Volume 2, Issue 10, March-April 2000 ISSN 1488-3988
© 2000 AHEM, ARTHUR HANKS.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Editorial
Top of the Crop:
1) Latest ONDCP Position On Industrial Hemp
2) The View From Up Here
3) CGP Declares Bankruptcy; Canadian Hemp Industry Moves On
4) Hemp Foods Study to be Released in May 2000
5) More Hemp Market Data
6) MCIC Offers Crop Insurance For All Hemp Grain
HCFR Seed Guide 2000, Part II
So you want to be a hemp farmer
Hemp 2000 Report
Conference Notebook: Some Highlights
Show Reports
FIBREX 2000 (March 8th, 2000), Delta, BC
Northern Alternatives Conference at UNBC (March 25-26th)
CHFA Expo West Report (April 1-2)
Hemp Shorts
A) Nutiva Launches New Line of Hemp Chips
B) New at Hempology.org
C) Young, Innovative Company on Tour with Organic Hemp Oil
D) Howell Becomes Hempwell Inc.
E) HCFR Recipe of the Month: Hemp Carrot Cake
Association News
Manitoba Industrial Hemp Association Update; 1999 in review
Upcoming Events
April 6-8: The First National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, The University of Iowa Memorial Union, Iowa City, Iowa
May 13-14: Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo, Santa Cruz, CA
July 17th, Canadian Consulting Agrologists Association 27th Annual General Meeting and PD Conference: Winnipeg, Manitoba
July 18-22, July 23-24 Herbs 2000: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Outlook, Saskatchewan
August 5-7: Natural Life Festival, St. George, Ontario
September 8-11: HIA Convention 2000, Ontario, Canada
September 12-14 : Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, Ontario
September 13-16: Bioresource Hemp 2000, Wolfsburg, Germany
September 22-26: Natural Products Expo East 2000, Baltimore, Maryland
October 4-6: 3rd Annual Ag Fiber Technology Showcase, Memphis, Tennessee.
Marketplace
Masthead, Credits, and more info
Announcement, Annonce, Ansage,Aviso
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Editorial
Welcome back to the HCFR and to our March/April issue. It's been a busy month, as I have been zipping around the West, going to conferences, and getting to speak to as many people in person as possible. Certainly makes a good change from the email and phone routine.
As you will see in this issue, there are many stories in this never a dull moment of an industry and not all of them are good news. The decline and fall of Consolidated Growers and Processors has been a much-discussed topic in many circles. If you are new to this story, or want a short update, check out our coverage in Top of the Crop. I would also like to direct readers to Roberta Rampton's excellent series of articles on this company; there are all archived at the Western Producer site (www.producer.com, do an editorial search for CGP). Roberta deserves, I think, some sort of award for her investigative work on this story, and for keeping an eye on the ball despite less than cooperative influences that crossed her path. Hats off for all the hard work and for maintaining the public's right to know.
I'm not trying to be a myopic booster, but there are too many good things happening to become discouraged at this point. I'd like to point out the continuing legislative efforts in the US that are seeking to rehabilitate hemp in American public life and the scent of markets that are finally being opened up to our Canadian hemp. These are just two things. I also believe that the many people who make up the industry have the courage, character, intelligence and endurance we need to make hemp flourish here in our times. Our human resources will always be our best resource.
Time for a short announcement. The HCFR will not be publishing for several weeks, as I am packing up the office and gear and relocating to Saskatchewan. Some fine opportunities await there, including working more closely with the Saskatchewan Hemp Association, and the chance to immerse myself in a community where agriculture means a little more than the contents of a box. And because of this move, the HCFR will become a better publication.
Stay in touch. See you next time, in late May.
Arthur Hanks
April 2000
Vancouver, BC
arthurhanks@hotmail.com
THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE. PRINT THIS ISSUE OUT ON HEMP PAPER
To the Editor:
Re: Comparison of Bast Fibre and Whole-Stalk Mechanical Pulps (HCFR # 9)
I forgot to thank three people from the University of Alberta who were instrumental in scheduling and preparing the raw materials for this and many other hemp studies we have done. I would appreciate if you could print an "addition" to the thanks list in your upcoming issue. The people I would like to thank are: Ken Domier, Professor Emeritus, Svend Nielsen, Research Assistant, Ray Hollowach, University Farm Manager.
Wade Chute, chute@arc.ab.ca
Top Of The Crop
1) Latest ONDCP Position On Industrial Hemp
The following is verbatim from a letter written to the Illinois speaker of the house, dated Feb. 28, 2000, regarding the Illinois House Bill 3559, which would authorize and finance SIU Carbondale and the University of Illinois to plant and study test crops for the next two years. Since the letter was written, the bill has passed the State Senate and the House Agricultural Committee and is slated to go before the whole house.
Under the Controlled Substances Act, the definition of marijuana includes all parts of the Cannabis sativa plant except for the sterilized seeds, fibre from stalks, and oil or cake made from the seeds. However, all hemp products that contain any quantity of THC are considered Schedule I controlled substances and cannot be imported into the United States or cultivated domestically without DEA registration and permits for importation.
Hemp under guard: USDA Picture From Wartime
(courtesy of http://hempology.org)
Over the past two years, the DEA has received information that sterilized cannabis seeds, not solely birdseed, has been imported for the manufacture of food products intended for human consumption. DEA also learned from the Armed Forces and other federal agencies that individuals who tested positive for marijuana use subsequently raised their consumption of these food products as a defense against positive drug tests. Consequently, the Administration is reviewing the importation of cannabis seeds and oil because of their THC content. The National institute on Drug Abuse is studying the effect of ingesting hemp products on urinalyses and other drug tests.
The federal government is concerned that hemp cultivation may be a stalking horse of the legalization of marijuana. According to a recent report of the Department of Agriculture, U.S. markets for hemp fibre (specialty textiles, paper, and composites) and seed (in food or crushed for oil) are, and will likely remain, small and thin. U.S. imports of hemp fibre, yarn, and fabric and seed in 1999 could have been produced on less than 5,000 acres of land. Also, the potential exists for these markets to quickly become oversupplied. Uncertainty about long-run demand for hemp products and the potential for oversupply discounts the prospects for hemp as an economically viable alternative crop for America farmers.
Barry R. McCaffrey graduated from West Point and had combat duty during the Vietnam and Gulf War; after resigning from US Southern Command, he was appointed director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in 1996.
Organic and Conventionally Grown Hemp Seed
Breeding, Production and Market Development
Fin 314: High Yielding Oilseed Hemp Variety
* Record Yield in '99: 2,012 lbs/acre * Exceptional Oil Profile * Early Maturity/Easy Harvest *
2) The View From Up Here
Shipments of Canadian hemp grain and derivatives are continuing despite the latest ONDCP directive against hemp foods and other products. However, a few shipments of hemp goods have been seized at the US border since the middle of February.
One shipment, a 500 lb. hempseed order originating from Vancouver Island's CHII was stopped at the Washington border on Feb. 29th.
According to CHII's Eric Hughes, his shipment, measuring less than 4 ppm, was seized by US customs for sampling. He is expecting testing results from Customs sometime in mid-April.
Hughes notes that subsequent shipments, including a 1000 lb. order on March 14th, have continued, despite the seizure.
Others shipments belong to Ontario's Hempola, which included inedible hemp soaps, were stopped on Feb. 15th and Feb. 22nd.
Despite these stoppages, the mood of Hempola's John Staines, is business as usual. "We are used to it, we have had shipments stopped for years, " says an optimistic Staines. "Every three months or so, our products get stopped ... and then released again. "
Hempola does an estimated half of their business south of the 49th parallel. This amount has tripled in the past year.
Recent meetings between the various US agencies with a stake in the dispute - US Customs, US Dept of Defence, the DEA and the ONDCP - have not cleared the air. According to Nutiva's John Roulac, a meeting was held between these groups on Feb. 22, with the US Dept. of Agriculture present as an observer. The meeting revealed no unanimity on the issue of Canadian hempseed and derivatives imports, with the DEA reportedly willing to accept the current Canadian standard of 10 ppm. The ONDCP was reportedly still set against any allowing any form of THC into the country; for its part, the U.S. military expressed its concern that personnel would use hemp to fail mandatory drug testing (See Latest ONDCP Position On Industrial Hemp in this issue). A second meeting was held on March 5th; results of this meeting are unknown.
As reported in US News and World Report, Some US Customs officials worry that prolonged ONDCP intransigence towards Canadian hemp will spark a trade war.
Meanwhile, the Canadian government, led on by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, has initiated a consultation process with the industry, beginning with a cross-country conference call on March 13th. Government departments that participated included Agriculture Canada, Health Canada, Industry Canada, the Canadian embassy and members from the office of hemp advocate Senator Lorna Milne (L.- ONT) Industry participants were drawn from across the country. The call was made in an effort to find some sort of consensus.
Issues that arose in the discussion included monitoring ONDCP activities with the possible announcement of revised activity, and the development of tariff codes for hemp products that are not categorised to date.
"The ONDCP policy has been very unclear, " says DFAIT's Randy Nelson, referencing the US policy flip-flop on hemp products over the past year. "The Canadian government is keeping a close contact on it and the Canadian embassy in Washington is regularly contacting ONDCP and Customs officials."
Will stopped and seized products that are tested positive for THC be returned or will they be impounded or destroyed? Nelson says there are no clear answers to this question, and it is one he is aiming to get an answer on soon.
Other forms of federal support for the new industry were also discussed in the conference call, including support of market development activities and the creation of a national hemp association. "There was fairly broad support of the concept, " says Nelson of the NHA idea, " But there were questions about the mandate of such an association or who the membership base would be; there was no consensus. " He indicated that the government is now looking at various programs that are available that would be able to fund such a concept.
Nelson says that while the closed border issue may appear to be moving slowly, it is because most of the work being done has a low visibility. He says DFAIT is trying to get as many answers as they can in by mid-April to guide farmers who are wondering how much hemp to plant this year. Decisions need to be made soon.
Companies and government's best defense in the ongoing trade dispute may be Canada's strict testing and regulatory program for industrial hemp and the high standards these have created.
A recent letter (Feb. 4th) from the office of Canadian Senator Nick Taylor (L- Alberta), stated "It is important that proposed shipments declare their industrial hemp derivation, and declare that the shipment has been tested and does not contain any amounts of THC." The letter went on to say "A variation of the declaration, stating that the shipment has been tested and contains 0.00% THC has been acceptable to US Customs to date. We recognize the importance of resolving this situation in advance of preparations for the 2000 crop year. American authorities are aware of our views."
While the unclear border situation does pose some risk to Canadian companies looking to maintain or to increase their market share with their new hemp products, it doesn't worry some.
"I think (the border situation) IS resolved, " says Staines, likening border stoppages for hemp products to being on a level as vehicular stop checks. "Novelty attracts attention. Trying to get into their heads as to determine motivation (for the seizures) is pointless. US Customs is trying to protect their consumers. And that's fine."
3) CGP Declares Bankruptcy; Canadian Hemp Industry Moves On
After months of speculation, and worry, the gig was up. Consolidated Growers and Processors, the American based company that had contracted up to 17,000 acres across Canada in 1999, declared bankruptcy on February 29th.
In its short history, CGP drew attention with its aggressive acreage and production, but not the kind it wanted. A $25 million processing plant promised for Dauphin, Manitoba was not delivered. Much touted marketing didn't happen and sales were not closed. One company document revealed that CGP had sold just 4 metric tonnes of its 1998 grain production; the rest was warehoused in Portage La Prairie along with 135 tonnes of baled straw.
However, the 1999 crop, estimated to be between 5-7million lbs. in size remains in the possession of its contracted farmers, who are also holding onto about 3,500 acres worth of planting seed.
A new generation co-op - Western Canadian Hemp Growers Co-op - has since been organised. This brings a new challenge: marketing their own harvest
"We are farmers and we were not prepared for this, " said Joe Federovich on a recent CBC radio show. Federovich is the President of the Parkland Industrial Hemp Growers, who contracted much of CGP's Manitoba acreage last year. Federovich contracted 750 acres himself in 1999. He emphasises that markets are coming in, and they have not collapsed with the company. Some of their first orders were for birdseed.
About 200 farmers are affected by the bankruptcy; many grew small, 20-40 acre crops. Some will be hard hit by the fall. Reportedly, payment for the crop was to be delivered in three installments, and some of these payments were made.
CGP also bought most of its 1998 crop up front and did provide farmers with free planting seed in 1999.
However, an improper fundraising campaign in early 1999 caused the intervention of the Manitoba Securities Commission, forcing a refund of about $400,000. CGP also had a revolving door at the executive level; key management kept leaving the company in the two years and a half years it was in business.
One key to CGP's failure was its inability to attract capitalisation on the NASDAQ exchange, where it was initially listed as an over-the-counter stock. While share prices were listed in the $3-4 range for much of the company's existence, October saw worth of the stock plummet to a penny.
According to the company, the final hammer stroke on the last nail was the freezing of the company's bank account by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. CGP also cited negative press as a factor in its failure.
Vancouver-based, North American Hemp Corp is one company that has stepped in to scoop up some of the surplus. Other players in the industry will also likely become buyers. The industry as a whole is optimistic that the grain can be brought to market. These markets, most notably that of the natural foods industry, have just begun to be tapped open. Product development and limited processing capacity will also set the pace.
New markets, such as for beef, fish, pig and chicken feed, or for paints, solvents and industrial oils, will also have to be developed if this surplus is to be moved with any timeliness. Government procurement of some of the stock could also be explored as an option.
One challenge facing farmers to maintain some sort of price controls. Last year, a mean price was $0.55-$0.60 a lb. Current estimates are at $0.45 a lb.
Undaunted, the City of Dauphin has also expressed interest in building its own $3 million oil pressing facility.
Because of the surplus, acreages are expected to drop across the country this year. Some processors are extremely unlikely to contract any grain production. Border barriers to the large American market will also limit acres that will be seeded this year. However, interest in hemp remains high among farmers.
Sources: CBC radio, Portage La Prairie Daily Graphic, Winnipeg Free Press, Western Producer
4) Hemp Foods Study to be Released in May 2000
Results from the first systematic scientific study of the effects of hemp foods on the outcome of workplace drug tests will be released in May 2000. The study is sponsored by the North American Industrial Hemp Council (NAIHC), Manitoba's Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI) and several North American producers and distributors of hemp products.
The study was conducted and designed by Leson Environmental Consulting, a Berkeley based research and consulting firm. The goal of this study is to scientifically evaluate the impact of hemp food consumption on urine THC levels and the answer the question: does the ingestion of today's hemp foods cause individuals to fail workplace drug tests for THC?
"Recent reports of false positive drug tests following consumption of hempseed products have created significant confusion in the marketplace and with US governmental agencies about the safety of hemp foods vis-á-vis workplace drug tests, " says Bud Sholts, NAIHC chair." (The results of this study) will facilitate the establishment of a "safe" level below which false positive tests can be avoided, eliminate the uncertainty in the marketplace, and allow hemp foods to provide their nutritive benefits to consumers of natural foods in the US."
The study's results may have a considerable impact on the acceptability of hemp food products in the US market. The study involved 18 adult volunteers who followed a regimen of ingesting hemp oil containing various known levels of THC over 40 days, and periodically taking urine samples for THC analysis. An expert forensic toxicology laboratory conducted urine analysis.
Review of study design and results has been provided by a panel of prominent scientific advisors, including Dr. Kalant, Director of the Addiction Research Foundation at the University of Toronto, Dr. El Sohly, University of Mississippi, Dr. Paul Mahlberg, University of Indiana, and Dr. Alex Schauss, advisor to the NNFA on health and safety issues.
While hempseeds themselves do not contain any THC (the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), trace quantities of THC from leaves and flowers rub onto the seed hulls during growing and processing. Thus hempseed products contain minute quantities of THC. In Canada, the government has set a legal THC limit of 10 parts per million for hempseed products (10 ppm) to address this issue.
The final study results will be posted in May 2000 at the North American Industrial Hemp Council's web site www.naihc.org .
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HempCyberFarm™ at HempCyberFarm.com is your source for hemp farming information. HempCyberFarm™ is a hemp farming discussion platform since 1995. Sell your harvest here! Find hemp seed vendors here! Exchange hemp farming experiences. Our on-site library contains a large selection of articles related to hemp farming to further one's knowledge. Web site: http://HempCyberFarm.com e-mail: Matthew@HempCyberFarm.com © Copyright 1999 All rights reserved. HempCyberFarm ® is a registered trademark of HempWorld, Inc. |
5) More Hemp Market Data
The following is an evaluation of the existing North American marketplace for hempseeds and derivatives. These figures were presented by Gero Leson (gleson@compuserve.com) at the recent Hemp 2000 conference, held in Winnipeg on March 1st, 2000.
Estimated North American Market for Hempseeds: 1999-2000 year
Whole hempseeds:
birdseed: 800 tonnes
toasted seed: 10 tonnes
hulled/shelled: 60 tonnes
Hemp Oil:
70 tonnes of seed for cosmetics
30 tonnes of seed for other food products
Estimated North American market for Hempseeds: 2002 year
Whole hempseeds:
birdseed: 900 t.
toasted seed: 15 t.
shelled/hulled: 600 t.
Hemp Oil:
cosmetics: 120 t.
food products: 50 t.
Estimated market for total hempseeds in 2002: 3-4000 t. of seed, assuming an extraction rate for oil of 25%.
6) MCIC Offers Crop Insurance For All Hemp Grain
This spring in Manitoba, Hemp grain joins Green Feed and Open Pollinated Corn as new insurable crops for 2000. According to the Manitoba Crop Insurance Corporation (MCIC), "all industrial hemp fields being grown for grain are eligible for reseeding benefits and 50% yield coverage."
Manitoba, after Ontario, are the only provinces that offer crop insurance for industrial hemp. In both cases, there is no coverage for fibre.
Verified historic yields will be used to provide individual coverage; provincial average yields will be used if a producer does not have any yield history. MCIC has settled on a provincial average yield of 560 lbs. or 0.254 tonnes per acre; coverage is based on a price forecast of 0.53 per Lb ($1168 per ton).
MCIC's Doug Wilcox notes that the price forecast, since it was set in December, is higher than the market is currently baring. "However, that could happen with any crop," says Wilcox. "Another year we could have undercovered."
Full coverage deadline for seeding is June 10th; coverage will be reduced by 20% if seeded between June 11-15th.
For Disaster Insurance giving 50% yield coverage, farmers would receive dollar coverage of $148.34 per acre, with no producer premium required. The cost is borne by the Federal and Provincial governments.
Producers have the option of purchasing additional coverage up to the 70% level, giving them dollar coverage of $207.90 per acre. MCIC has set producer basic premiums at between $5.84- $8.65 per acre; this is dependent on risk area. Wilcox notes that because hemp is a new crop, coverage is not available at the 80% level.
MCIC also notes that the coverage will be written off if THC content of the field crop exceeds 0.3%.
For more information on exact premiums and coverage, contact MCIC at 204-239-3246 or Fax at 204-239-3401 or your local MCIC office.
HCFR Seed Guide 2000, Part II
Health Canada warns that "In both 1998 and 1999, a small percentage of reported test results for … Fedora 19, Futura, Kompolti and Uniko B were questionable. Elevated test results came mainly from test production." While these varieties are available for commercial purposes, an eye is being kept on them to determine the reason for the higher than 0.3% production in some cases.
No varieties are exempt from routine field testing or required sampling and tested. No seed on this year's list is to be double tested.
These capsule reviews represent an effort to account for some of the many strains that available for cultivation in Canada (for FIN 314, ANKA and Fasamo, please refer to our February issue). Sources include Ivan Bosca's Cultivation of Hemp, as well as some more recent made-in-Canada research. The HCFR welcomes more definitive information on any of these cultivars.
Breeding information has been excluded. Conditions and results may vary according to variations in latitude, soil conditions, seeding date and available rainfall. For more information contact your seed vendor, as well as consult with your provincial Ministry of Agriculture. Note that Kenex (www.kenex.com) has the largest variety of hemp planting seed that is available in country.
Note that fibre varieties and varieties grown specifically for fibre reach maturity within a 60-90 day range, and grain varieties will mature between 110-150 days. "Early" grain varieties are often well below that latter window.
THC content is important, especially for grain production. Recent research has demonstrated that higher THC levels in varieties have occurred in regions of lower latitude, up to as much as a 25% difference.
French
Ferimon - early maturing French variety. Low stalk and fibre yield, but good fibre content. Very good seed yield. THC measured at 0.075 % in 1999 N. Ontario trials
Fedora 19 - Medium maturing variety; stalk grows greater than 8', wide range of stalk yields, "mediocre fibre content" according to Bosca; high potential seed yield. Relatively early grain variety. THC content between 0.1%-0. 3% (ManAg 1997), but has been measured as lower (0.065-0.075) in Northern Ontario at 46¡ N. (Scheifele, 1999)
Felina 34 - early to mid-maturing variety suited for fibre and seed production. Stalk grows 8' +, Good potential stalk yield, good fibre content, very high seed yield. THC content in 0.1%-0. 3% range; lower in N. Ont. (<0.068)
Fedrina 74- late maturing, appropriate for "green" harvesting. Good stalk and fibre yield; low fibre quality. Stalk grows 8' tall, THC content typically in 0.1%-0.3% range; 0.07% in N. Ont. in 1999.
Fibrimon 56- information unavailable
Futura/Futura 77- latest maturing French variety, highest potential stalk yield; "mediocre" fibre content. Unsuitable for market seed production. Harvested green.
Hungarian:
Kompolti -very good fibre potential, maximum yield of 4.9-5.4 short tons per acre. Poor seed yield. As fibre hemp, its vegetative period is 110-115 days (late). Low THC content (0.1-0.15% but can go higher). High fibre content, 35-38% technical fibres. Tall heights (8'+). Earlier seeding dates gave the highest stalk yields with a 23% reduction of yield within a fortnight (May 14 to 28th ) (Schiefele 1999) .
Uniko B- fibre hemp. Vegetative period is 105-110 days (late). Very good stalk yield 4.9-5.4 short tons per acre. Good fibre content but less than Kompolti. Tall stalks (8'+). Relatively higher THC content, but never exceeded 0.1% in 1999 Northern Ontario trials. Earlier seeding dates gave the highest stalk yields with a 23% reduction of yield within the period of a fortnight (May 14 to 28th ) (Schiefele 1999).
Kompolti Hybrid TC- information unavailable
Kompolti Sargaszaru- information unavailable
Romanian:
Lovrin 110- vegetative period is 110-115 days (late for fibre). Good stalk yield (4-4.9 short tons per acre), low fibre content at 27-30%; good fibre quality. Tall heights (8'plus) . Higher THC content.
Ukrainian
Zolotonosha 11, Zolotonosha 13; medium length maturity, height approx. 7-8' medium stalk and seed yields. Low THC content, typically < 0.1%.
USO 14, USO 31; one of the larger seeds (Brolley, 1999); low THC content, typically <0.1%
Italian
C S, Carmagnola and Fibranova, while on the approved list of cultivars, are not known to be commercially available in Canada.
So you want to be a hemp farmer?
Some resources you may find useful
As of this writing, one of the best single documents dealing with industrial hemp production available is "Growing Industrial Hemp " which is available on the OMAFRA web site (go to: www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/crops/hort/hemp.html and search for "industrial hemp" to find this document). Produced by Bill Baxter and Gordon Scheifele in April 1999, the document runs through licensing, available varieties, soil conditions, seedbed preparation, requited climatic conditions, fertility requirements, methods of weed control, diseases and pests, yields, retting and turning, baling, storage, combining, and even the economics of production. Budget outlines for fibre and grain production are provided as a guide.
Other run-throughs on hemp farming worth looking at include:
Be forewarned that a successful license application also requires a criminal record check (contact your local law enforcement agency for cost and delivery period); applications to cultivate industrial hemp must also include GPS co-ordinates for satellite tracking. Some of the provincial associations (like the SHA) provide GPS co-ordinates as part of the membership fee. Or you can order your own kit and DIY (do-it-yourself). A really fine GPS and precision farming web site is offered by Prairie Geomatics at www.prairie.mb.ca/index.htm
First time farmers must also gear themselves for field sampling and laboratory testing for THC levels as part of their licensing obligations. Check out HCFR #2 (June 1999) for a run through.
Market conditions vary immensely. It's advisable not to grow without a contract; growers who have grown on speculation have historically grown on love and hope and not profit.
For help or more information on hemp, contact Neils Hansen-Trip, Industrial Hemp Regulation Programme, Bureau of Drug Surveillance, Therapeutic Products Programme, Health Protection Branch Finance Building, Address Locator: 0201D3, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 1B9
Tel: 613-954-6524, Fax: 613-941-5360, email: Hemp_BdsTpd@hc-sc.gc.ca or check out http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb-dgps/therapeut/htmleng/hemp.html .
Check out the comprehensive 1999 Canadian industrial hemp crop and market wrap-up prepared by the Hemp Futures Study Group in the forthcoming issue of the Journal the International Hemp Association - (back issues online at www.HempCyberFarm).
BioHemp Technologies Ltd.: North America's largest wholesaler of certified organic hempseed oil products: Drums, pails, bottles, capsules, certified organic hemp flour. For sales and inquiries, call Jason Freeman at 403-272-9954, or email sales@biohemp.com
Now available: Ruth's Hemp Tortilla Chips (made with hemp flour, organic corn and non-GMO canola) in three great flavours. Treat yourself to Ruth's Hemp Pastas (with wheat and wheat-free) and Salad Dressings (three flavours available). Also available: Certified Organic Hemp/Flax Oil and (non-organic) 100% Hemp Oil. Coming soon: Hemp and Whole Wheat Wraps, and the incredible vegan Hemp Paté. Ask for these products in your local store.
For more information, please visit www.ruthsfoods.ca . Hemp and Health food stores: please contact Ruth to locate the distributor nearest you: e-mail info@ruthsfoods.ca, or call 416-588-4209.
Hemp 2000 Report
Over 250 delegates, half of them farmers, came to Winnipeg on March 1st for the Hemp 2000 conference. Attendees included representatives from across the country and a smattering of Americans looking for up-to-date information on the hemp industry in Canada.
It was well worth it; even the weather, with temperatures hovering unseasonably around 0° C., co-operated.
Thanks to the efforts of the host Manitoba Industrial Hemp Association, MIHA president Brian McElroy and event co-ordinator Tracey Hucul of Blue Sky business services, Hemp 2000 proved to be a superior and well-organised event. Those expecting a wake for the hemp industry were pleasantly surprised. Buffeted by the news of CGP's announced bankruptcy and a reinforced Hemp Embargo, it was not unreasonable to assume the mood might have been ugly. However, hemp seems, if not to thrive, but to respond well to adversity.
"Over the past few years, Manitoba producers have gained extensive knowledge in the production and processing of industrial hemp," said McElroy before the show, "This exciting crop has the potential for a stable and sustainable future in Manitoba."
Eleven speakers delivered a lot of information over the packed schedule; (See Conference Notebook, below). Based on the turnout, quality of information delivered, and the evident interest in hemp as a new alternative crop for Manitoba (and for Canadian farmers), organisers are considering making the event a two-day affair next year.
The trade show included booths by: Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI), Manitoba Crop Insurance Corporation, Websar Labs, Meatherall Consulting, Still Eagle Clothing, Hemp Industries Association, Gen X, West Coast Storage, Canterra Seeds, Saskatchewan Hemp Association, Hemp Oil Canada, Manitoba Industrial Hemp Association, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Food Development Centre, Manitoba Agriculture & Food. There was also participation from: Fresh Hemp Foods,The Body Shop and River City Brewing.
Coupled with the official program was a lot of intense networking, a must with any good conference. A well attended reception the evening before had delegates trying food samples and tasting locally brewed hemp beer. At the reception, attendees gamely bid on a hemp product auction, which raised almost $1000 for the MIHA. The crowd was also graced by remarks made by Rosann Wowchuck, Minister of Agriculture. In lieu of recent events, Wowchuck reiterated Man Ag's commitment to help Manitoba farmers working with hemp.
Incoming MIHA president Guy Cloutier (Cloutier Agra Seeds), was optimistic about what the next year would bring. " We are trailblazing, we are pioneers, " he said, speaking to a packed SRO crowd in the afternoon session. "We have the opportunity of a lifetime. We can have direct input to the direction of the industry."
Held in the Skyview Ballroom at the Ramada Marlborough Hotel, the event's other sponsors included Manitoba Agriculture & Food, Agriculture & Agrifood Canada, Cloutier Agra Seeds Inc., Fibrex Canada, Inc., Portage-La-Prairies The Food Development Centre, Hempola, Hemp Oil Canada, Aventis Crop Science Inc., and the Farm Credit Corporation.
Conference Notebook: Some Highlights
Gero Leson, speaking on hemp food products and their opportunities and challenges, was the first featured speaker. He began with a thorough overview of hemp foods' good qualities, including its wide range of cooking applications, balanced fatty acid spectrum, and its balanced supply of easily digestible protein. He noted that hemp compares quite well or superior to many other oilseeds in the food supply. He reiterated that hemp foods are gradually working into the natural foods marketplace, and not so much the mainstream. Leson also commented that shelled hempseed— with its low THC content, and lack of a gritty shell— is emerging as one of the most promising products that can ftr into this market.
His presentation then worked towards a recap of "The THC" issue: "THC is the issue that other seeds — like flax or pumpkins — don’t have to deal with, " he said. Leson outlined the issue's two components: a) physical concerns of THC consumption, and b) the interference of THC towards drug testing. Regarding THC limits and concerns on health, Leson cast on eye on the recent Swiss and nova Institute studies (which proposed tighter limits than the Swiss model).
Though concerns about urine testing are often characterised as absurd, Leson remarked "It’s a concern for the people who are forced to ingest hemp foods, and therefore it’s a concern for the producers." Leson is currently involved with trials that have been designed to test THC, as found in hemp foods, and their interference in drug testing. Results are slated to become available in May (See Top of the Crop, in this issue)
Roman Przybylski, from the University of Manitoba, spoke on how seed and oil quality are affected by management and processing. Przybylski has extensive knowledge of oilseeds and his contributions were invaluable. He noted that hemp oil has a high concentration of tocepherols, which as antioxidants are highly desirable content. He also remarked that chlorophyll, sometimes found in oils, accelerates oxidisation of stored hemp oil. He emphasised that it has no effect on the taste.
Wade Chute of the Alberta Research Council (ARC) and Kevin Edberg, Asst. Director Ag Marketing & Development, from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture were particularly well received, with optimistic projections that formed part of their presentations.
Edberg, arguably the most politicised speaker present at the show, (though this was not the intent), outlined the wave of US State legislation that is creating a moral force and political will for legalisation of hemp in the United States. He also spoke of working with the DEA to create a workable licensing situation in America, starting with test plots in North Dakota and Minnesota that would follow the one in place in Hawaii, the creation of a state licensing system, and developing the framework for commercial production (watch this space: www.mda.state.mn.us)
Speakers like Edberg remind Canadians that despite the difficulties being experienced in some US government offices with hemp, there is also strong political will happening in the other direction. More please.
Wade Chute delivered a summary of Wayne Wasciliw's ongoing research trials at ARC with hurds and composite panel boards, and then spoke about the potential for hemp in paper and forest Products. On a technical level there is great appeal; Chute compared bast fibres to softwoods (longer fibre, and lower lignin, also under 1% silica content) and hurds with hardwoods (shorter fibre, but more fines, meaning better opacity, but weaker pulp and lower lignin.
In processing, bast fibres have a comparative advantage in quantity of pulp produced; hurds were similar to hardwoods in this respect. Hemp's lower lignin content also has implications for the digesting and bleaching processes mills employ. But processing is also problematic, as engineers tend to be married to their systems, and retooling for hemp is unlikely.
What about economic feasibility? In terms of costs, Chute noted that softwood chips run at $80-115 tonne, and hardwood at $85-90 t (prices are regionally-dependent), but there was great variation in estimates as to the worth of hemp. Published estimates for the value of hemp fibre range from $20 t. for standing and unretted whole stalk, to $50 t. per tonne for bales of unretted whole stalk, to $325 t. for whole stalk, dew retted and delivered to plant. While these costs are high, Chute theorised that a mini mill would lower transportation costs, by maintaining a maximum 50 miles supply radius".
On an up note, he remarked "Pulp mills are used to dealing with waste products; they are not so into using virgin sources; so when I heard that farmers were growing for oil seed, I got excited (about the waste fibre)." Chute speculated that while hemp may seem a long way off from being pulped in Canada, even a small mill could demand thousands of tonnes of hemp straw per annum. Even at $20 a tonne this was exciting. Summing up with some reasonable caution, Chute said, " We need the market for seed and grain to develop at the same pace as fibre if this is to succeed. Either that, or we're going to have to get really good at growing for fibre in an economic way!"
ARC's agfibre research has ranged from wheat straw, barely, flax, hemp and corn stover (See HCFR #9 for more on Wade Chute or www.arc.ab.ca for more on ARC).
"Its very heartening to see people here today" said Neils Hansen-Trip, of Health Canada, "Given the challenges in hemp today, especially in Manitoba." Hansen-Trip delivered a brief and subdued overview of licensing in Canada for 2000.
The short version: there will be no major changes in Canada's Industrial Hemp licensing regime for 2000.
The longer version:
Researcher and plant breeder Jace Callaway made an unscheduled appearance after lunch. His brief presentation covered the nutritional value of hemp and some of the basic value-added potential of hemp grain. Refreshingly, Callaway shot down concerns about THC in hemp foods. Callaway pointed out that while there is traces of cocaine in Coca-Cola, morphine in poppy seeds and nicotine in tomatoes, there is neither government nor public concern about this. "The amount of THC in (hemp) food is so small, it's inconsequential…it's a political issue, not a health one. It’s a bogus issue folks," said Callaway, "So don’t get snowballed. "
Don Wirtshafter of the Ohio Hempery spoke on market development and selling hemp food products in the United States. "There is no get rich quick scheme with hemp…or any other industry," he said. Wirtshafter lamented the lost opportunities and momentum brought about by the US border imbroglio. However, he championed dehulled seed as a "magic bullet"; being unsterilised and having no THC, it is a great fit with the natural foods marketplace. "That is where all the growth is right now", he added. Wirtshafter also championed the need of a "killer ap", a food product that would create new ground and reach new consumers. Could this be a really good energy bar? he speculated. Wirtshafter also spoke of the need to develop all of the verifications that are needed to fit into the food industry.
Ron Tone (Tone Ag consulting), Jack Moes (The Great AgVenture), and Bruce Brolley (Manitoba Agriculture) rounded out the afternoon with an agronomic program. Tone, a Manitoba based crop consultant, spoke on the effect of soil fertility on hemp grain yield. Moes and Brolley both noted the relationship between fibre moisture and the ease of harvest. In Manitoba, September 1999 had cool, wet weather followed by a warm heat flash snap, creating the worst possible conditions for harvesting.
Moes offered data on his harvest timing study, noting that yields and grain content were dependent on the harvest window and related moisture content. For example, in a two-week period, (between September 14-28,) as moisture declined, the density of seeds increased by 10%, raising yield per acre of 39 bu to 44 bu. Based on this research, an early harvest would yield suboptimal yields, low-test weights, reduced oil quality, and higher drying costs. He theorised that the best combination of yield and quality was likely to be obtained by a straight combining in the mid 20% moisture range (Look for Moes' work in an upcoming HCFR)
Dovetailing with Moes' work, Bruce Brolley, New Crop Specialist, Manitoba Agriculture and Food presented some ideas about crop management. Given the short period of optimal harvest window —two weeks— he advised growers to seed smaller plots.
"Think of hemp as a bean or legume, " he said, "Not as a wheat or canola crop." Better management and better quality comes with hemp comes with smaller acreages, he said. Which means more money. Comparing operating costs of hemp at $222.45 per acre (as compared to $144 for canola), he indicated that hemp producers need yields of 750 lbs. per acre to see a profit.
Brolley presented some information about a herbicide seeding trial. "I present this with some trepidation, " he said, "As we have hopes of growing hemp as a herbicide free crop." He conceded that there might be some role in a single application of herbicide for weed control. "All you need is weed suppression for 2-3 weeks, then hemp takes over," he said. According to the limited data that Manitoba agriculture has collected over 1999, it was noted that Pardner 2X, was the most effective.
The presentation was Brolley's last action as the hemp contact for Manitoba Agriculture. Moving over to working with legumes, he has been replaced by Keith Beaulieu. Brolley's 1999-2000 work will be published and made available in paper and on line at Man Ag's web site sometime this year (www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture).
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Show Reports
FIBREX 2000 (March 8th, 2000), Delta, BC
Canadians on the West Coast were recently treated to a display and presentation on some useful German processing technology and products derived from industrial hemp. A short film of the Kranemann Harvester, which relies on a vertical drum method of harvesting, raised eyebrows.
The event's goal was for participating German companies and research institutes to find partners in the North American market.
The speaker's slate included Dr. Manfred Pinnow, Fraunhofer Institut (Institute of Applied Polymer Research [IAP]), Dr. Daike Lohmeyer of The nova Institute, Dr. Peter Henschke from the Centre for Industry and Technology, Natural Fibre Council in Brandenburg, Dr. Wolf of HAWO Renewable Materials Co., and Mr. Lysk of Cycloclean BO Umwelfchemie GmbH.
About 40 people were on hand for the all day meeting, held on March 8th at Delta's Best Western Tsawassen Inn.
"These products and technologies are being presented for the first time in North America," said host John Appleby, of Natural Fibres Canada Corp, confidant about the possibilities of introducing German technologies to the Canadian market.
A wide list of items were presented, including harvesting and processing machinery, wastewater treatment agents, fire retardants, specialty lubricants, building & paper products and a series of advanced polymers.
The Kranemann or "Bluecher 02" harvester drew the most attention. Developed by Kranemann, an East German Company located 20-km Northeast of Berlin, the harvester relies on a vertical drum method of harvesting. Caught between two rotating cylinders mounted on a tractor, hemp stalks are cut into three parts by mounted disks. The method allows for swift and continuous mowing, and no twisting of fibres around moving parts. Once cut, the hemp drops cleanly and can be left on field for retting. The method is also adaptable for grain processing, as seed heads are left lying on top of the swath, and can be easily collected afterwards. The Kranemann harvester has a speed of 4-12km/hr.
Kranemann Harvester at work
Attendees also had the chance to handle samples of biocomposite building products derived from hemp and other inputs.
Fibrex 2000 was presented Natural Fibres Canada Corp., in association with the nova Institute, The Institute of Applied Polymer Research of the Fraunhofer Institute, and the Delta Chamber of Commerce, and was supported by The Delta Farmers Institute.
For more information contact John Appleby, Natural Fibres Canada Corp at 604-940-2836 or jsapple@attcanada.net .
Northern Alternatives Conference at UNBC (March 25-26th)
By HCFR staff
The University of Northern British Columbia hosted the Northern Alternatives Conference on March 25 and 26th. Organised by the Prince George Public Interest Research Group (PGPIRG), this bioregionally-themed event brought together people and plants into an exploration of community solutions. About 150 people from the university and the surrounding community attended, as well as attendees and exhibitors from around the province.
The packed schedule provided information on food sources, water sources, recycling, non-traditional house building and home building materials, free energy sources, alternative education, alternative medicine and of course, industrial hemp. Organic farmer Robert Bucher (P&R Farms), who grew 40 acres of hemp his farm last year, spoke on his positive experiences. Not to be missed was the delicious hemp/burli bread, hemp treats, and even a hemp lemonade, that he had to offer. HCFR editor Arthur Hanks delivered an industrial hemp overview. Dave Ryan and Dr. Jane Young of the Gitsegukla Research Project were unfortunately unable to attend; attendees missed out on learning about this innovative project. Also in attendance was BCMAF's Kerry Clark, who had results on BC Grain Producer's hemp trials that have been conducted in the Peace River Region from 1998-1999 (The HCFR will be presenting this information in our next issue.)
Other highlights included Marty Frost's well-attended workshops on forming a co-operative, Brian Taylor from the Cannabis Research Institute speaking on Canada's rapidly evolving therapeutic cannabis program and Joann Houghton from community food group, Food First!, who made the provocative quote of the weekend: "As a basic human necessity, food is too important to be left to market forces."
In a region dominated by pulp and paper and BC's forestry machine, it was encouraging to see interest in fibre production. Keep an eye on the North; according to BCMAF's Jim Tingle, there are approximately 250,000 acres of farmland available in the Prince George region. Industrial greenhouse production is another innovation that has been seen to improve regional crop yields and to lengthen growing season considerably.
This was a well-planned and thought out event. The HCFR would like to congratulate the NAC organisers: Catherine Kendall, Shelley Milstein and Alexa Pitoulis for their all their work. Hopefully, we will be there next year.
For more information about Prince George Public Interest Research Group (PGPIRG) check out www.http://sus.fac.unbc.ca/pgpirg/
MUM'S ORIGINAL: 100% Certified Organic Hempseed Oil is a rich and balanced source of essential fatty acids. Organically grown on the Canadian Prairies, MUM'S ORIGINAL is to be used as a daily supplement. Incorporate MUM'S into your daily regimen...because we all know, Mum knows best!
CHFA Expo West Report (April 1-2)
A secure domestic supply of hemp grain has helped create a potentially large and fat market for Canadian hemp.
This was the view from the floor of Vancouver's Convention & Exhibition Centre last weekend, when the Canadian Health Food Association held their largest western show yet on April 1st-April 2nd. The natural foods industry is growing by leaps and bounds, and the hemp foods sector is finding its place in this growth.
Hemp food exhibitors included BioHemp Technologies, CHII Industries, Fresh Hemp Foods, Rella Good Cheese Company/NempNut Inc., and Ruth's Hemp Foods; Hempola was also represented. The natural foods industry acceptance of hemp is evidenced by hemp products being offered by manufacturers and distributors such as Nature's Path, Omega Nutrition Canada, Purity Life Health Products, Puresource Inc., Tara International and Tall Grass.
"Hemp has moved from out of the shadows and into the mainstream, "said Fresh Hemp Food's Mike Fata, whose company gave out 1000 samples each of cold pressed oil and dehulled hempseednut over two days of exhibition. "Knowledge about Essential Fatty Acids is getting out there and people have learnt about them; some are even learning the difference between Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids."
"There has been a change in attitude," corroborates CHII's Eric Hughes, "People are no longer saying 'Can I eat this?' But 'Where can I buy this?'"
Good saleable features of hemp foods include its exceptional protein and EFA content. "A first -rate inventory helps too, " says long time natural foods industry veteran, John Goodman. Goodman, now with Rella Good Cheese Company/HempNut Inc, points out that his company has 17 hemp-based items on their catalogue right now and plans for up to "at least 45" in the next few years.
An aggregate list of hemp/hemp content products seen and sampled at the show included chips, dehulled hempseed, dips, flour, edible oil, massage oil, premixed salad dressings, salves and ointments, candles, cheese-like Rella, lip balm and a personal bodycare sexual lubricant.
Have a good idea...like a hemp ice cream? Move fast. Conventional wisdom is that the more products you have, the more attractive you are to a distributor and the stores they service. Clearly, a healthy competitive environment is being created and individual companies will have to spend more time marketing both to the industry and to the consumer to find market share ahead of their Canadian cousins. For example, Ruth Shamai of Ruth's Hemp Foods, who launched her line of hemp oil and blended hemp/flax oil at the show, was slated for an tour of eight store demos is some of southwestern BC's leading health food stores in a week after the show. The CHFA was a perfect springboard for this kind of activity.
BioHemp Technologies' Jason Freeman, who launched the Mum's Original Hempseed Oil at this show, thinks that the best market opportunities exist in organics, bulk supply and co-operative ventures with existing natural foods companies already in the marketplace. He believes that the hemp industry is maturing, and that it may be naive to think one company can "do it all", an ambition that has characterised many start up hemp ventures in recent history.
Things look bullish in Canada, but what about south of the border? Colorado resident Goodman thinks that there is no difference between the US and Canadian markets...just size. "The market is really receptive right now, and there is great awareness on both sides of the border. Of course, the US government is set on confusing the issue (of hemp foods) right now. "
Looking at the growth of this market another way: two years ago, at the CIHS II, which was held at the same venue, organisers were hard pressed to create a hemp foods pavilion. Now it's not even arguable that hemp food represents the most robust sector of the hemp products' spectrum. Clearly hemp foods are primed to find market acceptance.
For more information about the CHFA check out www.chfa.ca
Hemp Shorts
A) Nutiva Launches New Line of Hemp Chips
Nutiva, has introduced its new line of hemp tortilla chips, starting with two flavors, hemp/sesame and hemp/flax.
The Hemp Sesame tortilla chip is made with organic blue corn, pesticide-free shelled hempseed, organic sesame, expeller-pressed hi-oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil, and sea salt. The Hemp Flax tortilla chip is made with organic yellow corn, pesticide-free shelled hempseed, organic lax, expeller-pressed hi-oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil, and sea salt. More flavours are coming.
"Nutiva chips owe their great taste to our use of the highest quality ingredients available," says John Roulac, Nutiva founder and President. "Instead of using pre-made corn flour, we roast whole corn kernels, then grind them fresh to yield a sweet-tasting tortilla chip. The shelled hempseed that we mix into our chip recipe has a subtle nutty taste that complements the corn's natural flavor."
The seeds of both hemp and flax are a natural powerhouse of nutrition, packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. A growing number of medical doctors and nutritionists recommend including omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the diet.
On a recent PBS television feature on nutrition, Dr. Andrew Weil, well known for his support of integrative medicine, recommended flax seeds, hempseed, and walnuts as ideal plant sources of these omega-3 EFAs.
As part of its commitment to creating a healthy and sustainable future, Nutiva donates 1% of sales to groups engaged in sustainable agriculture. To date, these groups include Bioneers, the Land Institute, Citizens for Health, the Organic Farming Research Council, the Community Alliance of Family Farmers, the Committee for Sustainable Agriculture, and the North American Industrial Hemp Council.
In addition to their new chip line, Nutiva offers certified organic bars made with hemp and flax seed, and a 12 oz. can of shelled hempseeds.
Nutiva ( www.nutiva.com ) is a Sebastopol, California-based natural foods manufacturer, and is a member of the Organic Trade Association, and the North American Industrial Hemp Council.
B) New at Hempology.org
By John E. Dvorak
There have been several recent additions to the Boston Hemp Co-op's Digital Hemp History Library ( http://hempology.org ) including:
The "Current History" section of http://hempology.org is also filling out with details on how you can order the new book by Robert Nelson, "Hemp Husbandry" as well as statistics showing a state by state breakdown of the number of feral hemp plants eradicated by the DEA in 1996 (over 99% of the 422 million cannabis plants destroyed by the Government were actually non-smokable "ditchweed", remnants of America's once vital hemp industry. )
Another excellent addition to the Current History section is a 1996 report titled "Bast Fiber Applications for Composites", co-written by David Seber of Fibre Alternatives.
http://hempology.org is also a member of a fast growing dedicated hemp web-ring with over 20 hemp related web sites linked together. Contact ringmaster@HempRing.com or visit www.HempRing.com for information about joining.
C) Young, Innovative Company on Tour with Organic Hemp Oil
BioHemp Technologies Ltd. has launched Mum's Original Certified Organic Hempseed Products at this year's Canadian Health Food Show, April 1st and 2nd at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.
BioHemp is currently on an eight week tour promoting Mum's Original that began in the Prairies in late March. Future stops will be made in BC's Interior, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal.
Mum's Original is the first brand name product from BioHemp Technologies Ltd., North America's largest producer and marketer of certified organic hempseed. This young, innovative Vancouver-based company is hoping to capitalize on the recent success of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) in the natural products industry.
Mum's Original is a rich and balanced source of Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-9 fatty acids, and also contains naturally occurring GLA.
"For women this is good news, because you can now get what your body needs all in one source," says Marketing Director Martine Carlina.
"Interest is so keen we hope to double our production this year," says President Jason Freeman.
Public awareness of the health benefits of Essential Fatty Acids is growing. People are starting to ask for Mum's Original by name, and hempseed oil is now becoming known as the only complete single source EFA supplement.
"People are starting to understand why we all worked so hard to legalize this plant. Hemp is functional food due to its exceptional nutritional profile, and now it's catching on," Freeman says.
The management team at BioHemp Technologies understands hemp, as both Freeman and Carlina worked to facilitate the Commercial and Industrial Hemp Symposium II, which led to legalization in 1998. BioHemp's general manager Marty Frost brings over 10 years experience in Natural Foods as the former general manager of Horizon Distributors, Western Canada's largest natural products distributor.
The natural products industry had sales exceeding $29 billion in North America last year. "Hemp offers something people can believe in. That is good news for Canadian farmers and for natural foods shoppers," says Freeman.
For further information please contact Hemp Management Group at 403-701-0275.
D) Howell Becomes Hempwell Inc.
John Howell, editor of Hemp Times, has formed Hempwell Inc., a marketing firm for businesses with an interest in hemp products. Howell will work through Hempwell Inc. as a consultant with a select list of clients, providing promotion, PR, marketing and sales services. One of the first clients to sign up is Kenex Ltd. of Pain Court, Ontario. Howell will also continue as a consulting editor and director to Hemp Times magazine and the Planet Hemp catalog, for which he served as editor/publisher and managing director since their launching in 1996.
"I'm going to concentrate on the promotion of hemp and the marketing of hemp products through Hempwell Inc.," said Howell. "It's time to move more products faster and in a bigger way to help the hemp business grow. Companies like Kenex are positioned to make all of this happen and I think know how to help this growth along."
Prior to starting up the Hemp Company of America in 1995, Howell worked in marketing and editorial positions for Elle magazine, Calvin Klein and Polo/Ralph Lauren. He manages Stokes Farms, a 2,500-acre family farm business in the Bootheel area of southern Missouri. His great-grandparents were hemp farmers in central Missouri before the Civil War.
To contact John Howell: E-mail: jhowell@hempwell.com . Tel/fax: 718-937-2095. Mail: 9-01 44th Drive, Long Island City, NY 11101.
E) HCFR Recipe of the Month: Hemp Carrot Cake
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1/2 cup yogurt
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup hemp flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup hemp nut
1/2 cup raisins soaked in boiling water for 5 min and drained
1 cup grated carrots
Association News:
Manitoba Industrial Hemp Association Update; 1999 in review
By the MIHA
The MIHA was formed in April 1999 as a non-marketing agency to promote the development of the hemp industry in Manitoba through communication, technology transfer and research. The Board of Directors is made up of producers and processors. The Association acts as a united voice to represent individual growers, regional grower groups, processors, marketers and numerous other industry stakeholders.
In 1999, Manitoba saw acreage seeded to hemp soar to 17,000 acres from 1998' 1,5000 acres. Approximately 12, 500 acres were planted for commercial grain with the remainder dedicated to pedigree seed production. In Manitoba, almost all the hemp acres were seeded under contract to one of the following hemp companies: Prairie Hemp, CGP, Emerson Hemp Company, Canterra Seeds or Cloutier Agra Seeds.
The reintroduction of hemp as an alternative crop has raised some unforeseen concerns and issues. There were volunteer hemp plants reported to the MIHA office by the RCMP. These plants were found growing in 98's hemp fields, seeded to wheat or not seeded due to wet conditions in 99. Headlands and ditches near 98's fields were also a concern. Besides breaking the requirements of your "license to cultivate", volunteer seed could present a problem by contaminating large shipments of grains and other oilseeds. This could lead to serious marketing and legal implications.
The need for crop insurance was evident as 1999's hemp suffered from excess moisture, hail and heavy winds. Seed quality issues became evident in many fields this past summer with the excessive number of dioecious male off-types found within the fields.
Farmers are getting a better handle on when to harvest hemp, but frost followed by warm winds complicated harvest conditions and decisions. Some fields that were taken off too wet had excessive amounts of green seeds in the sample. Unfilled seeds caused problems and farmers were challenged to get seed down to safe storage moisture.
What to do with hemp screenings (or THC-laden "hemp dust") was another issue that the MIHA provided guidance to Health Canada on.
The potential development of the agrifibre industry in Manitoba is one example of how the MIHA serves the industry. The MIHA and the Flax Council of Canada, along with companies like Durafibre, Schweitzer-Maudit and Isoboard were invited to participate in discussions to identify the needs of the agrifibre industry in the province.
The MIHA also hosted the successful Hemp 2000 conference, held in Winnipeg on February 29th-March 1st (See story this issue). Before the show, the MIHA's AGM was held; Guy Cloutier of Cloutier Agra Seeds was elected President, succeeding Brian McElroy.
For more information contact the MIHA at 204-242-3090 or email hemp@cici.mb.ca , or visit the web site at www.pembinavalley.com/miha .
Upcoming Events:
April 6-8: The First National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, The University of Iowa Memorial Union, Iowa City, Iowa
Jointly sponsored by the College of Nursing and The College of Medicine at the University of Iowa in co- operation with Patients out of Time, a non-profit organisation dedicated to educating health care professionals and members of the public about the therapeutic use of cannabis.
HCFR readers who are investigating the therapeutic application of high cannabinoid industrial hemp strains as nutraceuticals or who are researching potential health risks of THC may be interested in this historic conference. To increase the opportunities for individuals to participate in this conference selected remote satellite broadcast sites are being arranged.
For more information, check out www.drugsense.org/ncct . For telephone registration, contact UI Center for Conferences and Institutes at 319-335-4141 or 1-800-551-9029 (North American wide).
May 13-14: Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo: Santa Cruz, California
The Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo is gearing up for its third annual show, scheduled for May 13 and 14 at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz, California. Over 75 booths are available for vendors at the 2000 show, which includes a major expansion on Church Street in front of the venue.
The Hemp Expo has opened an office at 224 Walnut Avenue, Suite C in downtown Santa Cruz. The new phone number is 831-466-0500. The new fax line is 831-466-0510. A sub-lease through the Hub for Sustainable Transportation, the space is ideally located a block away from the Civic Auditorium.
The Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo provides a positive basis for public support of hemp reintroduction, with an open-to-the-public, trade-show based setting that is well organized and effectively promoted. Live music, a hemp fashion show MC'd by John Howell of Hempwell Inc. , a hemp house, a hemp camp display, hemp foods and beverages, educational and historical exhibits, workshops, videos, speakers and panel discussions will be featured.
Now established as the dominant trade show for the developing hemp industry, vendors and hemp reintroduction advocates are drawn from around the world to Santa Cruz.
For more information call the Hemp Expo's publicity voicemail at 831-425-3003, or visit on the web at www.cruzexpo.com. For sponsor and vendor inquiries call 831-466-0500.
July 17th, Canadian Consulting Agrologists Association 27th Annual General Meeting and PD Conference: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Updates for both the AGM and the Professional Development Sessions will be posted on CCAA's web site at www.consultingagrologists.com\agm.htm
July 18-22, July 23-24 Herbs 2000: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Outlook, Saskatchewan.
Produced by the Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association and co-sponsored by the International Herb Association & Canadian Herb Society. HERBS 2000 is a combination of two events: The International Herb Conference, to be held on July 18-22 in Saskatoon and Herbfest 2000, an international herb festival to be held on July 23-24th in Outlook. Over 60 speakers will be featured at the Conference; hemp panels on production and marketing will also form part of the itinerary. Speakers TBA. The Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association is the largest association of its kind in Canada. Check out www.saskherbspice.org/herbs2000.html or call Connie Kehler at (306) 694-4622 , Fax: 306-694-2182 or email: g.musings@sk.sympatico.ca .
August 5 -7: Natural Life Festival, St. George, Ontario
A Celebration of Sustainable Living. Workshops, Green Marketplace, Kids' Environmental Activities, Natural Foods, Natural Healing Demonstrations, and more. Watch this page: www.life.ca/festival for details of workshops and a vendor list for the Green Marketplace.
September 8 - 11: HIA Convention 2000, Ontario
The 7th Annual HIA Convention 2000 will again be held in Ontario. The Ecology Retreat Center, near Toronto, will be the site for the General Meeting. Contact the HIA for details: info@thehia.org , Tel: 707-874-3648, Fax: 707-874-1104
September 12-14: Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, Ontario
Canada's largest outdoor farm show will host industrial hemp for the third year in a row. A demonstration hemp field will be harvested during the event and be complemented by a Hemp Information Tent and the vendor's village. To be sponsored by OHA and HIA.
Outdoor Farm Show - 1-800 563 5441, www.outdoorfarmshow.com
September 13-16: Bioresource Hemp 2000, Wolfsburg, Germany
Watch here for full speaker lineup. Some speakers and topics already confirmed include:
Tri Tec GmbH, Ph: 49-234-935 79 73, Fax: 49-234-935 79 75, email: register@bioresource-hemp.de , www.nova-institute.de
September 22-26: Natural Products Expo East 2000, Baltimore, Maryland
New Hope Communications- Ph: 303-939-8440 x 161 or 228, Fax: 303-939-9559, www.naturalproductexpo.com.
October 4-6: 3rd Annual Ag Fiber Technology Showcase, Memphis, Tennessee. Held at the Agricenter International. Agro-Tech Communications, http://www.agrotechfiber.com, email: fiber@netten.net - Ph: 901-757-1777. S
See a great and thorough list of North American Trade Shows at www.hemppages.com
HAVING AN INDUSTRIAL HEMP EVENT?
Contact Arthur Hanks, HCFR Editor, at arthurhanks@hotmail.com with details.
Marketplace:
Organic Hempseed. Certified organic whole and shelled hempseed available. Sterilized or not, conventional also. Available in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and elsewhere. Minimum order 2,000 pounds. Guaranteed best price, period. Benefit from our volume purchases. Also available organic: the finest hempseed oil, peanut/HempNut butter in bulk, hemp meal, veggie burgers. Enquire: sales@HempFood.com . HempNut, Inc., fine hempseed foods since 1994.
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Spirit Stream manufactures quality hemp jeanswear products including, cargo pants, jeans, shirts, shorts and more.We also supply a multitude of hemp accessories including bodycare, hats, bags, wallets, andfabric. "Tread softly wear Hemp". Contact Phone: 905-523-5965, Fax: 905-308-9453
email: info@spiritstream.com web site www.spiritstream.com
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CRUCIAL makes kind 100% Cannabis Sativa Hemp clothing. Call 520-628-3670 or check out http://crucialusa.com
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BUY A PIECE OF HEMP HISTORY.CANADA' S FIRST HEMP FIBRE TEXTILES. ONTARIO FIBRE,SPUN AND WOVEN IN QUEBEC INTO BEAUTIFUL BLANKETS AND HAMMOCKS.CONTACT THE HEMP CLUB INC. AT thehempclubthc@hotmail.com
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Industrial Hemp Straw needed: 5-10 lbs of hemp straw needed for test run for manufacture of MDF fibreboard. Will pay for product, postage and handling etc. Contact: Mike Schlepp, 26175 South Hwy. 3, Cataldo, Idaho 83810 Phone: 208-689-3593, Fax: 208-689-3141 farmermike@nidlink.com
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Looking for hemp products? Check out Hemptech's products directory at www.hemptech.com
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Feed the world with a click of the mouse. Visit the Hunger Site at www.thehungersite.com
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Shedding light on all things cannabis: www.chrisconrad.com
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Realm Magazine is now offering free subscriptions to Canadians aged 17-30. Visit realm.net/mag/freesub-e.html to receive a full year's worth of entrepreneurship info, career news and inspiration.
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REACH A WIDE QUALIFIED AUDIENCE THROUGH ADVERTISING IN THE HCFR. Sponsorship and Supporting positions also available. Marketplace special! Have your link here for as low as $20 per issue. For more information, please email: jfreeman@ssm.net
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Get your web site up and going already…
Online but not on the web? Need to give your non-profit group an Internet presence? Terry Lefebvre of Hemptrade is offering FREE web page hosting for industrial hemp-related sites, as well as layout, set up and administration for all sites at reasonable rates. Contact Terry at hempmaster@hemptrade.com for more info.
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Check out the comprehensive 1999 Canadian industrial hemp crop and market wrap-up prepared by the Hemp Futures Study Group in the forthcoming issue of the Journal the International Hemp Association - (back issues online at www.HempCyberFarm).
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The HCFR is looking for more photographs to appear in this journal; crop shots, machines, quality shots of quality people. Please contact Arthur Hanks at arthurhanks@hotmail.com
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One good writer needed to grow with us: The HCFR is looking for an American-based correspondent with some experience and knowledge of the North American hemp industry . Short on money, but long on glory and fun. Contact Arthur Hanks, HCFR editor at arthurhanks@hotmail.com
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"Operation Ditchweed" Thanks to all HCFR readers who sent leads where to find wild hemp.Wonderful field work by many thoughtful people has produced some dazzling results fit for science and society, This valuable data has been passed on to the proper channels and all is cool. Let's have lots more please! This wild gene pool may be very important for future breeding of far north adaptable varieties. Each wild hemp location is different- we want them all to learn just how these diverse hemps thrive so well in such adverse conditions. If you know where authentic wild hemp grows, with all discretion please contact our civilian response team to arrange ripe seed collection . Every patch of ditchweed is a winner- Any more news or rumours of wild hemp in Quebec, Belleville, Trenton, the Kawarthas, islands of the Grand River is welcome. And no, we don't sell wild hempseed but yes, we will pay for the real thing. For more information about the autumn 2000 wild hempseed collection project contact Dr. Sumach, Hemp Futures Study Group, PO Box 1680, Niagara on the Lake Ontario, Canada, LOS IJO, 905 468 3928 rheading@becon.org or please leave an inquiry at the HFCR arthurhanks@hotmail.com
PS: Health Canada reminds us that ditchweed cannabis program is not covered under the Industrial Hemp regulations. Wild hempseed will not be ripe until September --- we are seeking where these stands might be arising. Proper permits will be in place at that point for retrieval --- as advertised.
SUPPORTING ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE:
Fibrex Québec Inc, info@fibrexcanada.com
Gen-X, genx@net1fx.com
BioHemp Technologies Ltd., jfreeman@biohemp.com
HempWorld Inc., matthew@HempWorld.com
Canterra Seeds, schafer@canterra.com
Greenman Nonwood Papermill, greenman@lynx.bc.ca
Ruth's Hemp Foods, info@ruthsfoods.ca
North American Industrial Hemp Council, john@hemptech.comThe HCFR would also like to thank Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps for their support of this issue.
Tell them you saw it in the HCFR!
READER'S FEEDBACK: Keep us honest and write us. Let us know what you think about our formats, articles, coverage, tone, delivery, coverage and everything we are doing. We appreciate all letters and emails, though we can't reply to them all. Make the HCFR the reader's choice! Write to arthurhanks@hotmail.com
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MASTHEAD:
Publisher: AHEM
Editor: Arthur Hanks arthurhanks@hotmail.com
Sales, Sponsorship, and Distribution:
Jason Freeman jfreeman@ssm.net
Associate Editor:
Dr. Alexander Sumach rheading@becon.org
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE:
John E. Dvorak, boston.hemp@pobox.com, Louise Hollingsworth hemp@execulink.com , Gero Leson gleson@compuserve.com , Manitoba Industrial Hemp Association, hemp@cici.mb.ca, Barry R. McCaffrey, David Marcus nathemp@interlog.com, Tony Montana, Greg Putnam gpitman@lkdllink.net and people working with hemp everywhere...
SUBMISSIONS:Submissions are most welcome. Please contact HCFR editor, Arthur Hanks, at arthurhanks@hotmail.com, with your story, research or information for inclusion in the HCFR. Please note we are always looking for good quality pictures and photos, submitted preferably in GIF or JPEG format.
DISTRIBUTION: The HCFR is available for free to interested parties only on the Internet. Direct subscription for this issue is 1,500+. We encourage associations working in the industry to circulate the HCFR to their members. Other non-profit use is encouraged.
THE HCFR ON THE WWW: Back issues of the HCFR are posted on the following industrial hemp web sites: Natural Hemphasis, Hemptrade, Hemppages, Global Hemp and Hemp Cyberfarm and The Hemp Industries Association. Check us out at:
www.hemphasis.com/hcfr
www.hemptrade.com/hcfr
www.hemppages.com
www.globalhemp.com/hcfr/
www.hempcyberfarm.com/hcfr
www.thehia.org/news
Thanks to David Marcus, Terry Lefebvre, Mari Kane, Eric Pollit, Matthew Huijgen and Candi Penn for their dedicated work on making needed information available.
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NEXT ISSUE: Issue will be out May 28th: Ads will close May 21st.
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© 1999-2000 AHEM, ARTHUR HANKS. INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES REMAIN PROPERTY OF THE AUTHOR (S). NOT TO BE DUPLICATED FOR FINANCIAL OR PERSONAL GAIN. CONTACT US ABOUT REPRODUCTION RIGHTS.