Licensed farmers and producers growing industrial hemp for fibre, hurd, seed, or flower across Australia.
News from Biosecurity Harrisia Cactus is a pesty biosecurity matter that appears to be creeping in. WE DO NOT WANT IT!!!! For those in the Narrabri region, please if you can, turn up to the Pilliga Pub on Tuesday the 29th of October and familiarise yourself with this plant and what it can do to your land. Please share this to other landowners. We need you all to be vigilant and help us to help you to protect your land. It has the potential to take over.
Northern Rivers Hemp Cooperative By Crystal White Spring has sprung in the Northern Rivers region although there has certainly been some cooler days lingering and even a few nights beside the fire! This month we have launched our Trial Trio gift set, finalised our market setup and started spreading the word at markets about how great hemp is! We’ve also made an exciting discovery of CBL Cannabicyclol and we are supporting and have donated to the AHC Paws For Wellness Campaign. This is vital for our whole Australian Hemp industry to get behind! Launch of our Trial Trio box. This beautifully curated set includes an indulgent collection of three of our top selling rejuvenating products. Each of the 10mL samples is perfect for friends and family who are perhaps new to Full Spectrum Hemp Oils and seeking the benefits of 100% natural skincare and wellness products. If you are thinking of gifting, this is the perfect introduction to Full Spectrum Hemp! Our 2024 Trial Trio includes: FACE, a luxurious natural face cream that targets aging and damaged skin with its potent, rejuvenating formula Deep Hemp, a full-spectrum whole plant hemp infusion that delivers soothing relief from life’s aches, pains and stiffness. Your muscles and bones can thank us later! Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil in Olive Oil, perfect for enhancing overall skin hydration and reducing signs of aging as well as soothes skin irritations, blemishes and bites. Markets We are ready to roll into the market scene with our marquee and advertising looking schmick! Although we don’t have a set market schedule, you’ll see us popping up from time to time at markets in Northern Rivers and into Southern Queensland. Farmers Chris and Tommy set up and had a great time at the Sample food festival at Bangalow last month, which attracted huge crowds and was a great launch for our first market right in the heart of the Northern Rivers region. We have also just done a weekend collab with Hinterland Hemp. Exciting new test results -CBL Cannabicyclol We now have access to a new testing machine in Northern Rivers area that is able to test for many more Cannabinoids and terpenes. This means we can really narrow down what we are getting from our grows and cultivars by analysing the results. Surprisingly our results from last season’s grow on all 7 farms growing our King Gee Cultivar has shown a very interesting lesser known and scarce cannabinoid called CBL- CANNABICYCLOL. It is not new – it was first discovered by Raphael Mechoulam’s Israeli team of researchers in 1966. It is exciting to see this in our results although CBL is one of the lesser studied minor cannabinoids scientists are studying it and believe it may have pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory properties. Paws for wellness Did you know hemp seed and hemp seed oil is legal for human consumption, but not for animals?!?! Crazy right! The Australian Hemp Council has launched the “Paws for Wellness” campaign to raise funds for the legalisation of hemp seed for pets and companion animals in Australia. Northern Rivers Hemp is in support of this campaign and we have donated to paws for wellness so that we as a industry can make steps towards getting hemp back on the table for our pets- after all they certainly do deserve the best! If you think your pet deserves the best and that you should have choice over what you pet can consume we strongly recommend making a donation to the Paws for Wellness Campaign. Happy hemping!
A 25 year relationship with industrial hemp A pioneer and well respected champion of hempcrete, Klara Marosszeky, Founder & Managing Director of Australian Hemp Masonry shares her 25 year relationship with industrial hemp. By Kieren Anderson Can you describe the journey of the Australian Hemp Masonry Company from its inception in 1999 to its current position in the hemp construction industry? KM: The company was officially registered in 2014, but my involvement began in 1999 when I held a research licence with the Department of Health to conduct hemp varietal trials in New South Wales (NSW). At that time, DPI’s research suggested that hemp was not viable in NSW. I was one of the few licensed growers, holding licence number 3. In 2000, after reviewing available research, I created trial mixes of hempcrete and sent them to my brother for his expert opinion. He had extensive experience in building materials research and would provide a cautious assessment. I grew 2 hectares of Futura 75 hemp in Wollombi, harvesting it with a small group using a brushcutter. We built a mini processor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and began a self-funded research project at the Australian Centre for Construction. Progress was slow due to part-time teaching, work with Greening Australia, and a young family. What were some of the initial challenges you faced when introducing hemp as a building material in Australia, and how did you overcome them? KM: Initially, there was no precedent in Australia, apart from a Tasmanian project using imported materials. Limited English research on hemp building and minimal technical support presented challenges. The first significant hemp project in the UK, involving two townhouses in Suffolk, was completed in 2001. We faced a steep learning curve in understanding hemp construction and its adaptation to Australia’s diverse climates. This led to the development of a construction manual detailing best practices for hempcrete in Australia. We provided one-on-one technical support for builders and owner-builders, addressing challenges such as extreme weather events like Cyclone Oswald in 2013. Could you elaborate on the research and development process behind your building products? What were the key milestones and findings during this phase? KM: Early on, we explored achieving load bearing hempcrete, misled by online claims about its high strength. We later realised that hemp’s true benefits lie in its carbon sequestration, thermal performance, vapour permeability, the improved indoor air quality it gave, rather than its load-bearing capacity. We also learned that while adding excessive binder could create a load-bearing material, it compromised other important properties of hempcrete. How do you ensure the quality and durability of your hemp building products, especially considering the diverse climates they are used in across Australia and New Zealand? KM: Ensuring quality and durability involves using well-tested products, reliable manufacturers, and understanding climate-specific installation challenges. Training installers, collaborating with building designers, and providing strong technical support are crucial. Educating builders and designers will be an ongoing task until hemp construction becomes mainstream. We share insights from diverse projects in our training courses. With more published information and guidebooks, with recommended detailing, we can address various climate conditions in Australia, from cold and wet areas to hot and dry regions, as well as high humidity areas. How have partnerships and collaborations with regional processors influenced the evolution of your products and the scalability of your operations? KM: Emissions reduction was a core part of our vision, so regional partnerships and collaborations were essential. Introducing a novel building product like hemp required demonstrating its benefits plus its emissions reduction potential to stakeholders, including politicians. Building examples and partnerships across the country helped us gain acceptance and support. Can you share some insights into the regulatory environment surrounding hemp construction materials in Australia? How has it evolved over the years? KM: The regulatory environment has improved significantly. We now receive serious consideration from certifiers and building surveyors. Media coverage, such as on the ABC, has become more informed and positive. Most projects require development consent and certifier approval. We can provide a site-specific Performance Solution, documented product testing and international research to show how our materials meet National Construction Code standards. We also ensure designs are suitable for hemp construction, considering factors like roof overhangs and local weather. This year, we ‘re contributing to developing a Standards Handbook for Hemp Construction to hopefully further streamline approvals. What are some notable residential and commercial projects where Australian Hemp Masonry products have been used? Could you highlight a few that demonstrate the versatility and performance of your materials? KM: Notable projects include the Mildura Powerhouse Project, which features three buildings funded by federal, state, and regional governments. Innovation Centre at Byron Steiner School is Australia’s first hemp school building, praised for its carbon sequestration benefits and improved indoor climate. The award-winning hemp composting loo at Wilkins Green Public School in Sydney introduced hemp construction to city residents. The Caloundra hemp home, built by the community for a family with medical needs, highlighted hemp’s suitability for community projects. In terms of sustainability, Shepherds Ground Ecovillage in the Hunter Valley showcases eight small-footprint hemp homes built with locally grown hemp and timber. Other notable projects include several award-winning homes in NSW and the upcoming refurbishment of the old Forestry building at UTAS’s Hobart Campus, featuring internal hemp walls. In what ways do you collaborate with architects, building designers, and builders to promote the adoption of hempcrete in construction projects? KM: We often receive design enquiries from individuals who have attended our training courses and approach their designers with our details and compliance information. We engage in discussions with designers and builders, especially for first-time hemp projects. Collaborating with organisations like MECLA is helping us to attract the attention of design practices, developers, and government. Looking forward, what are your goals and aspirations for the company in terms of innovation, expansion, and sustainability? KM: We are continuously involved in R&D with universities, currently collecting data on thermals, acoustics, and indoor air quality at UTS. We
Hemp and Cotton – an inspiring field event
