Versatile crop and its potential

Usually I go to the airport to catch a flight. This week I drove to the Edmonton International Airport to attend Industrial HEMP conference "The Future is Here", which was happening at the Renaissance Hotel (#YEG airport). The event was hosted by Alberta Hemp Alliance and was well attended by fibre and food industry, government, indigenous representatives from Alberta and other provinces.

At the very first session Jesse Hahn (Natural Fibre Technologies) brought up an importance of having a reliable supply for a fibre industry. In this respect an interesting fact is that Alberta (Canada), and especially its northern part, has unique and favourable location with long summer days and over 300 sunny days in a year!

The panel session on the fibre market for Alberta hemp industry was chaired by Jan Slaski from InnoTech Alberta. Panelists were Aaron Barr (Canadian Rockies Hemp), Lauren Degenstein (Davey Textile Solutions Inc.), Dan Madlung (BioComposites Group) and David Saltman (INCA Renewtech). Dan Madlung explained an importance of marketing and sales channels to ensure maximization of the monetary benefits of the product grown on Canadian soil. David Saltman highlighted the value of hemp-based bio-composites for an automotive industry, and stressed the importance of logistics.

Attention farmers: keynote speaker Darren Bondar (HempAlta) mentioned carbon sequestration program (carbon credits) - reach out for more details to HEMPALTA

Food market session chaired by Ken Gossen included panelists Skirmantas Nikstele (Allive Supernutrition), Spencer Parenteau (Blue Sky Hemp Ventures) and Reg Shah (AltaGreen Products).

Two projects which highlight a combination of sustainable use of hemp (as Mayor Parrish Tung noted) were announced on the day two. Both projects are in collaboration with the first nations community (Frog Lake First Nations) and the Town of Elk Point. Cliffton Cross , Council member, Frog Lake First Nations, was very passionate about first nations engagement, and stressed that "first nations are a part of the solution", not a part of the problem. The first project is the partnership with Allive for growing industrial grade hemp (organic!). The second project is focused on the production of hemp-based construction materials - with Natural Fibre Technologies.

Applied research related to hemp genetics was last but not least session of the event - chaired by Russ Crawford , with Jan Slaski (Principal Researcher from InnoTech Alberta) and the guests from Verve Seeds .

Malcolm Bruce MSM, ICD.D in his closing keynote highlighted the value of Edmonton as logistics hub where air, rail, pipelines, and roadways intersect. In addition, now I know why Edmonton is called #YEG. This means Young, Educated, Growing. Does this resonate with you, my Edmonton friends and colleagues?

Thank you for making this event possible: Perry Kinkaide , Corey Peebles and other organizers and sponsors. Looking forward to the expansion of the manufacturing sector and more value added products - real sector drives economic growth - locally and worldwide.