Hemp Fiber

With a total of thirty participants, the event drew in a powerful mix of voices including professors, lobbyists, builders, architects, real estate agents, farmers, entrepreneurs, and even private homeowners who were simply curious about sustainable construction.

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Northern Michigan University researchers are pioneering the use of industrial hemp to clean up PFAS “forever chemicals” contaminating soil and water across Michigan. With the first outdoor plantings now underway, this groundbreaking phytoremediation research could offer a cost-effective solution for communities grappling with contamination from military bases, landfills, and industrial sites—while potentially turning toxic waste into useful building materials.

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We learned from hemp building expert Cody Ley and professor Glenn Wilcox about alternative building materials like hemp-lime and fungi.

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University of Michigan architecture professor Glenn Wilcox is pushing the boundaries of sustainable design by growing furniture from mycelium and hemp. In this episode, he reveals how a 14-month sailing journey inspired his shift to bio-based materials—and why the next generation of designers is clamoring to learn these revolutionary techniques. Plus: Texas approves hemp livestock feed, and a federal bribery investigation rocks Lansing.

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Chase Hubbard of The Jacobsen (now Fast Markets) returns to iHemp Hour with a surprising perspective: despite frustrations, hemp is developing faster than almost any commodity crop in history. This episode covers biofuels, automotive applications, the Delta-8 regulatory mess, animal feed barriers, and why Michigan growers should consider whether the USDA program offers a better path forward—plus the launch of iHemp Michigan’s new building workshops and a tribute to the late Rob Roebar.

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Susan Barnhart spent six years building America’s only wool-hemp textile company—and she’s doing it without any U.S.-processed hemp fiber. Shemp Yarn’s surprisingly soft socks and beanies prove the product works, but until someone invests $2-3 million in domestic processing equipment, American hemp growers will keep shipping fiber overseas while entrepreneurs like Barnhart source from France. This is the infrastructure gap holding back U.S. hemp textiles.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first opportunities for public input on new programs focused on lower carbon construction materials made possible by a $350 million investment from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

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University researchers have secured $700,000 in federal funding for a three-year hemp grain and fiber study—and they’re actively seeking experienced Michigan growers to participate as research cooperators. With stipends available, seed provided, and the chance to help build the performance-based testing database that could eventually eliminate compliance testing for proven varieties, this is a rare opportunity to shape the future of Midwest hemp agriculture.

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Colorado’s Global Fiber Processing proves regional hemp decorticating can work—if you’re willing to rebuild farmer trust one handshake at a time. Founder Melissa Peterson shares the real numbers: $2.5M startup costs, $300/ton farmer payments, and seven distinct revenue streams from a single stalk. Her message to Michigan? The infrastructure opportunity is real, but proximity to farms is everything.

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