Henry Bury of The Intelligencer originally posted this breaking exciting news from Canada. We are reprinting the entire article with permission because it proves we can change the world and hemp is A Peaceful Solution.
Stirling research scientist John Baker has spent a decade growing and testing varieties of hemp.
He’s now taken a giant step toward producing industrial hemp for the global marketplace.
The founder and president of Stonehedge Bio-Resources Inc. was in Toronto Wednesday to secure $2 million from private investors to open the first North American bio-processing plant for industrial hemp by this time next year.
Baker has received three letters of intent to invest more than $2 million from Lime Technology Ltd. in the United Kingdom, American Lime Technology in the United States and another private UK investor. Also attending the ceremony and news conference were John Wilkinson, minister of research and innovation and Northumberland- West MPP Lou Rinaldi.
“I am delighted to accept these letters of intent on behalf of my company,” Baker said. “We have a vision to make Stonehedge the leader in industrial hemp in North America and today we are one step closer.”
Baker said the investment will allow him to hire five employees this year and employ up to 27 people by 2011, as well as creating new opportunities for up to 200 farmers.
He plans to open a bio-refining facility along the Highway 41 corridor between Oshawa and Belleville that would produce Hemcrete, an environmentally-friendly limestone building material similar to concrete.
The company also expects to produce more than $17 million per year in renewable hemp fibre, woodlike chips, pellets, matting and seed products.
“These bio-based products signify the future of sustainable development and clean green technology by replacing products that cause serious environmental damage with innovative carbon-negative alternatives,” he told The Intelligencer in a telephone interview from a Toronto hotel.
Industrial hemp has been grown for thousands of years to make fibre for clothing, furniture, ropes, sails and more. Baker said that as an agricultural crop, hemp is beneficial — it can be readily grown organically as it does not require the use of harsh chemical herbicides, pesticides and defoliants as do many other fibre crops.
Baker and his wife, Christine, have owned and operated Stonehedge Kennels and horse breeding farm on Eggleton Road southeast of Stirling for the past 25 years. Their 50-acre farm is located almost next door to their daughter, Beth Bouma, who has 80 acres.
Baker said he’s spent the past 10 years growing, testing and coming up with his own varieties of hemp and is now looking to industrialize it for the marketplace.
He said the Quinte area and Northumberland region provides an ideal soil/climate resource on which to develop the hemp biomass sector.
As well, he said the regions’ proximity to the Quebec-Ontario market corridor and the eastern seaboard of the United States provides an additional competitive advantage.
Baker said he will need at least 17,000 acres of land to produce hemp. He plans on contracting hemp production to growers along the 401 corridor.
“This will be an opportunity for Northumberland, Hastings and Prince Edward and Lennox and Addington farmers to grow seeds that we need to plant acreage,” he said.
Baker said he believes growing hemp can be as profitable as other crops.
“It’s a great opportunity and our farming community can gauge on this … but it will take some patience on everyone’s part.”
He is now looking for a location for the bio-refining facility for hemp, adding that it will have to be along the 401 corridor, central to where the hemp is grown.
“We hope to be ordering equipment in three months and start production 12 to 15 months from today,” Baker said. “We will have to contract some acreage this year in anticipation of the plant being up in 12 months.”
He added the success of the operation may mean adding additional bio-refining facilities in the future.
“The whole project will be in the neighbourhood of $20 million,” Baker said. “This $2-million private investment is a giant step ahead.”
He said the possibilities are endless, considering that the global renewable and bio-products industry is expected to exceed $125 billion in revenues by 2010.
Baker credits several organizations for contributing to his success, including the Trenval Business Development Corporation, Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation and the Easter Lake Ontario Innovation Network.
Gerrit DeBruyn, Trenval’s executive director, accompanied Baker to Toronto Wednesday and said the investment is like a dream come true.
“Trenval had been working with John probably seven years or so ago when he had this dream of utilizing hemp in various products and we have been supporting his mission by providing him some funding … we’re delighted today that after years of patience and perseverance on John’s part that we’re able to see a major breakthrough here,” he said.
DeBruyn said Trenval will assist Baker in taking the next step in opening his bio-refining facility.
“It’s green energy and obviously we’re very supportive of that,” he said.
I am so happy to hear this! I have posted this link to the Qld Hemp Association for them to approach government here with evidence of Canada’s investment support.
really made my day!
In cosmetics, hemp seed oil is used as an emollient. Maureen Environment
Dear Friends: I have waited it seems my entire life, or at least since Vietnam, when I was 19 for this to come to life! I always told my wife and friends that Hemp would save the Earth, and to live long enough to see my Dream come true is so so wonderful. No I can’t invest but would if I was able, you see Im a 100% Total & Permanent Disabled Veteran, but was able to envision this coming to be, or as I like to say could see the writing on the wall at a very early age, but due to American harsh laws, I elected to say out of Jail and wait for it to become legal. I have had so many Dr. tell me, use it, take the chance, its good and we know it. One many years ago before testing was a urine test, I was told by an old MD. that if they were to test all that worked at the VA, they would lose some of the best people in their fields. This is and was so true.
Im very proud of you ability to take a front row seat in this great cause, and may you become so very rich they can’t figure out how to tax you! But I as well as you know they are waiting like hungry dogs waiting for the Tax dollars.
God Bless you!
lyfordb
I am blessed, touched and excited to hear of this great news for a few weeks now with continued research as I have wanted to own and operate with a trustworthy reputable partner an industrial Hemp farm in Canada with trustworthy ethical partners as investment to secure a place to live, food and transportation security independence and a viable sustainable business practice independent having few opportunities as a chronic dis abled person and toward wholeness in living eco sustain able educational center for ten years.
I came up with the idea of having an industrial hemp farm in the same area as where the proposed plant will be while visiting with good friends in the area near Brighton,Ontario over dinner.I recently visited the area again.
I have lived with environmental illness and chemical sensitivities and with symptoms of MS and neurological challenges, stress due to exposure to chemicals, chronic illness was severe and life threatening ten years ago, dis ability and suffering knowing further compassion and understanding with real opportunity is needed for people to change their lives with the security of opportunity industrial hemp is the most important chemical free sustain able real solution to our challenges as part of the big picture, economically in all aspects of life with changing from a life sentence of hardship for many people to going beyond hope with secure investment.I have also researched on industrial hemp.
I am also an eco Artist, wanting to work with hemp fiber as a medium.I am also partnered volunteer and eco artist with Durham Sustain ability Ontario, Canada a non profit as a partner in awareness and education.
A long term natural recovery process with the help of others to attract dedicated secure reputable private backers and finance resources for start up all the hidden costs industrial hemp farming and maintain costs, are reasonable like minded business people that actually truly care about people and planet with productivity.This is my dream of independence with the help of others and to be of help to other people.Please come forth and help me in partnership I..i.. may be of service to help others.
I need all the help and support I may get working with others in developing a small agri bio business and educational center in solving energy solutions wanting to have hemp as a resource of economic and food security all aspects of life as security a secure and sustainable future to have industrial hemp a viable productive natural way of life saving growth opportunity sustain ability supported by the growth of industrial hemp and for solid secure housing materials as lime hemp crete. I see a future with hemp as a bio fuel and the Thousands of uses for industrial hemp a plant the Creator God in many countries placed on this earth.Thank you John Baker for this innovative and dedicated research farming practice and for your new processing plant will enrich our communities on the Lakeshore east 401,Ontario.
I also pray the US Government will legalize farming of Industrial Hemp and it’s values and that Marc Emery will be back in Canada soon reunited with his wife and for his contribution to Cannabis culture in Canada.
The legalization of medical Marijuana for those in the US in all states and decriminalization of Marijuana and proper education on controlled substances as medicine. For people not to be harrassed by authorities for wanting real change and living an non violent and peaceful way of life and ethical ways of doing business.
BP has invested in renewable energies, Big Corporations with vested interests the Powers that control in Oil Petro chemical industries,Cotton,Pharmaceutical,Insurance Industry has driven economies as Military spending being once the US was the strongest economy, now the world has changed and is wiser industrial hemp will save this planet and it’s inhabitants will not happen overnight is our future humanity.The end of human suffering.
The start of real change in the lives of humanity on this planet.
I see it as an intentional waste of Billions in revenue, a shame to see Farmers worldwide trade or sell seeds of industrial hemp and people be prosecuted in the USA for it.Here and now for peaceful solutions that are planet people and friendly and people reclaim their own declaration of independence as natural health as the Forefathers of America had written on industrial hemp paper. My voice shook of truth in Nashville and in Canada Thanks Willie Nelson! peace and love karen
I am sad to hear of the arrest of Willie Nelson for Cannabis possession 3 hours before writing this comment today..incredible.Hope he gets out on bail yes he has for now and is shameful he may serve jail time at his age.America needs peaceful solutions now with decriminalization of marijuana must begin when is enough ever enough? peace and pray for Willie Nelson.
Hemp is the most resourceful plant on this planet and we got to PLANT IT! If anyone has any contact information for Stonehendge BIO please Share it with me. There website has been blocked from what i can tell.
Thanks,
Jake