The Importance of Organic Hemp Farming
Hemp: The Amazing Plant
There are many different varieties of the cannabis plant. Hemp (also known as industrial hemp) refers to the non-psychotropic (less than .3% THC) varieties of Cannabis Sativa. Hemp has a wide variety of uses as it can be grown as a renewable source for raw materials that can be incorporated into thousands of products. Its seeds and flowers may be used in health foods, organic body care, as well as supplements. The fibers and stalks are used in hemp clothing, construction materials, paper, biofuel, plastic composites, to name a few.
This plant sets itself apart from other crops because it cleans the soil through the process of bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other chemicals in an organism. Hemp’s unique quality was useful after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. In 1986, nuclear waste was spread across much of Eastern Europe, rendering land unusable. Hemp was the plant of choice to help clean and remediate the soil. Hemp can also sequester carbon back into the earth through a process called biosequestration. In the process of photosynthesis, the plant captures carbon emissions from the atmosphere, which helps to reverse climate change.
USDA Organic Certification & Regenerative Agriculture
Organic Certification by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) means that farmers are following specific guidelines when growing their crops. The organic growing method is concerned primarily with the production side of farming and the products used to grow plants. The USDA awards the organic label to produce that is grown following these guidelines:
Soil management: Organic farms must rotate their crops to maintain the nutrient quality of the soil. Instead of using unauthorized synthetic fertilizers, farmers must use animal waste and certified products to add nutrition to the earth.
Cover crops and tilling practices are also used.
Pesticides: Organic crops are maintained without the use of chemical pesticides.
Organic seeds: Farmers plant organic seeds to produce organic crops.
No genetic engineering: Food cannot be altered using genetic engineering, sewage slug, or ionizing radiation. That means that organic foods are inherently free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Regenerative agriculture goes hand in hand with organic practices but goes even further. Regenerative farmers also do everything they can to get the soil healthy and mineralized. This not only leads to healthier crops but builds organic matter, carbon, and good structure in the ground that builds soil resilience. Why not purchase your consumer goods from an organization that pursues giving back to the environment and creates and maintains conditions under which humans and nature can exist in harmony to support future generations?
Be An Informed Consumer
RE Botanical’s brand, Palmetto Harmony, is the first CBD brand that had viable seeds and hemp flower certified along with the flower extracted product line. Before signage of the 2018 farm bill in December, the statement of principles by the USDA specified that hemp crops could be certified organic. Still, the flower and the viable seed were not able to be included in that certification. We grew in our 80,000 square foot facility over the winter and had our flower certified, which then resulted in legitimately certifying our flower only extracts. For further information, please read the statement of principles before the 2018 farm bill via the USDA.
Be an informed consumer and search for yourself from the USDA Database to see how Palmetto Harmony compares to other companies.
Impact of Organically Grown Hemp
On the Environment
Organic farming practices are much safer for the environment as they avoid the use of chemicals and other harmful materials. Good crops come from good soil, and organic farmers improve the soil by adding compost, and non-toxic manures. Because hemp is naturally resistant, added chemicals don’t end up in the ground and seep into the water supply.
Hemp is an attractive rotation crop for farmers. When crops, like hemp, are grown organically, they can improve the soil for the next cultivation. As it flourishes, hemp breathes in CO2, detoxifies the soil, and prevents soil erosion. Also, the remains after harvest break down into the ground, providing valuable nutrients to the earth.
On the Consumers
Hemp is a bioaccumulator resulting in the concentration of levels when the biomass is extracted into a carrier oil. It is essential to know where the hemp is sourced and that it was not grown in contaminated soil. “Hemp from China, for example, contains some of the most dangerous heavy metals in the world. According to a 2011 study of Chinese hemp strains, the plant was able to absorb dangerously high levels of the heavy metal cadmium without detriment to the plant itself”. Infused oils, supplements, tinctures, and topicals may be toxic to your body if the hemp used to make consumable products is contaminated.
Superior natural products come from organically grown crops and produce. What you put in your body is your fuel, and USDA Certified Organic products are the highest quality fuel your body can use. A consumer can not only nourish their own body but also aid in our planet’s longevity by making informed choices on the products they purchase for themselves and their loved ones.
Palmetto Harmony has now become the most trusted brand in the CBD space while at the same time, protecting natural resources, conserving biodiversity, and using only organic approved practices and ingredients.