Hemp growing well in Australia

Years ago I met Paul Benhaim in London; he came to Chiswick on his moped and agreed to write a couple chapters for Hemp for Victory: History & Qualities of the World's Most Useful Plant. Then he went down under as they say, one more Pommie to populate the antipodes. His mission of course was hemp, and he is now helping the Oz economy with his work. A story in Byron News by Veda Dante just caught my eye, and will no doubt be good reading for that idiotic American congressman who hates America so much that he votes to keep hemp illegal. Those sick individuals have no qualms about keeping hemp illegal and keeping Americans poor while other countries reap rewards. They are political terrorists poised to blow up the US economy be pretending that they are helping America on the 'war on drugs' - what do they think that means, arrest George Washington or something? Send the SWAT team after Thomas Jefferson? Who knows with these terrorists, they are hateful morons and must be stopped with Common Sense.
Which is well evident in Australia - read on - and then sign the petition for hemp in the US at: www.minawear.com/about-us/




CROP WANTED: Paul Benhaim of Hemp Foods Australia says he can use as much seed as he can get his hands on. Bangalow-based Hemp Foods Australia is calling for local farmers to help cater for the growing worldwide demand in hemp products.

The company grows industrial hemp under government licence, but has been unable to keep up with consumer needs.

"We are using as much Australian-grown hemp seed as we can get our hands on," said managing director Paul Benhaim. "We are actively looking to expand contracts to support more Australian farmers and supply our operational manufacturing plant," Mr Benhaim said.

"This is a great opportunity for farmers to grow something other than sugar cane or cattle, which is also organic and sustainable."

De-hulled hemp seeds, hemp oil and hemp protein are among the products being produced in the Bangalow facility, which has been supported by the Department of Trade & Industry.

If you are a farmer interested in cultivating hemp seed on organic certified land, then register your interest by calling 6687 1260.

Press release for Hemp Foods Australia

Just in from eco-business.com, a press release about Paul Benhaim's work in Australia, where hemp is being grown - while it remains illegal in the US (for which there is a petition at www.minawear.com/about-us/ ).
Paul contributed two chapters to Hemp for Victory back in 2006, he was around that time living in London - he has since lived in Australia for many years and been working both on hemp food and hemp plastic.
We wish him well and perhaps when America gets hemp back, he will be of use as a consultant here. Below is the press release:
To supply their fully operational Australian manufacturing plant, Hemp Foods Australia are looking for more Australian Hemp Farmers.
Dehulled hemp seeds, hemp oil and hemp protein are amongst the products being produced in the Northern New South Wales facility that has been supported by the Department of Trade & Industry. The products are hoped to be destined for the national food market based on changing legislation early in the new year. Until that time Hemp Foods Australia is successfully exporting product as well as selling for non-human consumption (mainly cosmetic use) locally.
“We are using as much Australian grown hemp seed as we can get our hands on.” states Managing Director Paul Benhaim. Although Hemp Foods Australia grows industrial hemp under Government license, they have been unable to keep up with demand. “We are actively looking to expand contracts to support more Australian farmers.” The only thing stopping the Company is their requirement for Australian Certified Organic land for their organic hemp seed requirements, as their facility is now based on 100% certified organic production.
The potential use of hemp seed as a food source in Australia is expected to increase the rate of our already growing Australian labour force.
Hemp Foods Australia, a pioneer in the Australian hemp food industry since 1999 have announced a record year in 2012 and foresee exponential growth in 2013.
Recently Hemp Foods Australia has slashed the price of their products to celebrate their new production. Price reductions include 30% discount for their hemp oil. When asked if they can sustain these prices, Finance Manager Philip Favaro states “As we no longer import finished products we are able to reduce our costs which we are choosing to pass directly onto the consumer. This way we offer Australian’s an opportunity to rely less on imports and more on supporting an Australian hemp industry.”. In fact Production Manger Martin Ernegg states “with further upscaling and production improvements we are aiming for further cost improvements before next year.”
Giving Australian farmers an opportunity to grow something other than sugar cane or cattle that is also organic and sustainable leaves the feeling of hope for this purpose built hemp seed processing factory.
If you are a farmer interested in cultivating hemp seed on organic certified land then please register your interest via the contact page at www.hempfoods.com.au

Contact Hemp Foods Australia: 02 6687 1260

HOT OFF THE PRESS

As usual the papers were full of doom and gloom. However, one bright spot appeared in the Daily Mail where Liz Jones, pictured left, wrote about the cotton based fashion industry. She really hit hard, and took to task the likes of Fiona Lambert of Asda. This designer, like so many others, tried to assure us that she was very ethical indeed. Lambert went to lengths to point out that she had recently visited Asda factories in Bangladesh, and that they were indeed Kosher. Jones, however, asked some awkward questions. Lambert had no anwers, indeed had no idea what the minimum wage was in Bangladesh. So Ed Watson of Asda comes to the rescue of the Goliath corporation, telling the lovely damsel that he is there to clear up confusion. Jones is obviously no bimbo; she told him there was no confusion. Watson reiterated the assertion that the slaves, I mean workers, were paid mimimum wage, but on cross examination had no clue what that minimum wage was. The Jones vs. Watson case continued with further distress to the gentleman when our lady then pointed out that the Asda assertion about "negotiate with union representatives over terms" was so much hocus pocus as the union representatives are all in hiding from the government, which bends over backwards to please greedy businesses. Jones spent time walking through the Dhaka slums and seeing for herself what rubbish this is: slaves, I mean workers, live in huts with no running water, no electricity and no sanitation. It does not take Sherlock Holmes to see that Watson is full of BS. We will send Jones some information about hemp so she can add to the light some facts about this textile.

In other news, Sting got stung when he was found to have used an entire jet to take his highly paid butt to a gig in Germany. It ought to be a crime; of which there is plenty in Zimbabwe, where the hospitals are full of mutilated people who were cut to pieces by that darling of the left, Robert Gabriel Mugabe. The left hated the former president, Ian Smith, who made the hospitals and farms run well. But where are any of these lefty idiots to take responsibility for their crimes? I'd live to send George Monbiot to Zimbabwe to work on a farm, where he can learn a few things. Not surprising Zimbabwe refused to plant hemp, even though years ago Paul Benhaim went there to consult to the government about it. Other African nations are starting, however slowly, to learn about hemp, but don't expect to see fields of emerald up in Zimbabwe. For that matter, don't expect to see anything sprouting up in Zimbabwe except images of the great dictator Mugabe.

More bad news on the horizon is the fact that the US and Israel are making more noise about a strike on Iran, and so Iran is simply pointing out that they may stem the flow of oil if they get picked on. In which case, we may have a very cold winter, and not due to climate change. The West is simply not developing its own energy, and we need to have regime change to get this done, as governments in the US and the UK are too tied in to the oil and arms industries. And I did say regime change - which one translation service tried to interpret as "wipe off the map" - the famous remark that Ahmadinejad did not actually make. A year later a UN translator misinterpreted a note about Syria having certain weapons which was clearly, both in the original Arabic and the second translation into French, a remark about NOT having certain weapons - methinks this was accidentally on purpose. The arms dealers would love to have eternal war and make eternal profits. I would love to have some accuracy and a regime change.

Lastly let me mention a note about the EU changing its laws to allow the US to spy on EU citizens. Great. Big Brother crosses the pond and gets a warm welcome from the people we pay to guard our liberties. It is called treason, but they do not like that word, and in fact a number of UK MPs are trying to decriminalise treason. Much the same bunch that voted in the one sided US extradition laws, written mysteriously in US English. So treason would be legal, but growing hemp could get you the death penalty in the US.

Brave New World.

PAUL BENHAIM VISITS LONDON

Paul Benhaim, author of 4 hemp books and host of hemp.co.uk, is up from down under. He will visit London from the 18-20 January, checking out what is new with hemp here and sharing with us his views on hemp in Australia - along with any news on Zelfo, the hemp plastic company he developed.

HEMP IN AMERICA

The images here are of hemp products and logos sold and/or made in the USA. As can be seen, they are all legal and useful items, sold at such places as Minawear and Global Hemp.

A MARCH OF HEMP

April showers looming, and March is now behind us. It was not a bad month, unless you were a British sailor caught up in an international struggle between some total idiots. Hopefully they are not being hooded, tortured and treated to other nasty things which the US likes to do to its defenceless captives...so far the worst thing to befall the 15 was the ugly head scarf the woman sailor is wearing! And it's not even made of hemp. Perhaps we can send a hemp scarf to the Iranian Embassy here in London and explain that we are now all eco-conscious and hemp is what we prefer to wear. I suggested this to the Yanks, but I think they just ignored it, as all their orange jumpsuits and other bondage gear are all still made of cotton.

As was the Anya Hindmarch 'eco-bag', and not even organic cotton at that. Previous posts show us on the march outside her shop in, um, March; with a hemp bag.

Thousands of miles from London Paul Benhaim spent the month working out details of his new company, Zelfo, nice logo there Paul. He did not let the ides pass however without a visit to his homeland, and after convincing airport security he was not a tourist, he made his way to Essex to discuss the future of hemp plastic with Bobby Pugh and an unnamed financier.

In California Mina Hegaard and Edie Marrs geared up for the season of outdoor festivals, the two having teamed up earlier this year. Bamboo and possibly ramie and jute will also be available from these two, along with hemp. They are branching out a bit not only into other fibres, but into carrying a few more hemp products, including books. Hemp for Victory, A Treatise on Hemp, and Building with Hemp will be available from their sites later this month.