Hemp on the Hill and the Silver Screen

Hemp on the Hill and the Silver Screen

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor September 11, 2026 Duration: 35:47

This week's Hemp Podcast is divided into two parts.

First, we take a look at the recent changes in U.S. hemp policy in a conversation with Rachel Umansky-Castro, the agriculture reporter for Bloomberg Government, who has spent the summer covering the fight over the federal definition of hemp. She walks us through what's been happening in D.C. lately, who the various lobbying groups are and what they ultimately want from federal policy.

"There are so many divisions among these lawmakers, and it's clear that the hemp issue has split members of the same party, " Umansky-Castro said.

Last week, Congress used a continuing resolution to push the so-called Mitch McConnell deadline from November to December 11, and Umansky-Castro explains what that extra month does and doesn't buy the industry.

In part two of the show, we check in with Tennessee filmmaker Jordan Berger, whose documentary, "One Plant," is finally finished after several years of production.

"The plant itself, you know, it touches on everything. And this thing started as a series because there's just so much, but we ultimately made it one film," Berger said.

One Plant premieres at the Nashville Film Festival on September 26, 2026. From there, the film travels around the country to other festivals, with stops in Bozeman, MT; Santa Cruz, CA; and Minneapolis, MN.

On October 24, the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast will host a double screening of One Plant in Lancaster, PA, at the Zoetropolis Theatre with a Q&A and time to meet others from the film and the Pennsylvania hemp community. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., tickets are available on Eventbrite at the link below.

Learn More

Get Tickets — ONE PLANT in Lancaster 

eventbrite.com

ONE PLANT Lancaster Screening, Oct 24 

oneplant.film/lancaster

Bloomberg Government
news.bgov.com/

Rachel Umansky-Castro — Bloomberg Government

news.bgov.com/author/rachel-umansky-castro-25432161

Hemp Ban Delay Passed by Congress After Blowback From Hardliners

news.bgov.com/bloomberg-government-news/hemp-ban-delay-passed-by-congress-after-blowback-from-hardliners

Nashville Film Festival — World Premiere, Sept 26

nashvillefilmfestival.org/2026-festival

Bozeman Film Festival — Oct 10

bozemanfilmfestival.org

Santa Cruz Film Festival — Oct 17

santacruzfilmfestivals.org

 

NIHC Global Summit — "Seed to Style," FIT, NYC

nihcglobalsummit.com

Choose Your Change — Farm to Fabric Hemp Textile Symposium 

chooseyourchange.org

Sponsors

Jungmaven — hemp clothing, made in the USA

jungmaven.com

IND Hemp — Fort Benton, Montana

indhemp.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: 50

Industrial Hemp Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Ken Elliott & Rusty Peterson — What US Hemp Can Learn From Europe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:24
This is part one 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. The seri…
Meet Ursa Alta, The New Low-THC Fiber Cultivar from Cornell AgriTech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:26
This week on the Hemp Show, Larry Smart returns to talk about Ursa Alta, the new low-THC hemp variety that Cornell AgriTech has released for commercial production. The variety has been seven years in the making. "We had…
Can the Goodness of Hemp Act Fix What's Broken in Hemp? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:20
This week Morgan Tweet returns to the Hemp Show to talk about the Goodness of Hemp Act, a draft legislation she's confident will set the broader hemp industry on the path toward sensible regulation. She was on the show l…
Meet NHA's New Director Sully Sullivan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:05
This week on the Hemp Show we meet Sully Sullivan. He's the new executive director at the National Hemp Association — and what a time to be taking the helm of a hemp association. So much is up in the air right now. What…
Farm to Flow: Trace Femcare and the Future of Hemp Fiber Tampons [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:18
This week on the Hemp Show, Claire Crunk returns. She is the founder of Trace Femcare, the worlds first hemp fiber tampon. Her first appearance on the podcast was in 2023. Her company was just a few weeks away from their…
Stacking Up with Renewabuild Great Plains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:45
This week on the show we talk with Ken Meyer of Complete Hemp Processing in Winfred, South Dakota. As of last week, Meyer is also a co-founder of Renewabuild Great Plains — the first U.S.-licensed manufacturer of structu…
Steve Groff and the Great Wall of Hemp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:36
HOLTWOOD, Pa. — This week on the Hemp Podcast we take a short road trip to southern Lancaster County to catch up with farmer Steve Groff. "What we're looking at here, Eric, is a metaphor for the hemp industry. We're look…
Getting From HempToday to Hemp Tomorrow with Kehrt Reyher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:01
This week on the Hemp Show, we talk to Kehrt Reyher, CEO and publisher of HempToday, a leading source of global hemp news. An American expat from Indiana who has lived in Poland for more than 30 years, Reyher cut his tee…
Maciej Kowalski: Be Your Own Supply Chain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:40
This week on the Hemp Show we talk to Maciej Kowalski, founder and CEO of Kombinat Konopni, a hemp company in Northern Poland. We hear how he built a vertically integrated company — from planting, harvesting, processing,…