Encore Presentation of Michael Klepacz's First Interview on Hemp Show, March 2024

Encore Presentation of Michael Klepacz's First Interview on Hemp Show, March 2024

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor July 11, 2026 Duration: 51:42

This is a special encore edition of an interview we published on YouTube two years ago. This is my conversation with Michael Klepacz, an Ohio native and Air Force veteran who moved to Poland in 2012 and founded Natural Materials Unlimited, a company that makes textiles and products from hemp, linen and other bast fibers.

In this bonus episode, he talks about how the business grew from hemp wick to guitar straps, pet accessories and custom fiber products for clients around the world.

The conversation digs into long fiber versus short fiber hemp: why long fiber produces stronger, higher-quality textiles, why Europe's processing equipment wasn't built for it, and why China's demand for European long fiber has scrambled the supply chain. Klepacz also traces hemp's textile history (including its role in old ship sails and painters' canvases), and shares his frustrations with U.S. and Polish hemp policy, ignorant regulators and platforms like Google and Facebook that still block hemp marketing.

This episode is being republished alongside a new interview host Eric Hurlock recorded with Klepacz in Poland, revisiting the conversation as the two catch up in person.

Learn More

Natural Material Unlimited

naturalmaterials.eu 

Sponsors

HEMI (Hemp Education & Marketing Initiative)

hempinitiatives.org/

The Goodness of HEMP

thegoodnessofhemp.org/

 


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: 50

Industrial Hemp Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Hempcrete Hero: Little House on the Podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:52
We have an outbuilding at home — we call it the Little House. It's a small old barn that sits out in our back yard, maybe 25 feet from the back door. It was a barn for animals at one point, then a garage, then an apartme…
Michael Klepacz: An American in Warsaw [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:44
This week on the Hemp Show, we continue our hemp adventure in Poland, catching up with American expat Michael Klepacz, owner of Natural Materials Unlimited. Klepacz sits near the end of the hemp supply chain — he doesn't…
Bob Hoban — The "Hemp Cliff" and What Comes Next [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:28
This is part ten of a ten-part podcast series documenting the European Industrial Hemp Association's 23rd Annual Conference in Poznan, Poland, at the Institute of Fiber Plants and Medicinal Medicine, June 10-12. Bob Hoba…
Julia Bialecka — Replacing Styrofoam with Hemp and Mycelium [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:57
This is part six of a ten-part podcast series documenting the European Industrial Hemp Association's 23rd Annual Conference in Poznan, Poland, at the Institute of Fiber Plants and Medicinal Medicine, June 10-12. Julia Bi…
Colin Steddy — Soil, Carbon, and Grassroots Farming Down Under [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:06
This is part five of a ten-part podcast series documenting the European Industrial Hemp Association's 23rd Annual Conference in Poznan, Poland, at the Institute of Fiber Plants and Medicinal Medicine, June 10-12. Colin S…
Jan Slaski — Hemp Breeding on the Canadian Prairies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:15
This is part four of a ten-part podcast series documenting the European Industrial Hemp Association's 23rd Annual Conference in Poznan, Poland, at the Institute of Fiber Plants and Medicinal Medicine, June 10-12. Jan Sla…
Estelle Delangle — Building a Whole-Plant Hemp Bioeconomy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:53
This is part three of a ten-part podcast series documenting the European Industrial Hemp Association's 23rd Annual Conference in Poznan, Poland, at the Institute of Fiber Plants and Medicinal Medicine, June 10-12. Estell…