IHASA Newsletter
December 2023
AHC Growers Forum
All members of IHASA have complimentary access to the AHC Growers Forum – you just need to register! A new tool is also available to help you estimate the true costs of your hemp crop. Take a look, we look forward to your feedback.
Agrifutures Hemp Field Trials
You can register to attend by using the links below:
Maaoupe – Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Loxton – Friday, 2 February 2024
APVMA approval required to include hemp in animal food
Six years ago FSANZ, a statutory authority in the Australian Government Health portfolio approved hemp as a food for human consumption. At the same time the APVMA, an agency of the Commonwealth Government, deems it to be a veterinary medicine and hence ruled that it cannot be sold as pet food or animal fodder….go figure!
To gain approval by the APVMA is a costly undertaking requiring each form of hemp food to be approved separately for animal fodder. A subcommittee of the Australian Hemp Council is working to address this issue.
Find out more about the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority
https://www.apvma.gov.au/registrations-and-permits/chemical-product-registration/animal-feed-products
Mick Andersen – IHASA Committee member
Who is Mick?
Mick is a qualified agricultural engineer and started in the hemp industry in early 2018, establishing Good Country Hemp Pty Ltd, after running an agricultural shed construction business for 25 years.
Business:
Good Country Hemp Pty Ltd is a hemp foods processing facility based in Bordertown, South Australia, who contract hemp growers directly, primarily in SA. They have processing lines for cold pressed hemp seed oil and hulled hemp seed which are marketed online and through supermarket and health food stores. Good Country Hemp also supply bulk hemp food products following their motto: locally farmed, chemical free processing, GMO free, paddock to plate.
Mission:
To produce premium quality hemp foods from crops grown using sustainable farming practices.
To promote healthy living through nutritious hemp food choices.
100% Australian Grown Hemp foods.
Products:
Hemp foods – seeds, oil, protein
Hemp for pets – horses, dogs, chickens
Bulk hemp foods – oil, seeds, powder
Ultimate goal and dream:
To have hemp foods and products available in every supermarket and food outlet and in every household around Australia.
To have a thriving, sustainable, government and community supported industry that is respected and where the multiple uses and benefits of this amazing plant are understood and ethically utilised for the benefit of people, animals, the environment and the economy.
It’s hemp planting time in South Australia – the most exciting time of year except for hemp harvest! Almost all hemp grown in SA since 2017 has been under irrigation, but with the right variety, adaptable hemp can be grown without irrigation if it’s sown earlier than usual in spring. See how one pioneering farmer is successfully growing hemp for grain on his mixed farming property near Padthaway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZNIB4N5BNQ
Five interesting facts about hemp
- Hemp seeds have more digestible fibre than kale, more digestible protein than soy and more digestible omegas then flax. It is high in calcium, iron, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamin A and enzymes. It is low in saturated fats, cholesterol and carbohydrates. It’s good for the brain, the immune system, weight loss, skin and inflammation. Hemp is a protein that holds amino acids and important vitamins. Hemp seeds are a nutritionally dense food, which could be made into many different foods, as with soya and most significantly into oil or flour. Don’t forget that hemp is a hearty plant that can be grown in different types of soil and land.
- Fibre – hemp has anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties and hemp doesn’t retain odour-causing bacteria like synthetic or cotton fibres do; its hollow shafts make it super absorbent and an excellent choice for indoor and outdoor activities.
- Hemp can save the bees – bees love hemp’s pollen – hemp is a pest-resistant, annual plant so bees can use their pollen and nectar when other crops are not in season.
- Hemp absorbs carbon dioxide from the air – one hectare of industrial hemp can absorb approximately 15 tonnes of CO2.
- Hempcrete is healthier – hempcrete is made from a mixture of industrial hemp fibres and a lime based binder. It is very durable and creates a negative carbon footprint.
Hemp recipe – Cacao and Hemp Protein Balls
Ingredients
- ½ cup hemp flour
- 2 tbs hemp protein
- ¼ cup nut butter
- 2 tbs maple syrup
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- 2 tbs coconut oil
Method
Place all the protein ball ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and combined.
Combine the decorating ingredients in a separate small bowl.
Roll the protein ball mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and then roll in decorating mixture and coat well.
Place on a baking paper lined tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Miller’s Corner is a sustainability – focused housing development in the Adelaide Hills. Our despair at seeing the types of development happening in the Adelaide Hills led us to seek alternative ways of building. After seeing a Grand Designs program on hemp building we decided to investigate using hemp in our project.
After finding it was wasn’t legal to grow hemp in South Australia we joined the newly formed Industrial Hemp Association and began lobbying the government for a change of legislation. Unfortunately even with the new legislation it was not possible to purchase South Australian grown hemp. This led us to purchasing hemp from France which proved to be the most cost-effective method of getting hemp in South Australia.
Building at Miller’s Corner is progressing with currently eight buildings at various stages of development including five which have used hemp as a building product. It is expected most buildings will be completed by the end of 2021. Our website 
