Episodios

  • Dakota Hemp: Building an Industry in South Dakota

    Dakota Hemp: Building an Industry in South Dakota
    Apr 16 2026

    This week on the Hemp Show, we're talking to the guys from Dakota Hemp in Wakonda, South Dakota.

    John Peterson and Karll Lecher are running a HempTrain decortication system, taking in bales from local farmers and turning them into fiber and hurd. We get into how the facility works, what they're producing, and what it takes to actually run a processing plant in the Midwest.

    We talk about how they brought farmers in, what those early meetings looked like, and how the conversation has shifted over time — from skepticism to real agronomic questions. Once farmers got over the novelty of hemp, they started asking questions about row spacing, fertility, yields, etc. Then suddenly it started to look like farming.

    We also talk about where the processed hemp is going right now — animal bedding, early fiber markets — and what still needs to be built downstream to make this thing work at scale.

    Plus, a quick look at how U.S.-grown hemp fiber is moving into global textile systems, and why new processing capacity is coming online even in places where acreage is still small.

    Learn More:

    Dakota Hemp

    dakotahemp.com

    South Dakota Industrial Hemp Association

    sd-hemp.com

    Horizon Specialty Seeds

    horizonhempseeds.com

    HempAgra

    hempagra.com

    Canadian Greenfield Technologies HempTrain

    canadiangreenfield.com/hemptrain

    News Nuggets

    IND Hemp partnership with Summit International Trading and Thien Phuoc

    Functional Fabric Fair Portland

    $1 million federal loan supports Iowa hemp processor as state production remains limited

    Thanks to Our Sponsors!

    IND Hemp

    indhemp.com

    Forever Green / KP4 Hemp Cutter

    hempcutter.com
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    37 m
  • Pushing Progress in the DC Swamp

    Pushing Progress in the DC Swamp
    Apr 9 2026
    On this week's hemp show, we talk to a couple of hemp policy advocates who recently traveled to the swamps of D.C. in hopes of affecting change. This week we're joined by Geoff Whaling, chair of the National Hemp Association, and Andrew Bish, president of the Hemp Feed Coalition. Together they represent HEMI — the Hemp Education and Marketing Initiative — which recently released its "Pushing Progress" framework, an industry-led effort to bring some structure to federal hemp policy. The Pushing Progress framework attempts to do several things — not the least of which is to impose order on an industry that's been a swirl of chaos since its inception. First, clear lanes must be established. Fiber and grain over here, cannabinoids over there — with their own rules. Next, make it easier for agriculture to adopt this crop by removing regulatory tensions and creating real access to markets — so a farmer can plant hemp with some confidence about where it's going and how it's going to get paid. As Bish puts it, "We're coming at it from the industrial aspect, trying to figure out how we make sure that we have farmers that can successfully grow industrial hemp products and that hemp products can be in the marketplace without a tremendous amount of restriction." Then, put some guardrails around the cannabinoid side. Not to shut it down, but to bring it out of this gray area where anything goes and everything gets called hemp. And maybe most importantly, get the federal agencies on the same page — USDA, FDA, the whole alphabet — so we're not dealing with this split-screen reality where one arm of government tolerates something and another one ignores it. Because right now, we don't have a system. We have fragments. And what they're trying to do — whether you agree with every piece of it or not — is build something that actually functions like an industry. And part of that — this is important — is money. They're asking for roughly $600 million in federal funding to help stand up the infrastructure this industry still doesn't have — processing, research, supply chains. That's a lot of money. But their argument is pretty straightforward: Every major crop we take for granted today had decades of public investment behind it. Hemp didn't. So if hemp is going to become a real agricultural commodity — not just an idea — we have to decide whether we're willing to build it, or just keep talking about it. Plus, we've got a handful of news nuggets this week, including a slightly head-scratching, maybe-kind-of-important move from the FDA on CBD and a letter from seed guy Terry Moran, who read my Argentina episode and basically said, "Hold on a second…" and brought the whole conversation back down to earth. Listen up, y'all. Learn More National Hemp Association nationalhempassociation.org Hemp Feed Coalition hempfeedcoalition.org Pushing Progress Framework (PDF) https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming-news/hemp/pushing-progress-framework/pdf_b36257bd-ea94-4edf-b0c4-7bf88272f557.html News Nuggets FDA MEMO: Hemp-Derived Cannabidiol Products in Medical Research Models https://www.lancasterfarming.com/fda-decision-memo-cbd-enforcement-discretion-memo-04012026-pdf/pdf_cf01bcc8-7753-4fc8-970c-52bcdfe807af.html HempToday: Anti-cannabis groups sue over U.S. plan allowing hemp products in healthcare programs hemptoday.net/anti-cannabis-groups-sue-over-u-s-plan-allowing-hemp-products-in-healthcare-programs/ HempToday: Polish hemp textile maker draws heavy demand in public offering on Warsaw exchange hemptoday.net/polish-hemp-textile-maker-draws-heavy-demand-in-public-offering-on-warsaw-exchange/ Thanks to our Sponsors IND Hemp indhemp.com Americhanvre Americhanvre.com
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    47 m
  • Cannabis Loves Community: Voices from the Industrial Hemp International Conference

    Cannabis Loves Community: Voices from the Industrial Hemp International Conference
    Apr 3 2026
    On this week's hemp show we're headed out to Colorado for the Industrial Hemp International Conference where hempsters from all across the value chain gathered to share ideas, make deals and be in community with one another. As a hemp podcaster, I had the unique opportunity to work in community with a couple of storytellers while I was there — Blaire Johnson and Jordan Berger — two independent filmmakers who teamed up for this special event. And what you'll hear on this episode is the result of that collaboration. First we talk about their respective work — including Berger's long awaited documentary film One Plant, which will premier this spring. Then we hear an audio essay — a sound collage of voices from the industry, including Winona LaDuke, Nick Furlong, Micaela Machado, Jeremy Klettke, Morris Beegle and more. This is a critical time not only for the hemp industry but for the world. As Winona LaDuke puts it, "You have a choice between a scorched path and a green path." The people building the hemp industry are choosing the green path, but it takes longer than you might think. Hemp industry veteran Joe Hickey compares it to a dance, "two step forward and then one step back." 1937 International's Nick Furlong brings new energy to the dance of hemp this year. Furlong is a multi-platinum songwriter and producer whose work spans global hits and major-label rock records. He said he has been bitten by the "hemp bug" and has focused his energy on building out the supply chain and developing opportunities for business. He said he wants to help shape the story of hemp so it intersects with pop culture — and intersects with culture in general. We also hear from Larry Serbin from Pure Fiber Innovations who talks about his much anticipated green decorticator, which he says will increase farmer's per acre income on hemp. "Currently they're earning about $800 per acre. With our machine, they're going to earn about $2,000 per acre," said Serbin. Listen to the whole show for maximum goodness. This episode features the reporting work of Blaire Johnson and Jordan Berger. Learn More One Plant oneplant.film Industrial Hemp International Conference industrialhempinternational.com Blaire Johnson blairejohnson.com Sunflower Films (Jordan Berger) sunflower.film Old Pueblo Hemp Co. oldpueblohemp.com 1937 International 1937international.com Pure Fiber Innovations purefiberinnovations.com Sponsors IND Hemp indhemp.com King's Agriseeds kingsagriseeds.com Forever Green (KP4 Hemp Cutter) hempcutter.com This episode of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast features an on-the-ground audio collage from the Industrial Hemp International Conference (IHI) in Aurora, Colorado, bringing together voices from across the global hemp industry. Through interviews with farmers, builders, supply chain developers, and advocates, the episode explores the current state of industrial hemp, with a focus on fiber, grain, construction materials, and scalable infrastructure. Key themes include the challenge of building reliable supply chains, the need for processing infrastructure such as decortication, and the importance of aligning farmers, manufacturers, and markets. Speakers discuss innovations in hemp-based construction, textile production, and biocomposites, alongside emerging global supply chain efforts in regions like Pakistan. The episode highlights both optimism and realism, with industry leaders acknowledging slow but steady progress. The episode also emphasizes the role of storytelling and collaboration in advancing the hemp industry. Filmmakers Blaire Johnson and Jordan Berger contributed field interviews and visual documentation as part of their broader documentary project, One Plant. Their work captures the cultural and economic momentum behind hemp as a regenerative agricultural commodity and industrial material. Overall, the episode positions industrial hemp as a critical component of future sustainable materials systems, with applications in housing, textiles, and manufacturing. It underscores the need for policy clarity, investment in infrastructure, and coordinated industry efforts to move hemp from niche crop to mainstream agricultural and industrial commodity.
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    34 m
  • Can Argentina Solve Hemp's Seed Problem?

    Can Argentina Solve Hemp's Seed Problem?
    Mar 25 2026

    We've been covering industrial hemp on the podcast for eight years now, and the story of farmers getting bad seed is so common it barely feels like news anymore. It's just accepted — low germination rates, inconsistent genetics and fields that never quite come in the way they should.

    But this is not OK. This is not how you grow an industry. If hemp is going to scale as a commodity crop, then it must behave like one and right now, it doesn't.

    So when I was invited to Argentina to see a company building the SOPs for large-scale seed multiplication alongside one of the world's top hemp geneticists—working in the same regions where companies like Syngenta and Bayer produce their seed, alongside one of the world's top hemp geneticists — I went. This is an effort to solve the problem at its root.

    And it's happening in a place with a much deeper story than we expected. Because once you start to understand what was built there before, the future of hemp starts to look very different.

    See Photos From Eric Hurlock's Trip to Argentina

    https://www.lancasterfarming.com/hemp-podcast-cries-for-me-argentina-photos/collection_4268a512-f387-4542-9c6c-09adf37df93f.html

    Learn More

    Ananda Pampa

    anandapampa.com

    Davis Hemp Farms

    davishempfarms.com/about/

    Parque Steverlynck

    https://parquesteverlynck.com.ar/

    Thanks to Our Sponsors!

    Commonwealth Denim

    commonwealthdenim.com

    Tuscarora Mills

    tuscaroramills.com

    Canna Markets Group

    cannamarketsgroup.com
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    30 m
  • 1937 International: Hemp Textiles, Pakistan to Product

    1937 International: Hemp Textiles, Pakistan to Product
    Mar 18 2026

    This week on the Hemp Show, we talk with Ryan Zaczynski, co-founder of 1937 International, a company working to build global supply chains for industrial hemp.

    In this episode, Zaczynski talks about what it takes to move hemp beyond niche markets and into real products that people use every day — by building supply chains that connect farms, textile mills and manufacturers around the world.

    At the center of that effort is Pakistan, where 1937 International is working in partnership with Dr. Zafar Riaz and his team to develop hemp production and tap into one of the world's largest textile economies.

    We also talk about the upcoming Industrial Hemp International Conference in Denver, where 1937 International is the lead sponsor and what it means to bring new partners, new materials and new supply chains into the hemp industry.

    Learn More

    1937 International

    linkedin.com/company/1937-international-corp

    Industrial Hemp International Conference

    industrialhempinternational.com

    News Nuggets

    U.S. Farm Bill revisions would modestly reshape rules for fiber and grain growers

    hemptoday.net/u-s-farm-bill-revisions-would-modestly-reshape-rules-for-fiber-and-grain-growers/

    UK grant backs development of hemp varieties tailored for British farming

    hemptoday.net/uk-grant-backs-development-of-hemp-varieties-tailored-for-british-farming/

    Sponsors

    IND Hemp

    indhemp.com

    Forever Green

    hempcutter.com
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    21 m
  • Hemp in New Zealand: Policy, Markets and the Long Game

    Hemp in New Zealand: Policy, Markets and the Long Game
    Mar 12 2026

    Industrial hemp has been developing quietly in New Zealand for more than two decades.

    In this episode, we're talking with Richard Barge, treasurer of the New Zealand Hemp Industries Association, about how the sector has evolved — from early government trials in the early 2000s to a growing network of farmers, seed processors, fiber decortication facilities and researchers exploring hemp's role in the bio-economy.

    Barge explains how New Zealand's hemp industry has taken a deliberate approach to growth, scaling carefully as markets develop rather than chasing acreage without demand. The conversation explores the country's regulatory framework, including the long-standing Industrial Hemp Regulations under the Misuse of Drugs Act and the policy changes now underway that could allow farmers to grow industrial hemp without a license.

    Other topics discussed:

    • Hemp seed foods and New Zealand's export-oriented agriculture

    • The emergence of fiber processing and hempcrete construction

    • Challenges around feeding hemp by-products to livestock

    • The role of research institutions and universities in developing new hemp materials

    • Opportunities for international collaboration and seed production across hemispheres

    Barge also describes the current supply chain in New Zealand, including seed processing, decortication capacity and companies working to introduce hemp into textiles, building materials and consumer products.

    Learn More:

    New Zealand Hemp Industries Association

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/nzhia/

    Midlands Seed

    HempNZ

    Hemp Central

    Hemp Connect

    Kathmandu

    Zespri

    Oregon State University Global Hemp Innovation Center

    Hemp Today

    Thanks to Our Sponsors!

    IND Hemp

    Americhanvre Cast Hemp
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    49 m
  • The Mythic Possibilities of Hemp Fiber

    The Mythic Possibilities of Hemp Fiber
    Mar 4 2026
    Long before we talked about hemp as a commodity crop with profound industrial potential, hemp was something simpler: a plant grown in soil, worked by human hands and shaped into useful things. This week on the Hemp Show our guest is Laura Sullivan — hemp farmer, Extension educator at the University of Vermont and fiber artist whose work explores hemp not as a commodity but as a material with cultural and ecological meaning. Laura recently completed her Master of Fine Arts, using hemp fiber grown on the research farm to create garments and installations that blur the boundary between agriculture and art. "I've been working in science for over five years now and I have seen a lot of really great data come out that has changed absolutely nothing about how we operate in our world where we have so many solutions at our fingertips and yet no way to implement them," Sullivan said. "So I thought that art could reach people in a way that white papers and data and graphs and science don't always seem to." In one of Sullivan's pieces, hemp garments embedded with seeds were watered until they sprouted, making visible the idea that clothing, like food, begins in the field. Sullivan notes that synthetic fiber now dominates the global textile system, and that most of it originates not from farms but from fossil fuels. "Synthetic fiber currently makes up about 70% of textiles globally," she said. "Synthetic fiber is any fiber that is made of plastic, which is derived from oil. Alternatively, we have this other group of fibers — derived from the soil… and to the soil they can return." Her work also draws on mythology, ancestry and traditional fiber practices, using hemp and wool to create large-scale symbolic pieces that connect ancient textile traditions with modern agricultural realities. Plus, News Nuggets and a very special visit from everyone's favorite Kentucky hemp flooring guy, Greg Wilson, who looks at hemp like this: "You gotta grow it, you gotta make it and you gotta sell it. And I look at our business model and I always say, if you've got two hands, you can't carry three buckets." See Laura's Work: https://www.lancasterfarming.com/view-photos-of-laura-sullivans-hemp-fiber-fashion-collection/collection_67508afa-178d-4d69-845b-3cc412aec702.html Learn More University of Vermont Extension Hemp Program www.uvm.edu/extension/nwcrops/hemp Vermont College of Fine Arts https://vcfa.edu/ News Nuggets European hemp stalwart HempFlax Group is departing Romania after historic 14-year run https://hemptoday.net/european-hemp-stalwart-hempflax-group-is-departing-romania-after-historic-14-year-run/ Sask Polytechnic and EnviroWay develop biodegradable plastics from hemp and flax fiber waste https://www.packaginginsights.com/news/sask-polytech-enviroway-biodegradable-plastics.html Time for a little home hemp? https://www.echo.net.au/2026/02/time-for-a-little-home-hemp/ Sponsors HEMI www.hempinitiatives.org/ King's Agriseeds https://kingsagriseeds.com/ Forever Green Equipment – KP4 Hemp Cutter https://hempcutter.com/ HempWood https://hempwood.com/
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    47 m
  • Field to Fabric: Building a Hemp Denim Supply Chain in Pennsylvania

    Field to Fabric: Building a Hemp Denim Supply Chain in Pennsylvania
    Feb 25 2026

    On this week's Hemp Podcast, we talk to August Cook, Joseph Carringer and Dave Cook of Commonwealth Denim and Tuscarora Mills about their effort to weave, cut and sew 100% hemp selvedge jeans in Pennsylvania — and what it will take to rebuild a regional textile supply chain from farm to finished garment.

    Pennsylvania has a long history with textiles, from homespun hemp and linen in colonial times to the grandeur of Philadelphia's textile mills in the early 20th century. But by the end of the 20th century, the industry had pretty much collapsed, held together by specialty manufacturers and legacy family businesses.

    Now, there is new hope on the horizon. Commonwealth Denim is weaving, cutting and sewing 100% hemp selvedge jeans in Pennsylvania while working to rebuild a fully Pennsylvania-based textile supply chain.

    Learn More:

    Commonwealth Denim pre-orders and company information:

    https://commonwealthdenim.com/

    Tuscarora Mills heritage textile weaving in York County, Pennsylvania:

    https://tuscaroramills.com/

    News Nuggets

    Dutch hemp fiber variety Carmanecta approved for EU catalog

    hemptoday.net/newly-listed-dutch-variety-shows-potential-to-challenge-europes-fiber-hemp-incumbents/

    European Food Safety Authority sets restrictive daily intake level for CBD

    hemptoday.net/european-food-safety-panel-sets-ultra-low-daily-limit-for-cbd-tightening-approvals/

    Australia's first dedicated hemp masonry hub opens in Nimbin

    arr.news/2026/02/18/australias-first-one-stop-hemp-masonry-hub/

    Daily Inter Lake reporting on the Benton hemp work shirt and domestic textile supply chain

    dailyinterlake.com/news/2026/feb/22/american-made-hemp-shirt-experiment-two-montana-companies-led-creation-of-a-domestically-made-shirt-from-hemp/

    Thanks to our Sponsor

    IND HEMP

    https://indhemp.com/
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    45 m