This year the Australian Industrial Hemp Conference (AIHC) landed in Geelong, a city known as the wool fibre capital of the world. Maxine went along for Hemp Collective and as part of the iHemp NSW team, and the theme for the event was Growing Together. You can also read the iHemp NSW recap.
Hemp on the menu
The Mayor of Geelong opened the conference and spoke about hemp working alongside canola and wool as another crop for the region. The catering leaned right in, with hemp seed or hemp oil in most dishes, and there were hemp gin and beer tastings to go with it. It was a very tasty way to network.
Maxine on stage
Maxine presented to a room of around 100 people about the industry and where it is heading. Senator Richard Colbeck was in the audience, and the response was warm. One message came up again and again across the 40-plus presentations: the industry wants one strong voice.
Fibre, cotton and growers
Deakin University’s hemp fibre innovation was a real highlight. It was also encouraging to see Carroll Cotton, a family-owned cotton ginning business in NSW, working with the hemp industry. We also enjoyed catching up with Australian growers and distributors of hemp-based products. When growers, processors and makers share a room, ideas move fast.
Building with hemp
Designer Joost Bakker spoke about the hemp house he is building for actor Zac Efron near Byron Bay, making it a local story for us. The building sessions also showed how much the industry is working together, including the Hemp Building Directory, which is helping grow Australia’s hemp construction sector. After the conference, a tour took us to a hemp house using both French and Australian materials, plus a CSIRO lab where hemp fibre is being turned into new materials. We even got up close to a hempcrete wall, and it is far more beautiful in person than we expected.
Thank you to the sponsors
A big thank you to AgriFutures Emerging Industries as Gold Sponsor, and to all the sponsors who backed the event. Their support is helping hemp grow, from food and seed into fibre and building.
A big shout-out to NSW DPI for helping the NSW hemp industry grow, including their support with licensing and much more.
Photo: Jaimie Milling, Connie Minos, Senator Richard Colbeck & Maxine Shea at the AIHC Geelong
What it means for Hemp Collective
The same Australian-grown hemp seed oil in our shampoo and conditioner bars, pet care and hydration balm belongs to an industry that is also reshaping how we build homes, source fibre and think about sustainable materials. Every time you choose a Hemp Collective product, you back Australian hemp farmers and a growing local industry.
If you would like to try the product that started it all for many of our customers, our award-winning Hemp Hydration Balm is a great place to begin.
About iHemp NSW
iHemp NSW Inc. is the incorporated member association for the NSW hemp industry, advocating for the people and businesses working with hemp across the state. Maxine volunteers on the Executive Committee, helping give the industry a stronger voice with government and the wider community. Find out more or get involved at ihempnsw.org.au.