Who we are
The iHemp NSW Inc. offers our Individual, Business and Corporate Members ongoing educational and agronomic support while facilitating critical networking and community events. The iHemp NSW team are driving the next wave of necessary legislative change through strategic lobbying efforts with key policy makers and stakeholders. Our aim is to promote more sustainable agriculture and continued development to increase the use of hemp as a renewable source of food, fibre, fodder and extracts.
Our Committee
Jaimie Milling
President
Jaimie Milling is a fourth-generation farmer who has been in the agriculture industry all his life.
He has a Farm Business Management Degree and for 35-years he has owned and managed large broad acre mixed farm operations across NSW. Jaimie also has extensive experience in the agriculture industry both domestically and internationally, having worked in Africa, UK and Europe, as well as in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
He is the co-founder of Canna Hemp Care Pty Ltd, one of the larger hemp growers in NSW, with commercial crops of 20-to-200 hectares. They have strong existing relationships with hemp food and Fibre processors and markets both nationally and overseas, and heavily involved in hemp fibre crop growing, marketing and processing.
Elke Jacobsen
Secretary
Elke Jacobsen is a registered architect and a passionate advocate for environmentally responsible design. Throughout her career, she has contributed to leading design firms in Sydney and is actively engaged in architectural education, tutoring, and research.
With growing momentum behind sustainable building materials, she is particularly focused on housing and the use of natural, bio-based construction solutions. Through advocacy, education, and industry support, Elke is committed to advancing the role of industrial hemp and fostering its adoption as a mainstream construction material. She believes industrial hemp holds immense potential to address the urgent need for innovative, low-carbon materials in the built environment.
Connie Minos
Public Officer
Connie Minos grew up in the agricultural and forestry industries in northwest NSW and has spent the last 20 years working on and off farm with husband Leon Minos and their two daughters. With a strong interest in community development and qualifications in Social Science Connie worked in various human service departments within the QLD and NSW State Governments in case work, project and management roles for 15 years.
In 2008 she and Leon decided to grow hemp on their small farm in an attempt to replace lost industry in their rural area. With a lack of processing options available to them, Connie and Leon designed and built their own hemp processor and expanded further in the industry in 2021 to manufacturing their Ashford Hemp Processors to sell nationally and internationally. Connie is particularly interested in how hemp can be utilised in primary health care and early intervention in relation to community health, housing, education, and employment, and is always keen to collaborate where able.
Lisa Flower
Executive Officer
Lisa has an extensive career in communications, marketing, project management and event management in both the private and public sector. Lisa’s key focus is on long term sustainability, circular economy and healthy and thriving communities.
Lisa has jumped into the vast and exciting world of industrial hemp and is passionate about hemp solving some of our pressing problems, including regenerative farming, carbon sequestration, soil remediation, developing sustainable building products, hemp for health and omega rich foods and hemp for textiles.
Lisa successfully project managed the 2025 Hemp-Connect Forum at La Trobe Institute of Sustainable Food & Agriculture, La Trobe University for the Australian Hemp Council (AHC) and is keen to work on other projects and events to mainstream this incredible resource.
Harrison Marsh
Executive Officer
Harrison Marsh is the co-founder of Otetto and a driving force behind the development and production of Living Canvas hempcrete SIPs. With a strong background in residential construction, Harrison brings practical building expertise together with a passion for sustainable materials and innovation. His leadership on the award-winning MBA project in Surry Hills highlighted his commitment to excellence and forward-thinking design. At Otetto, he continues to champion hemp-based solutions that are reshaping the future of construction.
Maxine Shea
Executive Officer
Maxine Shea is the co-founder of Hemp Collective, an award-winning Australian business based in the Byron Shire. Alongside her husband Mike, she has grown the brand for the last 8 years from its grassroots beginnings to being stocked in over 300 stores nationwide with 1000’s of happy customers.
Driven by personal health issues and a passion for sustainable living, Maxine has shaped Hemp Collective’s innovative range of hair, body, and pet care products. Her expertise spans zero waste, sustainability, education, and advocacy, positioning hemp as a vital part of eco-conscious lifestyles. With a background in marketing and a strong commitment to sustainable practices, she champions hemp awareness across Australia through her brand, inspiring stockists and customers to embrace mindful, future-focused choices with hemp.
Colin Steddy
Executive Officer
Colin grew up on a farm in Western Australia and left school at 16 to manage a farming operation. For 18 years, he cropped 3,000 hectares in Narembeen before shifting his focus to hemp in 2005. Since then, his passion for the plant has taken him around the world, learning from international leaders in the industry. In 2016, after building a strong relationship with Mr. Xu Rong Long, Colin began importing hemp seed from China.
His hands-on approach has seen him work across the supply chain—supplying seed, harvesting hemp grain, working in a hemp mill, and investing in two small decorticators to trial different processing methods. He thrives on experimentation and is deeply committed to using hemp as a tool for building a better world.
Now based in Vacy, Hunter Valley, Colin is a founding director of Hemp Inside. With over 20 years of experience, he continues to learn, innovate, and apply his knowledge to help grow a strong, sustainable hemp industry in Australia and beyond.
Subcommittee Members
Connie Minos
Jeremy Thomas
Leigh Fletcher