This week, South Bend Industrial Hemp has opened the first facility of its kind in Kansas.
Aaron and Richard Baldwin and Melissa Nelson-Baldwin founded South Bend Industrial Hemp as a link in the production chain.
As farmers harvest their hemp, it needs to be baled and processed for multiple uses.
Why the wait? It s a chicken-versus-egg situation, Melissa Nelson-Baldwin explained.
Farmers in Kansas were afraid to grow the product because they didn t know where to sell it, and processing plants did not have the courage to start here because most farmers were only growing CBD hemp.
That is why last year, the Baldwins took a leap and decided to open up a processing plant. They bought their machinery from FormationAg out of Colorado and found a building in Great Bend.
That is what hemp producers and distributors learned at Wichita State University’s hemp conference on Tuesday.
The fibrous plant can be used for food, flooring, cabinetry, building materials, prosthetics and more.
“We are very excited about these products, said Frank Choriego, one of the moderators of the conference and the associate director of WSU s Small Business Development Center. In the 30s, Kansas was one of the largest producers (of hemp) in the world.
The third annual Kansas Hemp Consortium brought hemp producers and enthusiasts together to examine best practices for growing and manufacturing the product. Choriego brings together producers and suppliers and helps them navigate the supply chain for this new commodity.