Industrial Hemp on the National Mall

Industrial Hemp on the National Mall

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor May 8, 2024 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 Association and the Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council invited me to spend time at their display.

They had a tent set up with tables full of products made from hemp: cat litter, animal bedding, shirts, rope, bio-plastics socks, flooring and biofuels. They even had a regular old 5-gallon bucket made from hemp.

Next to the tent was The FiberCut, a four-tiered, adjustable-height sickle-bar mower made by Hemp Harvest Works in Nebraska.

I spent the day talking to the hemp folks at the booth and people passing by, including Erica Stark, executive director of the National Hemp Association.

"We are showcasing everything hemp. We have the hemp house on wheels here. We have the BMW i3. And most exciting is we have the new Livewire by Harley-Davidson that has hemp fenders on it that were actually grown in the United States," she said.

This week's episode is a collection of short interviews with a handful of people.

Pablo Falla, a business owner with businesses in the U.S. and South and Central America, told me about the differences between growing hemp in the U.S. and elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere.

"Down in South America it's totally different," he said. "We got a perfect 12/12 all year long. So we can do up to four harvests a year.

Andrew Bish, president of the Hemp Feed Coalition, had just returned from a meeting with the undersecretary of rural development at the USDA.

"A lot of the dialogue was how we can create opportunities for fiber and grain producers to be able to access some of these government programs, some of these funds that they're not able to access right now because of the risk," Bish said.

National Hemp Association
https://nationalhempassociation.org/

Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council
https://www.pahic.org/

Hemp Feed Coalition
https://hempfeedcoalition.org/

Special thanks to Sandra Mason and the team at AEM

Thanks to our Sponsors!

IND HEMP
https://indhemp.com/

Forever Green
https://www.forevergreen.com/

Americhanvre
https://americhanvre.com/

SunRay Hemp


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…