Viable Fiber

09/16/2023

Selling h**p animal bedding made by The Hurd Life at The Urban Farm with necklaces by Malas of Stone Today from 9 am to 1 pm today. Come down and enjoy music, animals and the beautiful fall weather.

09/14/2023

Trying out h**pcrete insulation using 1” hurd. This formulations uses lime, minerals, water and h**p hurd creating a hard, carbon negative material good for insulation and soundproofing.

08/29/2023

A snap of Bialobrzeskie (also known as B-Lab) in South Dakota. These plants went in a bit late and definitely have some room to grow! This is a dual-purpose variety that has historically been cultivated/known for its high-quality fiber. It was bred by the Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants in Poznan, Poland.

08/28/2023

08/26/2023

“h**pcrete binder is composed of 50% hydrated lime (we use Graymont’s Ivory Finish Lime) and 50% Metapor metakaolin from Poraver (created as a by-product of the company’s expanded glass bead production). The metakaolin causes the lime to have a partially hydraulic set, speeding up hardening time and promoting faster drying of the material.

We mix our wall-insulation h**pcrete at a ratio of 1 part chopped h**p hurd by weight, with 1.5 parts of the binder by weight. After translating these weights to volume measurements, it approximates 4 buckets of h**p hurd going into the mixer with 1 bucket of binder (1/2 lime, 1/2 metakaolin).”

Creating locally sourced lime and clay binders for use in h**pcrete, an insulation alternative.

07/24/2023

"New report highlights unique opportunity to build beneficial production systems for fiber h**p. Textile Exchange releases Growing H**p for the Future: A Global Fiber Guide.

The report looks at the production of fiber h**p around the world, identifying its benefits and concerns, providing recommendations to guide fiber h**p programs toward a resilient future.

Since its recent legalization in countries around the world, the global textile industry is increasingly turning to h**p, celebrating the plant’s ability to enhance soil health, support biodiversity, suppress weeds, and increase yields among subsequent crops – all while relying on little or no inputs.

Fiber h**p holds strong sustainability potential, but as it gains popularity, it is vital that we look at how it is grown. This means taking onboard lessons learned from other fiber crops, where heavy synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use have become the norm..." Read more on this week's **p featured article, letstalkh**p.com/growing-h**p-for-the-future!

07/24/2023

“Currently Schneider’s company is selling off super sacks of material, weighing anywhere from 300 to 500 pounds, at $15 per sack. He noted that demand for his h**p compost is very strong, to the point where he has already pre-sold 50 super sacks. “If you were a small-time farmer, you’d kill to buy 300 to 500 pounds of alfalfa for that much,” he added.”

The immediate approach to the h**p waste issue is simply disposal. However, potential markets for extracted biomass are being explored and developed.