Our first view of Hempoffset sponsored hemp
It was a blazing Friday morning in July, when Gary and Niall from Hempoffset drove the N81 highway, an hour south from Dublin, into County Wicklow. Into hemp country.
Hemp licenses are free in Ireland
Ed took us on a tour of his hemp fields, and it was such a good feeling to see, feel and smell the crop growing fast in the Irish summer. Ed has been growing hemp for a few years now and says that, while the licensing process can be a little tricky, “There’s no cost for a hemp growing license in Ireland, so it’s great that the Government hasn’t put any barriers in the way of farmers looking to grow hemp. This is very important when you understand that hemp is a superb rotation crop. So it’s easy for a farmer to plant hemp every couple of years, to help replenish the soil naturally.”
Organic-certified hemp and CBD oil production
Then Ed showed us his production facilities where he produces his high-quality hemp oil and CBD oil products, all organic-certified. Ed is also launching a hemp protein product. “The hemp seed, left over from the cold-press oil extraction process, is 35% protein, which is hard to beat for a vegan product.”
Hemp as a solution to the climate crisis
Ed’s hemp crops are being mostly grown for their seeds, so will capture around 6 tons of CO2 per acre (0.4 ha), both in the plant fibre and in the soil. “Different varieties of hemp have different properties,” said Ed. “If you’re after fibre, such as to make hempcrete for the 3d-printed housing that the Hempoffset team is developing for the XPRIZE Carbon Removal project, then a specific breed of hemp can give you 10 tons of CO2 removed per acre.”
The future of hemp in Ireland
We asked Ed if there are any obstacles to scaling up hemp production in Ireland. “There is currently no decorticator machine in Ireland,” Ed advised. “This piece of infrastructure is used to separate the hemp stalks into easy-to-use materials. With many hemp farmers in Ireland currently growing hundreds of acres of hemp each season, the appetite is there for hemp as a cash-generating crop. With the proper infrastructure in place, we can scale up hemp production, and really make a difference to our national carbon footprint, as we move towards a carbon neutral economy.”
We couldn’t agree more. We will also work with Ed and the hemp industry to help get the infrastructure into place that will quickly unlock hemp’s growth potential.
You can visit Ed’s farm website at Keadeenmountainfarms.ie, where you can learn more about farm operations and organic standards, and also purchase Ed’s hemp oil, CBD oil and prime, Irish beef.
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Visit Ed’s website and shop, at Keadeenmountainfarms.ie
If you want to grow hemp, let us know
Image credits
All photos: Niall O’Sullivan, Hempoffset
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Founder and CEO at Hempoffset.com and TaoClimate.com.
Hempoffset works with hemp growers and makers worldwide, to capture and sequester CO2 at scale, while building a sustainable world.
Tao Climate works with companies and individuals that want to measure, minimise and manage their carbon footprints. Tao Climate is the way to carbon neutral.
We are proud members of the Google Startups for Sustainable Development program.
