Growing Hemp Industry in the Spotlight

Growing Hemp Industry in the Spotlight

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

Lamont County hosted its second annual Hemp Producer Workshop in Lamont on February 13. Economic Development Director Jim Newman welcomed the delegates, 70 in total, to the workshop. “Our dream is to educate processors and farmers. The goal is put focus on this region, and to build a value added cluster to bring developers to the region.” He went onto say, having great research capability and a decortication plant at the back door is a great bonus for producers and processors.

“Jan Slaski globally shares his knowledge,” stated Newman, who introduced the world renown researcher who is based in Vegreville at InnoTech Alberta. Slaski, who had just returned from a trip to Great Falls, Montana said producers had many questions, and are currently at the stage where Canada was 20 years ago.

Slaski launched into some of the research he’s done on industrial hemp and results from some of the agronomy trials that have been conducted in recent years. Slaski said the Vegreville site is the only one of its kind in North America and its role is to support and move industry forward.

Aaron Barr, Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Rockies Hemp, said the company has the first bio-refinery in North America. `We were fortunate to have had the foresight and to have worked with Inno Tech in Vegreville. “We’re looking to integrate the same practices into our production.”

The company is situated on 75 acres of land near the Town of Bruderheim. It is constructing a 40,000 square foot processing facility, and plans to add on 20,000 square feet to accommodate an administration office that will be built out of hempcrete blocks. Barr said having rail access is a big component to its operation.

Barr, who has travelled to 25 different countries, said the demand for industrial hemp is growing around the world.”It has a real trickle down effect, and more producers are reaching out to us. It’s a miracle crop we finally have the advantage of growing here.” The company sells bales of hemp. In 2019, Canadian Rockies Hemp contracted 10,000 acres locally, and expects to do more this year.

Clarence Shwaluk, Director of Farm Operations for Manitoba Harvest, spoke about growing hemp for grain.The shell of hemp grain is sold to the holistic health market, and the rest of the grain is turned into oil. “We have 16,000 different retail locations across the US and Canada.”

Dan Madlung from the BioComposite Group in Drayton Valley spoke about the growing interest in the industry. He is currently working on developing a low cost facility design so other businesses can build their own hempmills, and keep rural communities sustainable. “In the end, we want to generate a stronger, more diverse agriculture sector.”

Lamont County Agricultural Fieldman Terry Eleniak said “great interest” has been shown by local producers who are looking to add hemp, flax, soybeans and fababeans into their crop rotation. Eleniak recommends producers try hemp on a smaller scale, somewhere between 10-50 acres. “If we can start promoting it locally…and regionally, the producers are going to benefit, the families are going to benefit and the communities will benefit because we’ll be able to employ our local people.

World renown hemp researcher Jan Slaski of Alberta Innotech in Vegreville was the first presenter of the hemp producer workshop in Lamont on Feb. 13.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)