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”.
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.
Lighter-weight, fuel-efficient vehicles with hemp are right down the road.
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.
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.
2016 has been a monumental year for hemp, and especially big for the NoCo Hemp Expo! As the largest, smartest hemp expo in the country, we want to connect our message with people in every way we can. That’s why this year the NoCo Hemp Expo is unveiling a brand new interactive social media platform, the Tweetwall!
Affectionately dubbed the HempWall, think of it as your interactive information stand. Throughout the Expo, we’ll be broadcasting the next big event, speaker, or panel happening up on screens all over the Expo! So when you are looking for the next hempcentric activity, look no further than the HempWall! You’ll be totally connected to everything happening around you, so you’ll want to check back frequently to make sure you’re not missing a thing.
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.
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.
Between the manufacture of building materials, transportation of those materials and construction equipment, energy use and worker transportation, along with the final disposal of construction waste, the United States building sector is becoming one of the world’s largest threats to climate change.
Hempcrete is made of the inner woody core of the hemp plant (called shiv or hurd) mixed with a lime-based binder and water. It is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, energy-efficient and resistant to fires, mold and insects.
Hempcrete, and other hemp building materials, have the ability to transform the building sector into a more energy-efficient and climate-friendly industry, playing a major role in reducing our ecological footprint. Here’s how.
“Zach Weakland describes the process of brewing with hemp while his team at High Hops Brewery take on new meaning to celebrating the American Farmer with delicious seasonals and ales year-round.
“In 2007 we started a hops farm because of a nation-wide hops shortage,” said Zach Weakland, High Hops Brewery Head-Brewer/Production Manager. “We grow plants (at The Windsor Gardner, Windsor, CO) so we had the idea of growing our own hops. We started with 32 varieties on one acre.”
High Hops Brewery has been family owned and operated since September 2012, but the family-run business has functioned since 1991 as Plant-a-Scape, a seasonal greenhouse in Windsor, which eventually became The Windsor Gardner, which is now the home of High Hops Brewery.
“(In 2000) That’s about the same time my parents started home-brewing,” said Weakland. “And that’s the same time I was in high school chemistry class. It was cool to come home and see the real-world application of chemistry.”
Craft breweries produce less than 50,000 barrels of beer a year. (1 barrel equal about 31 gallons.) After Weakland graduated university, “With 2 and a half acres of hops, we had more hops than we knew what to do with, so we opened up a brewery,” he said.
Matt Birkholz, President of Colorado Hemp Works discusses how the Hemp Bill in Colorado has evolved the need for seed processing in the U.S.
Industrial Hemp seeds have a competitive nutritional value: second only to soy in protein, a better source of Omegas than fish oil, are dairy free, gluten free, vegan, non-GMO, and do not carry any allergens such as nut or tree-nut allergens.
“As the stigma begins to wear down that somehow people are going to get high by eating hemp seed,” said Matt Birkholz, president of Colorado Hemp Works, “you might start to discover that the hemp seed is a great alternative.”
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.”
On April 1st-2nd at the NoCo Hemp Expo, The Apothecary will be featuring their Herbal Synergy Elixir Bar, but this weekend they are focusing on hemp. They will be serving herbal-infused probiotic drinks all weekend in addition to their other products. On Friday night, The Spagyric Apothecary will have eight different herbal infusions, four of which will have 15-20 mg CBD to sample during the National Hemp Association’s Networking Event. This will be a time to try out a blend and see how it makes you feel, but most of all to see if it works for you.
Hot? Cold? Worried about infection? Wrap yourself in hemp!
By: Brad Shannon
Did you know? One of the oldest relics of human history is a piece of hemp fabric dating back to around 8,000 B.C. Betsy Ross is said to have sewn the first U.S. flag from hemp fabric, and the canvas used to make the first pair of Levi’s was even made from hemp fiber.
Today, what’s old is new again, as hemp textiles are being used to make countless items, from apparel to shoes to housewares to furniture upholstery.
The case for using hemp to make fabrics is clear. In addition to the benefits it provides from its growth cycle – enriching the soil and absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, hemp produces 250% more fiber per acre than cotton, 600% more than flax, and uses much less water than cotton to grow. Where cotton farmers use more insecticides than most any other crop grown, hemp uses very little in the way of chemicals for its cultivation.
Spring into Summer with Sustainable Hemp Fashion
One thing we’ve fallen in love with when it comes to hemp is the fashion! Long gone are the days of burlap sacks and hippie necklaces, we’re talking about top-notch designer digs and practical purchases that last a lifetime!
Not only does hemp production require much less water with little to no pesticides compared to cotton, it’s naturally better than any synthetic material.
Eco-friendly clothing companies aim to bring hemp-trade to the U.S. in 2016.
Sponsored by EnviroTextiles, Step’n-Out in Hemp offers a first-hand view into the world of sustainable, eco-friendly hemp fashions from the companies who are revolutionizing the textile industry today.
Long-committed to producing quality fibers, EnviroTextiles leads the way in hemp fabric and textile production in Colorado and in the U.S. Mother-daughter duo Barbara Filippone and Summer Star Haekse have owned and operated the Glenwood Springs green-company in since 2002.
Local artists exhibit patriotism and progress through sustainable hemp paper donated by Loveland’s own Tree Free Hemp company.
The long bast fibers of the hemp stalk have an epic reputation for strength, durability, and quality. This is true for cloth, rope, and paper, among other things.
With the incorporation of Industrial Hemp into the art community, artists in NYC and Loveland, CO have gained another form of expression and a carbon-friendly mediu
m to illustrate the limitless potential and possibility for hemp in the US.
Bringing Hemp Back to the U.S. Market: Advocating for Change in Public Policy
This week The National Hemp Association brought together farmers, law professionals and entrepreneurs to talk about Hemp Policy. These are the pioneers forging the way in an industry new to Colorado and the United States for the first time in over 70 years. While it may seem that public policy supports the burgeoning Hemp industry; those pushing forward are not immune to peril. Fortunately, there are some who consider these obstacles merely as speed bumps. I am not a lawyer, or a farmer; but I am an entrepreneur and an advocate for economic development that does not compromise people. Hemp represents an amazing opportunity for the US to again lead the world in manufacturing and production, and to encourage a new generation of farmers. Now is the time to pass the Industrial Hemp Act of 2015.
Breeders seek royalties to improve programs while constituents continue to face challenges in seed acquisition and regulation.
At a recent Seed Seminar hosted by Colorado Department of Agriculture, global wheat company Limagrain’s COO Frank Curtis explains how investing in seed genetics may be one of the most prominent and profitable avenues to pursue in the hemp industry today:
“U.S Wheat Market is not as healthy as people think.” According to market research, wheat production has increased globally in recent years, with a drastic decrease in U.S production.
