including a bold strategy for producing nearly everything we use out of plant material. That's where farmers come in. Give a listen.

The 2018 Farm Bill has passed both Houses and is awaiting the president's signature, which is expected this week. How is this going to affect farmers in Pennsylvania? What will become of the state's hemp pilot program? On the first part of the show we talk to Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding to find out. Then we talk to eighth generation fruit farmer, first generation hemp farmer Leighton Rice from Adams County, PA, about his first year of growing hemp, the lessons he learned and his advice for farmers who are thinking about growing industrial hemp in the future.

We talk 2018 Farm Bill with Hemp Industry Daily editor Kristen Nichols. This Farm Bill will end the prohibition on growing hemp. What will this mean for farmers? How will the ag industry respond? What will USDA's rules look like? How will the FDA regulate CBD? All this and more. Listen up.

This episode of Lancaster Farming's industrial hemp podcast features a conversation with Jon Cohn, the founder and CEO of Agronomed Pharmaceuticals and Agri-Kind Hemp in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he grew 62 acres of industrial hemp with a research permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. We discuss the challenges of a first-year hemp crop, the permitting process, how CBD is extracted, medical marijuana, and what farmers could be doing now to prepare themselves for growing hemp.

On episode 12, we talk to professor of poultry science and poultry nutrition at Penn State University, Dr. Paul Patterson, about the components of a balanced poultry diet and how the nutritional profile of hemp seed might be beneficial to the poultry industry, especially the organic poultry industry, thanks in part to hemp's comparatively higher levels of the essential amino acid methionine. Dr. Patterson also has some great ideas for hemp research projects. Give a listen.

This week on the hemp podcast, we talk to Elixinol president Gabriel Ettenson about growing hemp for CBD. What is CBD and why is it suddenly everywhere? What is it good for? What will the hemp industry look like after the next Farm Bill? What should farmers know before growing hemp for CBD?

The latest Lancaster Farming podcast goes to Dearborn, Michigan, where Ford Motor Company research scientist Debbie Mielewski turns plants into car parts. This interview shines a light on the potential market for industrial hemp fueled by the automobile industry's evolution towards sustainability.

We're back talking about industrial hemp — this time with a cannabis lawyer from Portland, Oregon. Nathalie Bougenies, from the law firm of Harris Bricken, specializes in cannabis law and also writes for the Canna Law Blog. Today we discuss the 2018 Farm Bill and its implications for hemp farmers in the United States.

We begin digging in a little deeper into how the auto industry might want to use hemp in automobile production. And we also make the realization that the 2014 Farm Bill expired and the 2018 Farm Bill wasn't signed into law by the deadline of September 30. Where does that leave hemp farmers? Editor's Note: This podcast was updated on October 13, 2018 at 3:21 PM with an additional comment from PA Ag Secretary Russell Redding.

Episode 7 continues with industrial hemp as we visit with Dr. Alyssa Collins, agronomy professor and director of the Penn State's research farm in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. We discuss the hemp research trials, the agronomics of hemp, the differences between hemp and marijuana and what farmers could be doing now to prepare themselves for what could be the next big commodity crop headed their way.

Hemp was grown throughout Pennsylvania for nearly 300 years, but in the past 80 years it's been illegal to grow. Today we talk to hemp historian Les Stark who has documented the history of hemp in the state in his book Hempstone Heritage. We also discuss why hemp disappeared 80 years ago. Was it a conspiracy? Stark has been on a 20 year mission to bring industrial hemp back into production in the Pennsylvania.

We talk to Erica McBride, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council, about the many uses of industrial hemp, from fiber to fuel, manufacturing to medicine.

How can farmers make sure they don't get the short end of the stick when it comes to industrial hemp? We talk to Rodale Institute farm manager Ross Duffield, National Hemp Council chairman Geoff Whaling, and Senator Judy Schwank to find out.

We continue our discussion of industrial hemp, talking to Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding, who shares his unique perspective on hemp. We discuss the marijuana stigma, how to build a supply chain and what farmers can be doing to now to prepare for this new yet old crop.

Click for show notes. We talk to Geoff Whaling, chairman of the National Hemp Association, who offers his insight into building a supply chain for the nascent hemp industry in Pennsylvania and how the legal landscape has changed for industrial hemp just in the past few years.

Click for show notes. We talk with the farm manager at the Rodale Institute about growing industrial hemp. Rodale was one of 14 permit holders in the 2017 Hemp Pilot Program in Pennsylvania.

Podcast host and creator, Eric Hurlock sketches out his vision for what will ultimately become the Lancaster Farming Podcast. It's a quick glimpse into the history of farming and just how crucial agriculture has been in the development of humankind.