New farm bill has Hemp-trepeneurs seeing green

Press Release
Source: digitaljournal.com

BOSTON, Feb. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hempest, a Boston based chain of hemp clothing stores, has their sites set on greener pastures, and according to them, nothing is greener than industrial hemp.  Since 1995, the company has offered a plethora of hemp goods for men and women, as well as hemp accessories, food and body care.  Their website, Hempest.com, boasts "the largest selection of hemp clothing on the planet".

Until now, The Hempest has been forced to depend on industrial hemp grown in China to manufacture their clothing line, but all that may be about to change.  The new farm bill, signed into law earlier this month by President Obama, has in it an amendment, which relaxes the restrictions on growing and researching industrial hemp.  According to the amendment, individual states that have passed bills allowing hemp to be grown, will now be allowed to do so under federal law.   One of the states with such legislation is Vermont, which is also home to a Hempest outpost in the state's largest city of Burlington.

According to Hempest owner Mitch Rosenfield, the Green Mountain State may be about to get greener.  "We are actively seeking to acquire land for the purpose of growing hemp in the state of Vermont." Rosenfield said, "Hemp is one of the only industries that is both economically and ecologically viable, and we believe it would be a great fit for the farmers of Vermont.  Hemp requires no pesticides or chemical fertilizers. It improves soil and air quality, and leaves the land in better condition than when it arrived.  Hemp is a great bio-mass crop and can be used for fuel, food, fiber, building materials and more."

Though it may be premature to say whether American grown industrial hemp will be economically viable, The Hempest has managed to thrive on it for 18 years, and Hempest.com now reaches customers all over the world looking for hemp and organic clothing.    

"It seems everyday you see another story in the news about climate change, chemical spills, oil spills, and pollution.", added Rosenfield,  "Here we have a whole industry staring us in the face that counteracts all those things, creates a cleaner environment, and creates jobs doing it.  Seems like a no-brainer to me."