Green Buffalo Filmmaker Joel Caldwell and Lower Sioux Hempcrete Builder Danny Desjarlais

Green Buffalo Filmmaker Joel Caldwell and Lower Sioux Hempcrete Builder Danny Desjarlais

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor March 21, 2025 Duration: 45:25

This week on the Hemp Show, we catch up with filmmaker Joel Caldwell and hempcrete builder Danny Desjarlais about the film "Green Buffalo."

Coming off of a win for the short documentary category at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, "Green Buffalo" is making waves.

Caldwell shares his experience on making the film within the limitations of the short documentary medium and how he was able to capture the resilience of the Lower Sioux in the film.

"I had the light turned on as far as this massive solution," he says. "We can create carbon banks and live in healthier homes."

Desjarlais explains how his crew is addressing the local housing crisis by rebuilding their community — one hempcrete home at a time.

"I came into this as a conventional builder, trying to find the bad in hempcrete, and I keep getting proven wrong," says Desjarlais.

Resources & Links:

The Lower Sioux Indian Community

✅ Watch the Green Buffalo film from Patagonia

Joel Caldwell's filmography, including The Issue with Tissue

The International Hemp Building Symposium, October 3 – 5, 2025, at the Lower Sioux Indian Community's hemp campus

Hemp Clothing at Patagonia

✅ Watch Legacy Regenerated, a Patagonia film about North Carolina hemp farmer Patrick Brown

Thanks to our sponsors:

IND Hemp – Family-owned hemp feed, food, and fiber company bringing new opportunities to farmers and manufacturers across the U.S

Forever Green – Distributors of the KP4 Hemp Cutter.

Music by Tin Bird Shadow


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
National Hemp Association Goes to Africa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:49
On this week's Hemp Podcast, we talk to Geoff Whaling from the National Hemp Association, who recently returned from a trip to Africa. The trip, funded by a USDA Emerging Markets Program grant, focused on developing hemp…
Hemp Fiber & Grain Field Day at Cornell AgriTech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:59
On the latest episode of the Hemp Podcast, we take the show on the road once more — this time to Cornell University's Hemp Fiber and Grain Field Day at the Agritech Campus in Geneva, New York. Among the many voices on th…
Seed to Sovereignty: Voices from Lower Sioux [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:25
MORTON, Minn. — The Lower Sioux Indian Community celebrated the opening of its new hemp-processing facility with a full day of hemp education and demonstrations on September 5, 2024. This processing plant brings the trib…
Lancaster County Hemp Circuit, Part Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:45
This week's podcast is Part Two of our Lancaster County Hemp Circuit Coverage. Editor's note: Hey there, it's me Eric. I'm traveling this week to Minnesota for the Field Day at the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation, so in o…
Pennsylvania Hemp Shines Bright in the Spotlight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:33
This week on the Hemp Podcast we bring you Part One of our coverage of the Lancaster County Hemp Circuit, a two-day, four-farm hemp event that shone a bright light on hemp in Pennsylvania and attracted attendees from all…
Lancaster County Hemp Circuit: Four Hemp Farms in One Event [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:04
On this week's Industrial Hemp Podcast, we talk to the organizers of the Lancaster County Hemp Circuit: Sarah Mitchell, Steve Groff and Alyssa Collins. The circuit, an event centered on growing and processing industrial…
Special Message [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:51
Hey there. I made a mistake on this week's episode, so if you hear something weird on the show, go back and downloaded it again. I fixed the issue and uploaded the new file. Thanks! -eric
How Will the AAFCO Vote on Hemp Grain Affect the Industry? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:55
Members of the American Association of Feed Control Officials are scheduled to vote early next month on hemp seed meal as an ingredient for laying hens. Pretty standard stuff, according to the group's executive director,…