Success with Hemp at the 2025 Sydney Royal Easter Show

By Colin Steddy, Hemp Inside

This year, I had the great privilege of joining Happy Soils (Andrew Meseha), Hexcore, and Why Not Consulting at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, thanks to an invitation from Duncan Kendall and the team at the Woolworths Discovery Centre.

We bumped in on April 9, ready for gates to open on the 10th, and the energy was electric from day one — in fact, it was the biggest opening-day crowd in the show’s history.

The Discovery Dome display stood out for all the right reasons. The entire fit-out — walls, tables, chairs, and cabinets — was crafted from ply board and furniture made by Hexcore using hemp materials. Hemp Gallery supplied beautiful hemp-made items, and I brought along hempcrete bricks, weed matting, samples of hurd and fibre, and hemp seed oil for sale. It was an honour to represent Hemp Inside and the broader Australian hemp industry.

Public interest in hemp was strong and genuine. People came eager to share what they knew and to learn more — from curious newcomers to returning visitors tracking industry progress. Many asked, “Can I grow hemp on my land?” My answer was consistent: “We need to develop more markets and attract more investment to grow demand. Once that happens, we’ll be looking for more growers.”

Andrew, Anastasia, their baby, and I were there every day — and yes, standing and talking non-stop for nearly two weeks was exhausting! But the support we received made it worthwhile. Visitors were enthusiastic, firemen stopped to see our display (including a video of the Hexcore house being tested in fire conditions), and Happy Soils customers shared encouraging results and plans to expand their use of the products.

Media coverage? Disappointingly, not a single photo. But meaningful conversations made up for it — including promising follow-ups and exciting developments in the pipeline for Hexcore.

I also had a valuable hour-long call with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, where I shared views on key obstacles holding back the industry:

We must collaborate to build a strong, sustainable industry.
The shift from the Office of Drug Control to the Department of Agriculture would unlock growth. It would create the policy certainty needed to attract serious investment. Right now, the perception that regulations could change overnight by the narcotics division scares off potential backers.

Encouragingly, DPI is calling for industry submissions to help shape a stronger future. I urge everyone to contribute.

One of the best compliments came from other exhibitors, who said the energy from our display was inspiring. Andrew’s love of music and fun made for a lively space — we even had a few dance moments with the crowd. The positivity was contagious.

We bumped out on April 23 — a long stint on our feet, but a truly worthwhile experience.

Big thanks to the Royal Agricultural Society, Duncan Kendall and his team, and our amazing crew: Andrew, Anastasia, Why Not Consulting, and Happy Soils. Let’s keep pushing forward.

Cheers,
Colin Steddy
Hemp Inside

iHemp NSW Privacy Policy

IHemp NSW is committed to promoting the hemp industry in New South Wales by providing support and networking for hemp growers, hemp processors and other interested parties. We respect your privacy and this policy outlines our ongoing obligations to you in respect of how we manage your Personal Information.

We have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). The NPPs govern the way in which we collect, use, disclose, store, secure and dispose of your Personal Information.

A copy of the Australian Privacy Principles may be obtained from the website of The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au

What is Personal Information and why do we collect it?

Personal Information is information or an opinion that identifies an individual. Examples of Personal Information we collect include: names, addresses, email addresses, phone and facsimile numbers.

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We collect your Personal Information for the primary purpose of providing our services to you or where you have agreed sharing it with other parties. We may also use your Personal Information for secondary purposes closely related to the primary purpose, in circumstances where you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure. You may unsubscribe from our mailing lists at any time by selecting “unsubscribe” or you may request that we remove any website correspondence collected via our Contact form.

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