Building a Hemp Hub in Northern Illinois with Kifcure

Building a Hemp Hub in Northern Illinois with Kifcure

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor June 26, 2024 Duration: 1:54:03

This week on the Hemp Podcast, Lancaster Farming talks with Kelly Burke from Kifcure, an Illinois-based hemp company that is focused on developing the hemp industry in the Land of Lincoln.

Burke, along with her husband Jarett, have launched the Northern Illinois Hemp Hub, which recently hosted a hempcrete workshop in Maple Park, sixty miles west of Chicago.

They are also growing about 1000 aces of industrial hemp and are developing plans for a processing facility, industrial park, and education center.

On this episode, we will hear all about their endeavors, including Silver Acres, a hemp wedding venue and event space, and Silver Lining animal bedding.

Plus, we check in with Lancaster County Hemp farmer Steve Groff to hear how his hemp crop is holding up after two weeks of scorching heat and no rain.

All that, plus news nuggets and a few surprises.

Learn More:

Kifcure

https://kifcure.com/

Northern Illinois Hemp Hub

https://nihh.org/

News Nuggets

Think tank says 'Miller Amendment' would not ban CBD and other hemp cannabinoids

https://hemptoday.net/think-tank-says-miller-amendment-would-not-ban-cbd-and-other-hemp-cannabinoids/

'Hemp Killing' Amendment Would Not Ban All Hemp Cannabinoids, Says Leading Think Tank

https://businessofcannabis.com/hemp-killing-amendment-would-not-ban-all-hemp-cannabinoids-says-leading-think-tank/

New Congressional report finds hemp amendment consistent with Ag policy

https://www.greenmarketreport.com/new-congressional-report-finds-hemp-amendment-consistent-with-ag-policy/

Industrial Hemp Market Set to Surge to $25.7 Billion by 2034

https://mgmagazine.com/cannabis-news/industrial-hemp-market-set-to-surge-to-25-7-billion-by-2034/

Canadian hemp fields shrink for fourth straight year, reaching modern-day low

https://hemptoday.net/canadian-hemp-fields-shrink-for-fourth-straight-year-reaching-modern-day-low/

South Dakota No. 1 state in nation for hemp production

https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-hemp-production-sdiha-farm-bill/

Midwest flooding devastation comes into focus as flood warnings are extended in other areas

https://apnews.com/article/midwest-flooding-south-dakota-4b9fbfe8918e7a7e3c18178cb92b11a8

Thanks to our Sponsors!

IND HEMP

https://indhemp.com/

Forever Green

https://www.forevergreen.com/

Mpactful Ventures

https://www.mpactfulventures.org/

music by TIN BIRD SHADOW

www.tinbirdshadow.com


There’s a quiet revolution happening in fields and factories, and it’s centered on a single, versatile plant. Industrial Hemp Podcast, guided by Eric Hurlock, the Digital Editor at Lancaster Farming, moves beyond the headlines to explore what’s actually happening on the ground. This isn’t just theoretical discussion; it’s a direct line to the people driving the industry forward. Each episode features conversations with the farmers who are planting and harvesting these crops, facing very real agronomic challenges and opportunities. You’ll also hear from researchers, processors, and policy experts who are shaping the future of hemp for fiber, grain, and other industrial applications. The dialogue digs into the practicalities-from planting techniques and harvesting equipment to market trends, regulatory hurdles, and technological innovations that are changing the game. It’s a clear-eyed look at an agricultural sector finding its footing, reported by journalists with deep roots in farming communities. For anyone curious about the business, science, and sheer hard work behind industrial hemp, this podcast serves as an essential, grounded resource. Tune in for honest talk that cuts through the hype and gets to the root of this growing field.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Industrial Hemp Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Making Progress With Hemp at Horse Progress Days [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:09
This week on the hemp podcast we saddle up and gallop out to Gordonville, Lancaster County, for Horse Progress Days, a two-day celebration of all things horsepower. Nearly 40,000 people were in attendance July 5-6, mostl…
Hemp in Europe: Voices from the EHIA Conference and Expo in Prague [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:24
On this week's Hemp Podcast, I recap my recent visit to the Heart of Europe, the Golden City, the City of a Hundred Spires, the capital city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia — Pr…
Will the Hemp Industry Survive the Miller Amendment? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:19
On this week's hemp podcast we discuss a recent amendment to the House draft of the 2024 Farm Bill known as the Miller Amendment, which was introduced by Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill. The amendment effectively bans all hemp p…
Czech Your Hemp with Hana Gabrielová [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:48
On this week's hemp podcast, Lancaster Farming talks to Czech hemp farmer, consultant and advocate Hana Gabrielová, who started her first hemp company, Hempoint, in 2010 and has been instrumental in developing the hemp i…
Bear Fiber Weaves American Textiles with Hemp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:39
On this week's Hemp Podcast, we talk to Guy Carpenter, founder of Bear Fiber in North Carolina, where he is spinning a blend of hemp and cotton into yarn and making garments like hats, shirts, and socks. "The vision was…
Industrial Hemp on the National Mall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:09
Apologies to Jimmy Stewart. I only went to Washington for one day. I took the train from Philadelphia May 6 to record a podcast episode at the Ag on the Mall event on the National Mall in D.C. The National Hemp Associati…
Hempcrete Workshop Lays Foundation to Build Industry and Community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:41
This week's podcast takes us to a hempcrete workshop in Barto, Pennsylvania. That's where Cameron McIntosh of Americhanvre Cast-Hemp hosted a four-day hands-on training session to teach the basics of the spray-applied me…
Exploring Hemp Fiber Agronomy and Genetics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:04
On this week's hemp podcast, we listen to a panel discussion from the NoCo Hemp Expo that took place in Colorado earlier this month. The panelists were Rachel Berry, a farmer and founder of the Illinois Hemp Growers Asso…
420 Special: Rumble Strip – John Rodgers Weed Farmer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:48
On this 420 Bonus show, we share an episode of one of our favorite podcasts, Rumble Strip. It's made by Erica Heilman who tells stories of rural Vermont. On this episode she interviews Vermonter John Rodgers, a stonemaso…