Industrial Hemp Cultivation Begins in Colorado – Free at Last!

October 9, 2013 | By WakingTimes | 4 Replies

Alex Pietrowski, Staff Writer
Waking Times

In a major victory for US farmers, activists, and those who advocate the many uses of industrial hemp, the first commercial crop of hemp to be cultivated in the United States in almost 6 decades was recently harvested in Colorado. Although different from the psychoactive plant cannabis, due to federal marihuana prohibition during the early 1900′s, the nation's last commercial crop of hemp was planted in 1957 in Wisconsin, after over half a million acres were grown during WWII to assist the nation's war effort.

In November of 2012, Colorado passed Amendment 64 which revised the state's drug-policy laws for cannabis, declaring that industrial hemp be regulated separately from cannabis. In June of 2014, the governor of Colorado signed legislation prescribing a limit to the amount of THC content in hemp, and establishing a committee within the State Department of Agriculture tasked with developing regulations for commercial hemp farming by 2014.

However, in anticipation of regulation and to test out the murky waters of State versus Federal drug law, some activists planted hempseed this year, and hemp activists and farmers recently met in Springfield, Colorado to celebrate this year's cultivation of 60 acres of the fibrous weed:

http://youtu.be/O4f7xu5Vs5s

The usefulness of hemp is widely documented and many other nations profit from its commercial cultivation, but, here in the US the wide range of hemp products available on the market are comprised of imports:

"The sale of hemp products in the U.S. — including food, cosmetics, clothing and industrial materials — reached an estimated $500 million last year, according to the Hemp Industries Association.

Yet because of a federal prohibition on growing, all hemp used in U.S. products is imported from foreign countries.

With the November passage of Amendment 64, which legalized hemp in addition to small amounts of marijuana, Colorado becomes a test case on the issue of how much muscle the federal government will flex against states with legal cannabis." (Denver Post)

Hemp should be traded on the market exchanges along side corn, wheat and other commodities, as it offers an abundant, easily produced resource to a wide variety of industries. Hemp is used in quality textiles, in the production of bio-fuels, in insulation and building materials, rope, in cosmetics, soaps, and shampoos. Nutritionally, it is one of the most valuable plants for the human body and products include hemp oil, hempseed, hemp milk, hemp protein, supplements and more. As a replacement for wood pulp, hemp fiber holds untapped potential as a resource to replace the over-harvesting of trees, and it is being used as a renewable bio-fuel.

Long considered a useful and necessary part of the American economy, it has been observed by many that the outlawing of hemp in the US was the result of political intervention by insiders, bankers, an barons of the media, timber and the chemical industries who desired no market competition from this common-sense crop:

"Around the turn of the 20th century companies like DuPont created chemicals that were used in processing of paper; DuPont also created chemicals used for pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, which were used extensively by the cotton industry (cotton is MUCH more chemical and water intensive compared to hemp). While this was going on, William Randolph Hearst invested in timber and mills to produce the paper for his newspaper, which was the largest chain in the U.S. at the time. His investments in the timber industry were backed by Mellon Bank.

The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury at that time was Andrew Mellon, who happened to own Mellon Bank (and was one of the backers for DuPont as well). Mellon's niece was married to Harry Anslinger who, incidentally, was connected to the alcohol prohibition campaign. He was out of a job (as were everyone else in that sector of the federal government) after the alcohol prohibition ended. To keep his family employed, Mellon created a new division of the federal government, the Bureau of Narcotics, and made Harry Anslinger the new head of that program.

Also during this time machinery was being developed to make hemp processing easier and more efficient. This was a threat to the paper, chemical, timber, and petroleum industries. Pharmaceutical companies were creating new medicines and drugs and were also threatened by the natural healing properties of the plant we know as hemp." (Waking Times)

The history of hemp is rich, interesting and rather inspiring, dating back to first European colonies at Plymouth Rock in the 1600′s. Hemp enthusiasts like to note that it was also cultivated by the first president of the United States, George Washington, and that the Declaration of Independence was written on paper made of hemp fiber. Still, many Americans are unaware of the differences between hemp and cannabis, and know very little of its history or of its potential value. This is changing, however, as widespread support for the end of cannabis prohibition spreads and the outreach effort grows.

http://videocenter.denverpost.com/services/player/bcpid934052406?bctid=2314726735001

Conclusion

The possibilities for industrial hemp are vast and the significance of this year's harvest is tremendous. In the quest for intelligent, common-sense solutions to the major issues facing mankind, the cultivation of industrial hemp is absolutely necessary. At a time when American farmers and entrepreneurs are struggling to meet the challenges of  a poor economy, and while the technology to support innovation with natural products is unprecedented today, hemp is akin to an open-source, free-range raw material for pioneers of energy, design, and nutrition.

It should be a human right to cultivate and use whichever plants an individual chooses to, and the news about the cultivation of hemp in Colorado is cause for celebration.

About the Author

Alex Pietrowski is an artist and writer concerned with preserving good health and the basic freedom to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. He is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and an avid student of Yoga and life.

Resources:

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_24259474/colorado-farmer-harvests-first-u-s-commercial-hemp?source=hot-topic-bar

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_23066385/colorado-hemp-grower-plant-historic-first-u-s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Amendment_64

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_history_of_cannabis_in_the_United_States

http://blog.norml.org/2013/06/14/colorado-governor-signs-law-regulating-state-hemp-production/

http://www.denverpost.com/news/marijuana/ci_22516321

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O4f7xu5Vs5s#t=14

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2013/07/hemp_advisory_committee_colorado.php

This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It's okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.

Roten House

Roten Small Home Retreat Update

by Kent Griswold on October 11th, 2013. 6 Comments

by Paul and Shari Roten

I covered the Rotens "Ideabox" inspired Small Home back in December of 2012 and they recently sent me an update to share with you.

We've had a crazy few months, but wanted to share some of our news! Mother's Day was spent moving into a 29ft camper on our 10 acres within a hundred feet or so from our future home.  We left our management position due to Shari's injury, so once again, it was time to start anew. And what a place to start!

We spent a couple days getting things organized in the camper and in our future home as we had no other storage building. Then the raised beds were built from 4x4s and we got our gardens planted! Food is always nice to have, especially when you're roughing it.

We've been blessed by Paul's new job just 15 miles away where he can utilize his skills and gifts. And we also now have the Camas center where we can get refreshed every day. The hot tub is pretty awesome too for the injury and other aches and pains.

On to the house! We've dealt with building codes and inspections, have had a few corrections to address, but up to this point, its been a cash jo with no debt. That's HUGE to us. However, when you live in extreme NE WA, you have to be prepared for winter. A trailer for two plus three Boxers, one with pups on the way, isn't going to cut it. We endured much stress as the bank account allowed just enough to cover a few bills each month and we've done some creative cooking thanks to Dollars and Deals!

We've had an incredible angel come into our lives. We asked for guidance, and he made a proposal AND told us "I believe in you". It was one of the most humbling and emotional moments we can think of in our lives. We are truly blessed. It is amazing how things work when you take the high road and do the right things on life.

We have a plumber, an electrician, a sheetrock installer and painter in the wings!
Just past our septic test hole inspection with FLYING colours so its on to approval of the design, then installation! That's a huge hurdle!

We have paint colours chosen, our tile stocked, and plan to hit IKEA on Saturday to pick up all our kitchen cabinets! They are our favorite!

Our 5th anniversary is November 21st, so the plan is to be in and hosting an open house by then!

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A whimsical cottage 200 square feet in the woods of Southwest Michigan. More info. here.

COTH… Cottage on the Hill

Michigan  USA – Zinta Aistars

Lot size:     10 acres (2 hectares)
Built area:   200 sq. ft. (18.5 m2)
Year built:   Unknown
Renovated:  2012/13

Standing on a hill in the woods of south-west Michigan is a whimsical cottage named COTH by its writer owner, Zinta Aistars.  Although the 10 acre property has a 100+ year old farmhouse as the main dwelling, this "outbuilding" clearly caught the heart of the owner.

Cottage on the Hill (COTH)

 

The original builder is lost to obscurity, but COTH was obviously built with love, skill and an objective.

"With its quirky angles and mismatched windows, it's been likened to a place from a Tim Burton movie, or from Dr. Seuss. No two windows match, each is at a different height."

Since taking ownership of the farm in spring, 2012, Zinta has carefully and lovingly refurbished the cottage, ensuring the original feel and ambience were retained.  Renovations included weatherizing the cottage, the addition of a small deck and an outhouse, whitewashing the lower level internally, and furnishing it in order to create a writer's retreat.

Footnote:
In an email from Zinta yesterday, she said, "I sat on the COTH deck for a while tonight with a friend, and it's so green and leafy and quiet and beautiful there …"
I think it's fair to say that many of us would have been happy to sit there with her 

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A small cottage in Coastal Maine.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Engliah HENGLISH HOLIDAY COTTAGE

The Porter cottage makes the most of its unwieldy site. The cottage was sited as close to the water as legally allowed to take advantage of the views and far enough away from the graywater leach field where the soil is deep enough to allow for proper run off. The screen porch was angled to capture direct southern exposure for the solar panels.

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Lasagna Guardening

New post on Laura Bruno's Blog

Lasagna Gardening and Fall Garden Update by laurabruno

It's that time again! Most people think of Autumn as the time that gardening goes to sleep, but did you know that Fall offers a fantastic time to let Nature do (some of) next year's garden prep for you? If this year's fresh produce has ever had you vowing to start a garden next Spring, only to feel the enthusiasm wane when next year rolls around, now is a perfect time to lasagna garden -- also known as sheet mulch. Instead of hauling away your leaves now, and then constructing a raised bed and buying expensive soil to fill it in a rush next Spring, you can use Fall's bounty of leaves and yard waste to begin preparing and fertilizing next year's garden.

It's actually very easy! Just lay down a several layers of newspaper or one layer of thick cardboard over whatever area of lawn you'd like to turn into garden. If you're using newspaper, pick a non-windy day, or make sure you have something to weight down the papers. Otherwise, you'll just make a mess. :) On top of the newspaper/cardboard, start layering up natural waste: leaves, straw, unfinished compost (i.e., whatever fresh kitchen scraps or compost that hasn't had time to rot down yet). Mix that up with some peat moss and some kind of minerals (rock dust, vermiculite, etc.), or just keep layering organic matter. Then top it off with some kind of untreated mulch. Surprise, surprise, I'm using wood mulch, as inspired by the film, Back to Eden:

Believe it or not, that's my fifth(!) pile of wood mulch since April, and I've already moved half of it before taking this photo. I've been so happy with the wood mulch's ability to retain water and keep weeds at bay. I've only watered our front herb and flower garden twice this year:

When you layer several inches or more of wood mulch on top of a lasagna garden, then everything rots down over the winter, enriching the soil. When I recently divided some of the creeping thyme out front, I found five earthworms within about four inches of soil. Every time I move anything around up in this wood mulched area, I find earthworms, a true sign of healthy soil, and I didn't even lasagna garden the herb bed! I just put a layer of mulch on top of our landlord's layer of mulch from last year. Nature did the rest. Since herbs prefer poor soil, I didn't want to waste my time making it too rich with amendments. If you want to grow a decorative and culinary herb garden, laying down some wood mulch this Fall will get your plot ready for next Spring's seeds or transplants.

I share many of my crazy gardening projects on this blog, because people keep telling me they enjoy the Mad Scientist Gardening experiments, but I do want to note that you can have a fantastic garden without the level of work I've put into our yard. We just moved into a place with a tremendously ugly, damaged, weedy, sad, neglected yard -- a yard we eagerly accepted because our landlord gave us permission to do whatever we wanted with it. For me, this yard has represented a blank canvas to turn something completely overgrown and forgotten into something gorgeous and functional. It's a creative outlet much like painting the discarded doors into potent portals. I "paint" with flowers and use plants as form, with food as the function and intention. But anyone can garden in any setting, whether on a small patio in containers, a sunny backyard plot, or turning your front yard into edible landscaping. Lasagna gardening or sheet mulching just represents one more way of enriching the soil to ensure success.

This latest batch of mulch has gone towards lasagna gardening/mulching out a huge swath of front yard, turning it into four beds with a circular path and three side paths for easy plant access. I love the energy going around the circle with my cart full of mulch! It's quite fun and a big contrast to the straight lines and rougher look of the rest of our street. This last load included two different types of trees, so I decided to use the lighter, harder wood for the paths, and then the darker, softer wood for the top lasagna layers. I've planted mums at the edges of each path so that I remember the boundaries next Spring in the event that everything sinks down over the Winter.

I've had so much fun rereading "Edible Front Yard" now that I know something about gardening! I first read that book from the Madison Public Library back when I didn't know anything about planting zones, soil building or microclimates. It makes sooo much more sense now, and I actually recognize many of the edible ornamentals she mentions. It's fun to imagine how different shapes, heights and colors will combine in each of the four beds in order to create a burst of beauty that also just happens to be edible. I didn't get my intended roses and fruit trees planted this Fall; that will need to happen next Spring, as I've run out of time for the tasks I've already begun. I still have five raspberry bushes/canes to plant out back. Poor things, they've sat in pots for two seasons! Speaking of seasons, I've also enjoyed figuring out how to bring hints of color and beauty to the yard year round. I found Goshen quite grim last Winter, especially our street, so this year I've prioritized delighting my senses even in the middle of December, January and February.

Again, you can have a fabulous garden without needing to figure out all these angles. Moving into this refurbished cottage with the blank slate lawn in a forgotten corridor of Goshen was quite the artistic challenge. I've chosen to explode creativity all over the yard, because we've had nothing to lose. A more normal setup might just require a bit of creativity to keep a small front yard plot looking good enough for an HOA. I, on the other hand, am in process of shifting a mixed industrial neighborhood plot (formerly the most neglected in the entire neighborhood) into a magical faery paradise. It's happening, and it's what I feel called to do ... but I don't want to intimidate people with the level of work I've expended. Any efforts to grow even some of your own food and to beautify the world even just a tiny bit have positive ripple effects in your life and in the world. I just enjoy a challenge. :)

Thus, we have another Fall/Winter "Guarden" crop coming in, which will soon be covered by a cold frame. Planting these babies in early August resulted in lots of greens and root crops coming in now.

I finally cleared out the cherry tomato plant from the InstaBed, a plant that had spread to three beds and my asparagus! I forgot we even had a gnome beneath all that fruit and foliage.

We've also got some HUGE chard these days. Massive leaves.

You can see I still have a few "starts" to transplant. It might be too late, but no sign of frost quite yet.

Our Amish paste tomatoes continue to grow and have, more importantly, confirmed to me the suspicion that our ground soil is low in calcium. I had heard that a) lots of dandelion flowers means low calcium soil and b) that tomato plants are excellent indicators of soil health. I did not water these with milk as often as others, because I just wanted to see what happened. Sure enough, the dreaded blossom end rot has struck some of the bigger tomatoes just before they ripen. Blossom end rot is a sign of calcium deficient soil. I'll add lime and other amendments as I prepare various in ground/trellis beds for next year. Thank you, Nature, for confirming without a soil test. :) I also know that my special, secret soil treatment for organic farms will pay big dividends, since that formula's loaded with calcium. Yay!

As I walked back around the yard, I caught a glimpse of the front lasagna garden from behind. Just like flower arranging in a vase, I enjoy flower and plant arranging outside in ways that please from all angles. The center bed will change dramatically this weekend as I add a mix of compost and mulch to the flowers. Instead of sunflowers there next year, I plan to have decorative alliums -- very Seussian -- and zinnias for butterflies, with "Evening Sun" sunflowers on the North side and this year's Lemon Queen out back. A foretaste of next year's edible front yard:

Evening Sun image from the seed packet

purple kohlrabi from Seed Savers Exchange

scarlet runner beans

amaranth

And, probably out back:

Mandan Bride Corn

Fairy Tale Pumpkins

On the front trellis (with the star pictured above):

vining, non-bolting Malabar Spinach

Can't wait for these, some golden fennel and the rest of my medicinal herbs, too. If all goes well, I will have enriched the soil enough and mulched enough to have a relatively low-maintenance and low-water feast for the eyes, nose, mouth and belly.

Happy Gardening!

laurabruno | October 11, 2013 at 1:35 pm | Tags: Back to Eden, Edible Front Yard, Edible Ornamentals, Faery Gardening, Lasagna Gardening | Categories: What to eat if you are an empath | URL: http://wp.me/pjNJT-1HK