The Hemp Commerce & Farming Report
Volume 2, Issue 11, May 2000 ISSN 1488-3988
Parts Three & Four
© 2000 AHEM, ARTHUR HANKS
HCFR SPECIAL:
On April 29th, 2000, the Oglala Sioux of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota made a remarkable strike for self-determination by sowing their own industrial hemp crop. No security fences, no barbed wire, an all-American hempseed, and a community investing in their future.
What follows is the original press release, plus photos and an eyewitness account by Craig Putnam.
_______________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tom Cook, Project Director
Slim Butte Land-Use Association
Tel: 308-432-2290
Fax: 308-432-8981
E-mail: slmbttsag@bbc.net
On Friday, April 14, Joe American Horse announced on KILI Radio that to be sovereign the tribe must act sovereign. Accordingly, he will plant industrial hempseeds on April 29, 2000 to advance the authority of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in the matter of jurisdiction over tribal lands.
Stating the USA does not make treaties with ethnic minorities but only with other sovereigns, American Horse said he is prepared to exercise the self-determination inherent in the Oglala Sioux Tribe as a successor government under the Treaty of 1868.
Chief American Horse in the Field
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE TO PLANT INDUSTRIAL HEMP CROPS
WHEN: April 29, 2000
WHERE: Pine Ridge Reservation
WHO: Slim Butte Land Use Association/Kiza Tiospaye
WHAT: Tribal Members are implementing a Tribal Ordinance passed in 1998 that allows cultivation of industrial hemp on the Reservation.
On Saturday April 29, 2000, the 132nd anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of 1868, members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe will plant industrial hemp at various locations on the Reservation. In July 1998, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council passed an ordinance defining industrial hemp as distinct from marijuana (which is a controlled substance under tribal law). The ordinance provides for the cultivation and harvesting of industrial hemp on the Reservation.
The Slim Butte Land Use Association, which spearheaded the effort to initiate industrial hemp production on the Reservation, looks forward to the sustainable aspects of the crop. "It is very important to us that we be able to grow a crop that allows us to live in balance with Mother Earth," says Loretta Afraid-of-Bear Cook, Chair of the Slim Butte LUA, "Hemp does not require any chemicals and it allows us to start taking care of our people ourselves." The landowner association is in the latter stages of building a house with materials primarily of industrial hemp. While lack of adequate housing is a problem on most reservations, it is particularly challenging on Pine Ridge where tornadoes and heavy winds frequently destroy homes. President Bill Clinton acknowledged the severity of the housing shortage during his visit to Pine Ridge last summer, saying "There is no more crucial building block for a strong community and a promising future than a solid home."
Tom Cook, LUA Project Director (L); Chief Joe American Horse (R)
"Industrial hemp is the key component to sustainable housing," said Tom Cook, LUA Project Director for the house building project. "We make hemp-based concrete that is lighter, stronger and easier to work with than masonry concrete," he said, "Not only that, but we are putting people to work here on the reservation with good jobs. " The house building project has employed eight people, and the Slim Butte LUA intends to market its "Hempcrete" blocks to the building industry. In addition, the LUA seeks to set up a handmade papermaking operation that will use parts of the hemp that do not go into the block making.
"The people used to have the buffalo for our food, clothing and shelter," said Joe American Horse, Program Manager for Slim Butte LUA and former President of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, "now hemp can do that for us." American Horse ÷ whose grandfather was one of the signers of the Treaty of 1868 ÷ explains, "What we are talking about is industrial hemp; it is not a drug. In addition to providing Lakota people an economic base, the cultivation of industrial hemp will reduce our reliance on diminishing natural resources and contribute to global ecological health. This is a way we can help our people and our environment." Currently, American Horse serves as the Public Relations Officer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
When asked about the potential legal ramifications of the planting, Slim Butte LUA attorney Thomas J. Ballanco said, "The right to cultivate industrial hemp on the reservation is a secured treaty right. Hemp was grown all around here in the 1800's." Ballanco, a West Point graduate who authored the tribal ordinance expects no interference from the federal government. "This issue does not concern the U.S. government. Here we have a tribe exercising a sovereign treaty right to provide jobs, homes and sustainability on the reservation."
Commenting on fellow West Pointer, and federal Drug Czar, Gen. (Ret.) Barry McCaffrey's expected response, Ballanco said, "If they teach cavalry officers anything at West Point, it is to listen to your scouts, especially in Sioux country," said Ballanco, himself a former Army scout, making reference to West Pointer George Custer who was wiped out along with his entire command in the battle of Little Bighorn after he failed to listen to the scouts who warned him not to attack. "I advised the tribe and the individual members that this is a legally protected treaty right," said Ballanco. "If the General has a problem with this activity, then he can take that up with me and not the tribe or its members."
American Horse said he is following up on the last words Clinton told the Pine Ridge people: "We are doing everything we can to make your empowerment zone work. But remember, there is nothing that we can do except to help you to realize your own dreams. So I say to every tribal leader here, we must share the vision and it must be fundamentally yours Ð-- for your children and their future. If you will give us that vision and work with us, we will achieve it."
10 AM, April 29, meet at hemp house in Slim Buttes, junction BIA routes 32 & 41.
Contacts:
Loretta Afraid-of-Bear Cook, Slim Butte LUA President 308-432-2290
Tom Cook, Slim Butte LUA Project Director 308-432-2290
Milo Yellow Hair, Director Oglala Sioux Tribe Land Office, 605-867-5305
Joe American Horse, LUA Program Director & OST Liaison, 605-867-6071
Alex White Plume, Kiza Tiospaye, Wounded Knee District, 605-455-2155
Thomas J. Ballanco, Atty. 310-291-3659
Seeds for Sovereignty
By Craig Putnam
"Seeds for Sovereignty" is the phrase used by Joe American Horse explaining the activities on April 29, 2000 regarding the planting of industrial hemp by members of the Oglala Sioux, Slim Buttes Land Use Authority. American Horse is a former Chief and currently serves as Program Manager for the Slim Buttes LUA, and as Public Relations Officer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe. On April 29, 132 years ago, Joe American Horse's grandfather signed the Treaty of 1868, which granted sovereign status to their nation.
The chief told me that hemp has grown on their land at least since the 1840's when a Jesuit Missionary Priest introduced the crop. Ironically, hemp still grows "wild" on the Reservation, probably as feral remnants of that early hemp culture. Then obviously, hemp was grown here some twenty years before the signing of the Treaty.
Chief American Horse spoke clearly of the need to advance the authority of the Oglala Sioux Tribe by exercising their own rights, according to the needs and wishes of their own people.
On the morning of April 29th, members of the Slim Buttes LUA, community members, friends, and other interested parties gathered at the Hemp House to commemorate this historic occasion. Tom Cook is Project Director at the Hemp House, an experimental structure being built using their own resources whenever possible. The project has also provided construction jobs for community members.
The house is being built for Ernest Afraid-of-Bear, a 71-year-old tribal elder and spiritual leader. Because his age prohibits him from being approved for a mortgage to build or buy a conventional home, the Tribe has decided to provide the home for his shelter. This Hemp House project is intended to remedy that situation and to provide an example of how to build simple, durable, and affordable housing for residents of the Tribe.
Hemp House at Slim Buttes;
The exterior of the Hemp House is progressing with the installation of the hemp-based building blocks, which make up the exterior of the home. Piled on pallets are three examples of blocks formulated by Tom Cook as hemp building materials. The first is an earth-clay brick with aggregate and hemp fibre reinforcement, which has been used for the lower course-work. The other two types of block are cementatious products, with no mineral aggregate. Instead chopped hemp-stalks are the reinforcing matrix. Using type N cement creates a porous block about 6 "x 12" x 36" long which looks as if it has great thermal and acoustic insulating properties. The third block prototype, using type S cement, yields a block of like dimensions, but with a smooth hard finish. These blocks look exactly like finished concrete but are much lighter and stronger than plain concrete. One of these large units can be lifted and placed by a single worker whereas solid concrete would be much too heavy for even two people to lift. Tom and his crew manufacture these materials in his backyard facility, from hemp imported from Canada.
Certainly, the promise of building residences using renewable, strong, durable and locally produced materials is an idea that makes a lot of sense to the Community. The LUA plans to expand this industry and to market these building products after ASME testing has been accomplished. This is just one of the many possible uses for hemp in establishing a sustainable industry and for providing for the basic housing needs of the Tribe.
Hemp planting posse on the way to the first sowing
Tom Cook's white pick-up led the caravan of vehicles away from the Hemp House, to the road, and along a series of back roads, tracks and jeep trails to the site of the first sowing. In the back of Tom's truck rested a pail of hempseed, awaiting the planting ceremony. Joe Hickey (Kentucky Hemp Growers) explained that these seeds were "wild gathered" from a remnant population of "Kentucky Hemp," a leftover from the US hemp-breeding program conducted during the Twenties. He deemed this variety a likely candidate for adaptation and acclimatisation to local conditions. The plots are planted in a grid pattern with greater spacing than if grown strictly for fibre production. The cultivators will wish to increase their seed stock and develop an industrial hemp variety suited to their methods and growing conditions.
Then the time of the actual planting arrived, but first Chief American Horse called the attention of the assembled group. He explained that in their culture, nearly every endeavour is required to have a spiritual governing, and that a prayer would be offered before the sowing.
The Prayer
Ernest Afraid-of-Bear delivered the prayers in the Lakota language. Even if the words were not understood by some of us, it was clear that the hempseed, the earth, and the people were all the intended recipients of this blessing. And this was not the chant of rite or rote that we may associate with a typical church prayer. The solemnity of the blessing was merged with the momentous importance of the occasion; sweetgrass was burned.
The LUA members were present: Chief Joe American Horse, Tom Cook, Loretta Afraid-of-Bear Cook, Solomon Red Bear, and "Aunt Bea" (elder and spiritual advisor), who all proceeded to plant the recently prepared field. The smaller field was soon seeded to the prescribed grid pattern, and Chief American Horse again called the attention of the group. These 40 acres of Tribal lands are designated to be used for experimental industrial hemp studies. He lamented the fact that wheat and cattle prices have declined so sharply that it is no longer profitable to engage in such pursuits. Therefore, the Tribe has several other plans for sustainable agriculture and husbandry, besides hemp, one of which is the establishing of a buffalo herd. Other plans provide for a wind powered electrical generating facility and even tourism, as "bed and breakfast" establishments are created. The goals are sustainable living and more self-determination for the Tribal community.
Chief American Horse, when asked what his grandfather would have thought about their industrial hemp program, said, "I think he would have been proud." While living under the terms of their relationship with the United States Federal government has not always been productive or beneficial to the Oglala Sioux, he stated, "We're not trying to break the law or get anyone in trouble." He told me later that he plans to move a trailer onto a place overlooking this site, in order to keep a sharp eye on the goings on hereabouts. Therefore security is well at hand and the welfare of the crop will be assured.
Then the assemblage packed up again and proceeded to the next site at another remote and distant location. The assortment of vehicles and their riders finally arrived at the home of Alex White Plume. After some conversation with those at the house, Tom shouted, "He's down in the field, planting hemp!" When we all arrived down there, indeed, half of the plot had already been planted.
Alex is the head of a clan or extended family, which has some 4,000 acres within the Reservation. He took a break from his planting to welcome the guests. The seedbed here was prepared from the first plowing of virgin sod and has a wonderful fineness that should speed germination of the seed. Here too, a trailer has been moved near the plot, so that Alex's niece can guard the larger garden. Alex explained that this hemp-growing venture had been approved by the brothers and sisters of the family. Also, he has assembled a society to keep the peace consisting of some 23 young men, who oversee the general welfare of the community group and their interests, including their hemp fields. Although one of their responsibilities might include keeping the Feds out, Alex also expressed a willingness to co-operate and even escort officials of other government agencies, such as the American DEA, if they have an interest in or concern of the Tribe's affairs.
Alex went on to describe some of their plans for sustainability that his group has in mind. Currently, they are using timber harvested from their land as fence posts for containing the proposed buffalo herd. This represents savings of 75% over materials obtained from outside sources. Additionally, they are growing naturalised Echinacea (the purple coneflower) herb and increasing it from seed, whereby it will be a marketable medicinal product. He says it grows really well here, as it should since the plant is native to these Prairies, and all parts of the plant were traditionally used by Native people. Many hemp product companies have expressed a desire to buy the oil seed products from industrial hemp grown on the Reservation, to manufacture everything from cosmetics to tortilla chips.
The next plan will be to develop a strategy for their first hemp harvest. They plan to include the whole tribal community, as much as possible, in the actual harvest and, as their five-year program progresses, any profits from hemp will go to the community.
Planting and community while storm clouds gather
As a cool breeze swept over the valley and dark clouds formed in the sky, planting the remaining half of the hemp field was resumed with many people helping to get the hempseed planted. Even the dogs and children came down to the field to see what all the excitement was about. Everyone seemed happy and optimistic about the future of the industrial hemp project, and we should be grateful to the Oglala Sioux people for their guidance in showing the way.
The dark clouds continued to build, signifying not gloom, but the rains necessary for the birth and growth of the future hemp crop. Then the group broke up; some to return to Tom's house, some to stay here, and some of us prepared to leave this land of dreams and vision, to return to that other nation where reality is more elusive. Then I was struck by the simple truth of this enterprise: finally, an experimental hemp program based on good common sense.
Craig Putnam, 30 April 2000
For the part 30 years, Craig Putnam (gpitman@lkdllink.net) has been involved in the design and construction of alternative housing structures, investigating healthy and sane agriculture practises, and researching wild medicinal and nutritional plant sources. He lives in Minnesota.
The Hemp Commerce & Farming Report
Volume 2, Issue 11, May 2000 ISSN 1488-3988
Part Four of Four Parts
© 2000 AHEM, ARTHUR HANKS
Manitoba Harvest (tm) is a registered trademark of Fresh Hemp Foods Ltd. (FHF). FHF is Canada's leading processor of Hemp Food Products. Products include: Hemp Seed Oil, Hemp Seed Oil capsules, Hemp Seed Nut, Hemp Seed Nut Butter and Hemp Seed Flour. All products are available in wholesale and bulk. Also, FHF offers a dynamic private label service for companies interested in their own brand development. For more info contact:
Fresh Hemp Foods Ltd. 1-800-665-HEMP (4367) or info@hemperor.com
Small Ontario company has Big Plans for Hemp-based Frozen Desert(An AFEF Agrifeature from www.agr.ca/cb/feature/cen1.html)
Hemp's back as a commercial crop and it's sparking up flames of ambition in a new generation of food processors.
This new breed is bent on using the nutritional value of the plant to carve out a niche in the lucrative health care industry. Long known for its merits as an industrial crop, hemp has traditionally been used to make things like rope and canvas. However, more and more people in today's calorie-conscious world are starting to realize it's also an extremely nutritious food.
Christina Anderman is one of these people. She knows hemp is extremely high in easily digested proteins and essential fatty acids like omega three and six, which it contains in almost perfect balance. It's this knowledge that drives her to spend Sundays in the kitchen of a small deli near Barrys Bay in northern Ontario pumping out gallon upon gallon of Cool Hemp, her hemp-based frozen dessert.
This knowledge is also responsible for her confidence that Christina's Hemp Treats will move from the most rustic of cottage industries to a presence in the health food market.
"I think there's really good potential for hemp food products," said Anderman. "Our sales are increasing every month and I've had really good response from the ice cream manufacturers I've discussed my products with."
Anderman has ambitious expansion plans and is currently in talks with dairies interested in manufacturing her product. She is also in contact with a number of distributors who want to move it into new markets.
With support from CanAdapt, an industry-led council responsible for distributing money in Ontario from the federal government's Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development (CARD) Fund, Anderman recently completed a detailed business plan that forecasts sales of $330,000 by 2003.
The Government of Canada's $60 million-a-year CARD fund is designed to encourage partnerships and growth in the agriculture and agri-food industry. "Getting this business plan together has really helped the business focus on the future," said Anderman.
The company currently produces about 300 pints of product a month and sells to more than a dozen stores between Ottawa, Barrys Bay and beyond. The business had sales of $14,000 last year, but that figure will jump significantly when the business goes ahead with its expansion plans.
Anderman is planning the ins and outs of this growth. She predicts her company will be selling to a network of health food stores across Canada either this summer or next and breaking into the American market within three years.
Before any of this happens, she will have to hook up with a manufacturer. She is now looking seriously at a small family-run dairy in Renfrew, Ont. The facility has the equipment to produce large volumes of her product and is also looking to diversify its product lines.
Her current manufacturing set-up is relatively simple and uses certified organic ingredients wherever possible. She starts with certified organic, de-hulled hemp seeds from a processor in Southwestern Ontario, adds water, grinds the seeds into a milky liquid, adds unrefined organic sugar, natural gums and flavouring (organic chocolate, pure maple syrup or vanilla). When this mixture is finished she simply runs it through a soft-serve machine and voila: Christina's "Cool Hemp."
Christina's associate and husband Robbie Anderman says the product tastes like either vanilla, chocolate or maple ice-cream but with hemp undertones. Hemp has been described as nutty tasting, kind of like a cross between filberts and sunflower seeds.
Robbie enjoys the taste and says he's sure the product will have a broader appeal given the right marketing. He also thinks the eventual success of products like Christina's Cool Hemp will help create a wider acceptance for hemp as a food product.
"I think it's important to create a market for this seed grown by Canadian farmers," said Robbie. "And I think Christina's, and other companies like it, are really helping to spread the word about the nutritional value of hempseeds."
For more on this truly great food check out www.welcome.to/hemptreats
Hemp Shorts
a) Domtar releases hemp/sugarcane Weeds paper
Responding to an increasing marketplace demand for eco-friendly paper choices, Canada's Domtar has released its new designer-grade Weeds paper.
"We've been getting a lot of interest, " says Peter Gilbert, Product Line Manager of Domtar's St. Catharines, Ontario Business Unit.
Weeds is made of 15% hemp (imported from Spain) and 85% bagasse (sugarcane waste fibres originating in South Africa). The paper is reportedly pulped in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Why use bagasse? According to Domtar, since sugar cane is the world's most widely grown crop, it's one of the most readily available nonwood fibres. As for hemp, it's strong, durable and one of the longest fibres in existence.
Price plays a part in Domtar's choice of fibres. The hemp pulp is priced at $3000 t. while the bagasse is priced between $700-$1000 t., "comparable in price to virgin pulp" says Gilbert. Kirshan Goel, a Domtar paper scientist with extensive knowledge in nonwoods, helped make fibre recommendations on a technical basis.
The end result ÷ after a year and a half of development ÷ is a paper that Domtar can live with, for now.
"Our paper is a little bulkier than paper from wood pulp," says Gilbert "Weeds is also a little weaker ÷ this is probably due to the bagasse and its shorter fibres."
Gilbert thinks that Domtar's new paper is comparable to the paper offered by Victoria, BC's Ecosource. When asked, he was unfamiliar with the hemp content papers offered by Oregon's Living Tree and New England's Crane & Co.
Domtar has been thinking about using more hemp fibres in the mix, and have been looking at fibre samples supplied by Chatham, Ontario's Kenex. "We asked for hemp samples, and they brought us a whole truck load of it, "says Gilbert, "and then they asked us, 'so where do you want it'?"
Weeds is available across North America through paper distributors Coast and Unisource and through the printing industry. In retail outlets, consumers can find Weeds products on the shelves under the brand name Forest-Free.
For more info and specs on Weeds, check out www.creativetoolkit.com
b) Canolio Cosmetics preaches beauty through health
Canolio Cosmetics laboratories has introduced its new hemp-based bodycare line. Canolio uses essential oils and unbleached hemp oil in its formulations. These 100% natural products are not tested in animals, and have no perfumes or added colour.
The new Canolio line: (l-r) Body Milk , Massage Oil, Bath Oil and soap bars (bottom)
"The increasing popularity for natural products and renewable biomasses will allow industrial hemp and its derived products, such as the Canolio Cosmetics bodycare line, to reach the first place which it should be assigned for its quality, its nutraceutical and therapeutic properties, as well as for the respect that hemp shows to the environment," states Patrick Girouard, an agronomist working with hemp since the mid-90's.
"Hemp Oil, for the cosmetic and natural product industries, is the revelation of this new era," says Lucie Letourneau, president and founder of Canolio Cosmetics. The line has been under development for the past year and a half.
Essential Fatty acids help in balancing the skin's hydration, and hemp oil allows the transportation of the essential oils present. The company uses essential oils imported from France, and hemp oil supplied by Kenex.
Available products, as of May 2000, are the massaging oil, the body milk, the bath oil, and a soap bar. Future products will be added to the line in the fall of 2000. Canolio's bodycare line is available in natural health stores, specialty and gift boutiques.
The line comes packaged in sleek silver containers. "We've avoided a "granola" look with the design, and chose not to use a hemp leaf in our packaging, because we want the attention turned to the oil's properties," says Letourneau. "The finished product looks like something that my mum would buy!"
Canolio Cosmetics' head office is in Montreal, Quebec. A branch office is in Manhattan, New York, while the warehouse facility for US distribution is in Long Island. A sales team is currently being set up in Italy.
For more information call (514) 748-4367 or email: info@canolio.com
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!
c) REVIEW: Nelson's Hemp Husbandry is one of the best
By John E. Dvorak
As the East Coast's resident Hempologist, I've had the pleasure to read several hemp-related books. One of the best is Bob Nelson's fact-filled tome: Hemp Husbandry. The result of several years of research, Hemp Husbandry includes many historical and modern day references detailing how hemp is grown, harvested and processed. Despite the passage of time, the fundamentals of hemp farming have not changed, making the historical perspectives as pertinent as ever. Nelson has also incorporated useful current information such as protein and fatty acid analyses of hempseed oil and descriptions of high tech methods of processing hemp fibre.
With extensive footnoting and an eye for detail, Nelson has compiled an excellent resource for the new generation of hemp farmers. The best soil types and temperatures for growing hemp fibre and seed crops are covered.
Lists of harmful fungi and pests as well as control methods are sure to be helpful in the dog days of summer. Botany, breeding and genetics discussions document the vast and varied complexity of cannabis hemp. The Cannabinoid Chemistry chapter goes over the ABC's of THC (and CBC's, CBD's and CBG's.)
Make sure to order a few copies for the Hempologists in your life: $16 each (5-10 copies: $11 each, 11+ copies: $9 each), post-paid in North America. Overseas; $18/copy, post-paid. Enclose check or money order & mail to: Rex Research, PO Box 19250, Jean, NV 89019 USA. The table of contents for Hemp Husbandry, a scan of its cover, and several of the articles referenced in it can be found on the Boston Hemp Co-op's Digital Hemp History Library, Hempology.org/.
John E. Dvorak, Hempologist, can be reached at boston.hemp@pobox.com . He is the founder of the Boston Hemp Co-op, Curator of the Co-op's Museum, and Webmaster of the Digital Hemp History Library.
d) Now available: OTA's Organic Fiber Directory
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has published the Organic Fiber Directory as a comprehensive resource for locating sources of, and products containing, organic fibre.
An updated and expanded edition of OTA's Organic Cotton Directory published in 1998, the Organic Fiber Directory lists companies handling organic cotton, flax, hemp, and wool. This latest directory contains listings and contact information for organic fibre growers, brokers, mills, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. As such, the specialised directory is seen as a vital networking tool for the growing organic fibre industry, and complements The Organic Pages: North American Resource Directory also published by OTA.
The more than 150 companies listed in the Organic Fiber Directory offer a complete range of organic fibre products for men, women, and children, including apparel, sportswear, undergarments, sleep wear, personal care items, diapers, bed and bath linens, and toys.
The apparel and textile industries' use of organic cotton continues to stimulate demand for organic cotton both in the United States and overseas. In 1999, US farmers planted approximately 16,413 acres of organic cotton ÷ a 75 % increase over 1998. In addition, organic cotton was grown in seven of the 17 states where conventional cotton is grown.
The Organic Trade Association is the business association representing the organic agriculture industry in North America. 1,100 members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. Founded in 1985, OTA encourages global sustainability through promoting and protecting the growth of diverse organic trade. The directory was a project of OTA's Fiber Council (OFC), a sector group focusing on organic fibre. OFC includes organic farmers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and others involved in the organic fibre industry.
Orders can be placed by phone (413-774-7511, ext. 12), fax (413-774-6432), or email at info@ota.com . OTA's publication list is also available on OTA's web site: www.ota.com
e) COMING SOON - Canadian Hemp: Bibliography and Resource Guide
AgTIS (Agriculture Technical Information Service) is the value-added information service that provides review, analysis and evaluation of current research and development, technological innovations and emerging technologies for the agriculture, food and fibre systems. Our mission is to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer in support of innovative research, development and commercialisation that enhances the competitive advantage of small and medium-sized enterprises in the broader agriculture and agri-food sector.
AgTIS is in the final stages of publishing Canadian Hemp: Bibliography and Resource Guide. This resource guide contains information on the latest research involving hemp, the latest hemp research news, direct contacts (government, associations, corporate, and web resources), and it will be distributed across Canada. AgTIS is currently seeking sponsors for this publication. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Merryn Nadalin via email (mnadalin@niagarac.on.ca) or phone (905) 641-2252, ext. 4154.
f) Web Worthies...you've got mail!
Need even more hemp information? HCFR doesn't come out enough for you? Need more hemp webnews every day?
There are numerous ways to keep yourself informed of industrial hemp headlines and issues while using the World Wide Web. I wouldn't advise newsgroups; the ones I have seen are usually full of distracted content, or spam that really your life does not need. Newstrackers, available at just about any portal, search a variety of mainstream periodicals and news sites.
If you don't have time or skills to search out your own news, get on some of the better listservs. Here's a list of some of the regular mailings into my inbox. If you subscribed to all of them, undoubtedly, there would be a lot of duplication.
Hemptech's Hemp News Service is a regularly mailed recap of industrial hemp news, mostly drawn from the American mainstream press. To subscribe, go to: www.hemptech.com/cgi-bin/hempNEWsmaker/home.cgi and follow the instructions.
No-zone is a long running mailing/discussion list administered by BC's Dave Cull. To join up, go to www.egroups.com/invite/No-Zone and click the "JOIN" button. Past releases are all archived on the Fornits' Workshop site at http://fornits.com/curiosity/hemp/
A new entry into the field of electronic info services is the Global Hemp News Digest, from Globalhemp.com. This is a well-done bi-weekly service, reporting on a wide range of news and clippings originating around the terra firma. To subscribe, send an email to: info@globalhemp.com
g) HCFR Recipe of the Month: Beer for the home brewer
Courtesy of Tim O'Leary, Kettlehouse Brewing Co
Both begin with 5 gallons and boil down to 4 ish
Boil 60 min:
5 lb. dark malt extract
2 lb. amber malt extract
At start of boil, add 1.5 oz eroica hops
After 40 mins add 3 oz ground hempseeds or hemp meal. (Alpha acids come into play for boiling times of 15 minutes or greater. Any bitterness associated with the hempseeds is negligible since the boiling time is relatively short. The oils from hempseeds have some bitterness but not much. Compare eating a gram of sterilised industrial hempseeds to a gram of even the lowest alpha acid hops and you'll know what I mean. What we shoot for is flavour from the seeds. The porter will actually mask most of the flavour from the seeds due to the roasted malts in the dark malt extract. However we find that when we mash the hempseeds we get a silkier mouthfeel).
Homebrewer's Fresh Bongwater Pale Ale:
Boil 60 minutes:Happy brewing,
5.5 pounds pale malt extract
1 pound amber malt extract
At start of boil add 1 oz northern brewer hops
At 40 mins add 3 oz hempseed (you should be better able to taste a nutty graininess from the hemp seeds in this beer).
Show Reports
NCCT Conference Report
by John McPartland
The National Conference of Cannabis Therapeutics took place April 7th and 8th, at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, April 8-10, 1999. About 250 people attended this first-of-its-kind rendezvous of physicians, nurses, researchers, and patients. The conference was organised by Patients Out of Time, a nonprofit group directed by Mary Lynn Mathre, RN. She is well known in the field of medical marijuana, having edited "Cannabis in Medical Practice"(McFarland & Co., 1997).
Al Byrne, co-founder of Patients Out of Time, proudly noted that a university deep in the American heartland sponsored the controversial conference. Indeed, the Iowa campus staff was courteous and helpful, and even the police seemed happy to serve the conference attendees.
The goal of the conference was to educate health care providers about the medical uses of marijuana. Melanie Dreher, RN, PhD, and dean of the University of Iowa College of Nursing, said the conference was needed because thousands of patients in the USA and Canada are using marijuana, and its illegality has hampered open discussion regarding its proper use.
The goal was met with a balance of speakers discussing both the risks and benefits of marijuana. We also heard from four of the remaining eight people who receive legal marijuana from the US government. They shared their stories and showed people their Federal weed. Être une tête à Papineau ÷ everyone could see the NIDA marijuana was low-grade "schwag," an insult to the people who use it for medicine.
Of course, most of the lectures were about marijuana and beyond the purview of this HCFR report. Only one speaker (yours truly) mentioned the health benefits of hemp seed oil. Know your audience: a slide that diagrammed omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in hemp seed oil brought groans. But a subsequent slide of Jerzy Prytyk standing in 10 hectares of flowering FIN-314 elicited cheers (led by Don Wirtshafter).
Several speakers dissed Marinol ® (synthetic THC) as "merely" THC, pointing out that Cannabis contains many other valuable compounds. The multiple compounds in Cannabis provide multiple benefits. Other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol, cannabinol, cannabigerol, and cannabichromene, seem to improve the therapeutic activity of THC and, at the same time, decrease the side effects of THC.
David Pate, PhD, and David Hadorn, MD, described the work they are doing at Hortapharm and GW Pharmaceuticals, in Holland and England. They are breeding "single-cannabinoid" strains of Cannabis, plants that produce only cannabidiol, cannabigerol, or cannabichromene. Extracts of these plants are used for their singular medicinal qualities, or they are mixed with other extracts into proprietary blends. Drs. Pate and Hadorn showed slides of some really strange looking plants. Since these plants are low-THC varieties, they could be legally cultivated in Canada. This attracted a lot of interest. Indeed, a sub-conference of sorts hovered around the halls ÷ plant breeders, sharing information about Cannabis. A scientist from Pioneer Seeds was even at the conference. It was an exciting couple of days, and gave everyone hope for the future of Cannabis therapeutics.
John McPartland can be reached at john.mcpartland@vtmednet.org
Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo Report
By Candi Penn
The third annual Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo, held May 13-14, was a successful event, thanks to the producers and all who contributed. The rain, Mother's Day and other competing events affected attendance (4,000) but it was enough to provide plenty of retail sales for the 80 vendors, the majority of them displaying hempwares. Many wholesale accounts were transacted. The inspiring roster of speakers and gathering with other hempsters were valuable moral boosters
Hemp is here to stay. Industry wide growth should continue to double this year, as in the past. A highlight of the event was the political discussion. Hemp will be an issue this election year in the USA with a presence planned for the Conventions in LA and Philadelphia. Arising out of the Expo, was a Hemp Industry Political Action Campaign that will target the 55% of Americans who do not vote out to the polls to voice their opinion on industrial hemp.
The event continues to mature and develop. According to producer Bob Lamonica, preliminary information on Expo 2001 will be released early this summer.
Candi Penn is the Secretary of the Hemp Industries Association. info@thehia.org, www.thehia.org . For more about Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo, check out www.cruzexpo.com
The 7th Annual HIA Convention 2000 will be held in Ontario, Canada. The Ecology Retreat center, near Toronto, will be the site for the General Meeting, scheduled for Sept. 8 -11th. Contact HIA for details, info@thehia.org
Saskatchewan Hemp Association Update
By Duane Phillipi
The Saskatchewan Hemp Association (SHA) is a non-profit association comprised of prairie producers and companies. Since our creation in 1998 we have assisted our hemp producers with the agronomics and licensing for industrial hemp. Currently, we have over 50 producer members as well as a few corporate members.
Advantages to our producer members include assistance in hemp licensing and acquiring GPS co-ordinates. This is accomplished without sending a consultant out to the farmer's land; all that is needed is a map of the farmer's ¹ section with the hemp plot mapped on it. SHA members also receive a discount on hemp sampling and THC testing, with the association handling all the logistics of this work. All agronomic information from our producers is recorded in order to determine the factors governing hemp production in Saskatchewan.
Along with assisting our producers we have been kept busy this spring with grower meetings, special events at Greenwater, Gravelbourg, and Lloydminster, SK, and tradeshows like Manitoba's Hemp 2000 Conference. We are now preparing for our research and demonstration events across the province this summer. This will include field days at all four of our hemp research sites: Melfort: July 13, Outlook: July 14, Canora: July 27, and Redvers: Aug 1. HerbFest 2000 in Outlook, SK, July 22-23, will be a highlight of value-added agriculture that will feature research and demonstration hemp plots as well as a 1-acre hemp maze! Booths with hemp food and straw demonstrations will be showcased at this event. Certified Organic Hemp Ale will be served afterwards at the dance.
The four Ag Research Farms conducting agronomic research on hemp production are scheduled to forward all seed and straw samples to the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon for analysis. We are currently waiting for notification concerning whether our proposal to maximise hemp grain processing in Saskatchewan has been accepted.
While the growth and development of the hemp industry in Saskatchewan has been based around hempseed and grain so far, there is much interest in the straw component of this plant as well. The SHA is participating on a bast fibre development committee with SaskFlax, and will be attending a non-wood fibre roundtable on June 1 in Saskatoon, SK. There is interest from farmers to develop hemp twine processing within the province and investigation into adding value to the hurd by-product is also being conducted.
Our Saskatchewan corporate members are at the forefront of the hemp industry: Gen-X Research has had success with its dwarf oilseed variety of hemp: FIN-314. Growers are excited about this crop's early maturity, high yields and especially the ease of harvesting. Gen-X is also developing new products in the province like high valued feeds and hemp-based essential oils. We are working with government and industry to attract more value-added enterprises to Saskatchewan and are delighted to see BioHemp Technologies relocate to our fine province. We now have a dynamic marketing company showcasing finished products from Saskatchewan organic hemp producers. BioHemp's relocation is welcomed by the provinces' organic growers and is leading them to form an organic co-operative to meet industry's quality demands.
We have worked hard to include our communities in our hempen endeavours and are excited to announce that the SHA and its corporate members are sponsoring a breakfast and after school lunch program for underprivileged children. The kids are really into the dehulled hempseed and are making dehulled hempseed treats as a fundraiser. We also now have two Regina restaurants featuring hemp dishes on their menus.
SHA's future direction includes converting from a membership base to producer and corporate check-offs to support the province's industry association. Producer check-offs would entail something like $.01/lb of seed sold and $0.50/T of straw sold and would be collected by designated corporate brokers/buyers. This check-off would be used towards maximising producer's hemp production and would fund agronomic research, field days and information transfer. The corporate broker/buyer will match the producer check-offs. This would fund marketing research and the marketing of industrial hemp to industry and consumer.
Last but not least, the relocation of the HCFR and its editor Arthur Hanks to Regina is very exciting indeed. With so much happening in the hemp industry in Saskatchewan, we welcome a professional trade journal to assist with our information exchange and technology transfer. The HCFR will prove to be a definite asset to our growing industry.
For more information on the SHA, contact Duane Phillippi at 306-757-4367 or email: saskhemp@sk.sympatico.ca
Upcoming Events
June 21-23, 2000: The Natural Business Financial, Investment & Market Trends Conference for Natural, Organic and Nutritional Products, Berkeley, CA
Now in its fourth year, the premier gathering of CEOs, marketers, analysts, investors and key decision makers in the $26 billion US market for natural, nutritional, and organic products. Contact: Natural Business Communications, info@naturalbusiness.com http://naturalbusiness.com
July 15-19, 2000: Agri-Food 2000, Key to the Future: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Weeklong event at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, focussing on food production, food processing, quality and safety. Trade show and conference targeted to a broad cross-section of the agricultural industry, including producers, food processors and manufacturers, grain dealers, and researchers. Sponsored by the Agricultural Institute of Canada, (AIC), the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST), the Canadian Society for Agricultural Engineering (CSAE) and the Flax Council of Canada. For registration or exhibitor information, check out www.agrifood2000.mb.ca
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 23-24 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.
August 19-20 : CHFA Mini Expo West, Edmonton, Alberta
To be held at the Shaw Conference Centre. More details to be released soon Check out www.chfa.com
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
The world's largest scientific-technical symposium on hemp, BIORESOURCE HEMP®, will open its doors for the third time in 2000. 250 participants in 1995 and 350 participants in 1997 from more than 20 countries visited the BIORESOURCE HEMP®. For the 2000 symposium, organisers are expecting about 400 participants.
Some speakers and topics already confirmed include:
Tri Tec GmbH, Ph: 49-234-935 79 73, Fax: 49-234-935 79 75, E-mail: register@bioresource-hemp.de , www.nova-institut.de/bioresource-hemp/
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, Ph: 901-757-1777, email: fiber@netten.net, http://www.agrotechfiber.com
October 26-29, 2000: CHFA Expo East, Toronto, Ontario
To be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Trade Show Guide will be soon be posted. Check out www.chfa.com
January 26-28, 2001: 20th Annual Organic Conference, Guelph, Ontario
Title: "20 Years & Growing", Keynote Speaker: Dr. Ann Clark. Contact Tomas Nimmo organix@georgian.net .
Catch a great 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
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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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How do you like your hemp?
Oiled, hulled, toasted, roasted, cracked, sterilised, ground or caked!
Hemp Oil Canada Inc. Tel: (204) 275-7616 Email: hempoilcan@escape.ca ...the seed you need!
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Portable Peerless Whisper Jet Dryer and Drying Trailers available. Perfect for all crops & terrains. Contact Martine atHemp Management Group @ 306-596-4367
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Go and visit : www.chanvre.org
Site Français sur le chanvre : informations, actualités, événements avec Les échos du Chanvre, le journal français du chanvre ; la rubrique médicale de l'ACM (Association for Cannabis as Medicine) ; et la boutique en ligne Canebière.
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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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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: hcfr@sasktel.net
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Get online!
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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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 Research, sasha@gen-xresearch.com
HempWorld Inc., matthew@HempWorld.com
Fresh Hemp Foods, info@hemperor.com
BioHemp Technologies Ltd., jfreeman@biohemp.com
Greenman Nonwood Papermill, greenman@lynx.bc.ca
The Hemp Industries Association (HIA), info@thehia.org
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, CREDITS AND MORE INFO:
Publisher: HCFR Publishing, 2035 Athol St., Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4T 3E6
Editor: Arthur Hanks arthurhanks@hotmail.com
Sales, Sponsorship, and Distribution:
hcfr@sasktel.net
Associate Editor: Dr. Alexander Sumach rheading@becon.org
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE:
John E. Dvorak, boston.hemp@pobox.com, Jason Freeman jfreeman@ssm.net, Kristin Johnson kj1971@hotmail.com, Tim O'Leary toleary@kettlehouse.com, Giselle Lussier glussier@cpnet.net, David Marcus nathemp@interlog.com, John McPartland john.mcpartland@vtmednet.org , Candi Penn info@thehia.org, Duane Phillipi saskhemp@sk.sympatico.ca, Jerzy Przytyk hempco@interlinx.qc.ca, Sasha Przytyk sasha@gen-xresearch.com , Greg "Craig" Putnam gpitman@lkdllink.net , Gordon Scheifele gscheife@omafra.gov.on.ca
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 can be found at these leading industrial hemp web sites: Hemphasis.com, GlobalHemp.com, HempCyberFarm.com, Hemptrade.com, Nonwoodpaper.com and Thehia.org.
Check out our back issues posted at:
http://www.hemphasis.com/hcfr
http://www.hemptrade.com/hcfr
http://www.globalhemp.com/Media/Magazines/HCFR/
http://www.hempcyberfarm.com/hcfr
http://www.thehia.org/news_&_reports/news%20index.htm
http://www.nonwoodpaper.com/hcfr
Thanks to David Marcus, Terry Lefebvre, Eric Pollit, Matthew Huijgen and Candi Penn for their dedicated work on making needed information available.
SUBSCRIPTION INFO: To subscribe directly to the HCFR, please email hcfr@sasktel.net with SUBSCRIBE in your message line. We will keep you posted about the latest news, alerts and special offers. If you no longer want to receive email about Canada's hemp industry, please email us at the same address, message line UNSUBSCRIBE.
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NEXT ISSUE: Our annual Cross-Canada Crop Report; fibre processing opportunities; Northern BC trials, and much more. Issue will be out June 29th, 2000. Ads and copy deadline June 21st
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