In Search Of: A Pennsylvania Hemp Textile Supply Chain

In Search Of: A Pennsylvania Hemp Textile Supply Chain

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor September 5, 2025 Duration: 30:41

This week on the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, we're chasing down the beginnings of a Pennsylvania hemp fiber supply chain.

We start the day in southern Lancaster County at Steve Groff's farm, standing in the middle of what he calls his "hemp canyon," with towering stalks over fifteen feet tall.

Groff has about 60 acres of the Australian hemp variety MS-77, which seems to do well on Groff's farm.

He's also working on a green decorticator. If the machine works as planned, it could change the way fiber hemp is harvested — cleaner, faster and without the need for retting.

From there we cross the Susquehanna River into York County to visit Dave Cook at Tuscarora Mills in Red Lion. Dave and his partner Heidi Custer are working to turn Pennsylvania-grown hemp into yarn and fabric.

Their mill is full of antique looms and their goal is simple but ambitious: To revive textile production here in the Keystone State using local hemp fiber.

It's still early days for a Pennsylvania supply chain, but the work Groff and Cook are doing points toward a future where hemp textiles are grown, processed and woven right here at home.

Learn More:

Steve Groff:
https://stevegroff.com/

Dave Cook and Tuscarora Mills:
https://tuscaroramills.com/

News Nuggets, from HempToday.net

Peru opens draft hemp rules for consultation as industry eyes long-awaited start

https://hemptoday.net/peru-opens-draft-hemp-rules-for-consultation-as-industry-eyes-long-awaited-start/

Draft hemp bill would regulate intoxicating products instead of imposing a ban
https://hemptoday.net/draft-hemp-bill-would-regulate-intoxicating-products-instead-of-imposing-a-ban/

Stakeholders fear Brazil hemp rules may be restricted as Sept. 30 deadline nears
https://hemptoday.net/stakeholders-fear-brazil-hemp-rules-may-be-restricted-as-sept-30-deadline-nears/

Brazil's CBD price war, a boon for patients, signals maturing medical market
https://hemptoday.net/brazils-cbd-price-war-a-boon-for-patients-signals-maturing-medical-market/

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

IND HEMP
https://indhemp.com/

Forever Green
http://hempcutter.com/

National Hemp Association
https://nationalhempassociation.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: 100

Industrial Hemp Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Inside the Trojan Horse of Intoxicating Hemp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:55
This week on the Hemp Podcast, we have a long conversation about hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoids with Chris Fontes, president of the U.S. Hemp Authority and founder of Trojan Horse Cannabis and High Spirits Bevera…
Spring Hemp Preview: Webinars, Short Courses, and Conferences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:49
This week on the Industrial Hemp Podcast, host Eric Hurlock is joined by Lancaster Farming staff reporter Dan Sullivan to talk about one Pennsylvania farmer's decision that's captured national attention. Farmer Mervin Ra…
Hemp in Pennsylvania: Commodity Crop or Shadow Cannabis Market? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:32
We're back. Season 9 of the Hemp Show is here. In this season opener of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, we'll take you inside a hearing organized by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania that was meant to expl…
Hemp in 2025: Cliff Hangers, Course Corrections and Community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:57
2025 was a year of uncertainty, contradiction and recalibration for the hemp industry. In this year-end episode of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, host Eric Hurlock looks back on a season defined by policy…
In the Hemp Studio with Farmer Steve Groff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:49
We have a special in-studio guest this week on the Industrial Hemp Show. Steve Groff, third-generation Lancaster County farmer and hemp innovator from Holtwood, Pennsylvania, stopped by the Hemp Studio at the Lancaster F…
The Sky Has Not Fallen on Industrial Hemp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:31
This week on the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, we take a close look at the biggest federal hemp policy shift since the 2018 Farm Bill and what it means for the industry. Our guests on the show are Danielle B…
CBD Farmer & Hemp Builder React to New Federal Hemp Definition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:02
Congress changed the definition of hemp this week, clarifying the original intent of the 2018 Farm Bill and closing the intoxicating-hemp loophole that enabled a nationwide market of unregulated semi-synthetic THC produc…
Code, Carbon and Hemp-Lime Construction with Jake Waddell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:49
This week on the Hemp Show, we're talking to Jake Waddell from the Hemp Building Institute about the future of hemp construction, building codes and embodied carbon. Hemp-lime construction has come a long way — from earl…
Oh, For The Love of Farming... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:41
This special edition of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast celebrates the 70th anniversary of Lancaster Farming Newspaper, which has been reporting on agriculture since 1955. Recorded at Penn State's Ag Progre…