Fort Benton, Montana – IND HEMP, a leading agricultural company, proudly announces the completion of its state-of-the-art seed cleaning facility and processing expansion, doubling the storage capacity at the IH Oilseeds facility located on Highway 87 in Fort Benton. These significant upgrades, along with the company’s recent SQF approval, not only support domestic customers but also open doors to lucrative export opportunities in neighboring Canada, as well as Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Pacific Rim.
Constructed in 2019 following the passage of the 2018 farm bill, which legalized hemp production in the United States, the IH Oilseeds facility stands as a purpose-built food processing center for hempseed grain, a highly nutritious superfood. While hempseed foods and ingredients have been consumed for centuries and are available in grocery stores worldwide, they were primarily sourced from countries like Canada since hemp cultivation was restricted in the USA. The IH Oilseeds processing facility operates three primary processing lines: Dehulling, which involves separating the hemp heart from the hulls; cold press expelling and filtration for hempseed oil, a versatile culinary oil, dietary supplement, and skincare ingredient; and milling and separation for protein powders with varying protein and fiber contents.
Handling, safety, and testing requirements for hempseed grain differ significantly from those of conventional cereal grains commonly grown in the area. With the completion of the new seed cleaning facility, IND HEMP can now handle higher volumes and improved cleaning efficiencies, benefiting not only industrial hempseed growers but also accommodating other alternative crops that require specialized cleaning and packing facilities capable of handling multiple truckloads.
Morgan Tweet, CEO and Co-Founder of IND HEMP, stated, “It’s been a busy few months, as we’ve worked tirelessly to meet growing domestic and export opportunities. We obtained our SQF Global Food Safety Initiative Certification at the end of 2022, appointed a new COO in April, and now, with the completion of our infrastructure expansions, we can effectively support this burgeoning marketplace and the farmers we work with.”
Committed to creating new opportunities for American farmers and rural communities, IND HEMP remains dedicated to building the necessary infrastructure to make industrial hemp a viable cash crop for Montana farmers.
In addition to its seed processing capabilities, IND HEMP distinguishes itself by also investing in processing infrastructure for hemp straw and fiber. The IH Fiber facility, spanning 52,000 square feet across 7 acres and situated across the highway from the oilseeds plant, was inaugurated with Montana’s Governor Greg Gianforte in April 2022. This cutting-edge facility processes hemp straw into bast fiber and hurd (the inner woody core). The hurd material is utilized to not only support the company’s HEMPTANA brand with a premium equine bedding product, but also other brands and a variety industries. Our additional milling capabilities support applications like bio-composites, oil and gas, and compounding.
The versatile bast fiber holds tremendous potential, and IND HEMP has been actively collaborating with companies across various sectors, including textiles, wipes, feminine hygiene products, battery materials, erosion control, and more. Currently, a significant portion of the bast fiber produced is supplied to Hempitecture, a sustainable building materials company based in Jerome, Idaho. Hempitecture has established a non-woven manufacturing facility producing Hempwool, a natural fiber home insulation and direct replacement for fiberglass insulation, certified by the USDA as Biobased.
Ken Elliott, President and Co-Founder of IND HEMP, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “Over the past four years, we have been dedicated to building and operating two processing plants for vastly different materials. Now, with an exceptional team in place, we look forward to optimizing our efficiency and utilizing our infrastructure to support our mission: connecting American farmers with the businesses and pioneers who envision industrial hemp as a catalyst for positive change in their communities, their health, and ultimately our planet .”
IND HEMP is proud to partner with innovators in the food space who value an American supply chain, including Planet Based Foods, producer of hempseed burgers, crumbles, and ready-to-heat taquitos, as well as Queen of Hearts Superfoods, renowned for their award-winning salad dressing line that uses hempseed oil, hemp hearts, and hemp protein in each of their five flavors. IND HEMP recently participated with Export Montana in the Taipei Food Show in Taipei, Taiwan, and will be showcasing their hempseed ingredients at the upcoming IFT FIRST (Institute of Food Technologies Food Improved by Research, Science, and Technology) conference at the McCormick Center in Chicago from July 16-19, at Booth S3170.
About IND HEMP:
IND HEMP is a family-owned, mission-driven agricultural company founded in 2018. It established the IH Oilseeds hempseed food processing facility in 2019 and launched the IH Fiber decortication facility in 2022, becoming the first company in the USA to leverage dual-purpose crops, enabling farmers to benefit from both the grain harvest and residual straw.