In early 2018, I knew nothing about hemp, except that it might be a crop my wife Linda and I could grow in the front paddock on our hobby farm near Bordertown, South Australia. With a huge leap of faith, I decided to shut down our multi-million dollar shed construction and engineering business of 20 years and commit 100% to building South Australia's first and only hemp food processing business. Starting from scratch we had to find local farmers willing to grow hemp for the first time, meanwhile build a processing plant including a cold press and dehulling line, develop a retail brand for premium hemp foods, then find markets for our products. Fast forward to today, we have a thriving, award winning business processing over 200 tonnes of hemp seed per annum, on the brink of export.
Our journey has not been without challenges, and many time we have doubted our decision to throw everything at hemp. But we have a strong belief in hemp and the Australian hemp industry, and can see a strong and bright future which we see ourselves part of.
Our future plans include developing more food product lines which will bring hemp into the pantries of more homes across Australia. We will believe in developing dryland hemp varieties which can be grown as a winter crop and gradually bring hemp into the realms of a mainstream broadacre crop available to farmers who don't have access to irrigation. Our business plan also includes a new range of skincare products and a bricks-and-mortar store showcasing hemp and further educating the public about this remarkable plant.
I'm passionate about the future development of the Australian hemp industry, I'm the South Australian representative on the Australian Hemp Council and head of the AHC food group.