Friends and Colleagues at the 2021 Montana Summer Summit and Lancaster Farming National Hemp Tour.
Montana Summer Summit – August 9th and 10th 2022
In July 2021, in support of Eric Hurlock and The Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast – National Hemp Tour, IND HEMP decided to host a gathering at our location in Fort Benton. This event evolved and became the inaugural Montana Summer Summit.
This gathering brought together friends, colleagues, and stakeholders from across the hemp grain and fiber industries to share, discuss, collaborate, and celebrate each person and business’s place in developing a stable industry and supply chain for hemp foods and fiber in America.
Our hope is to build upon our first gathering with new participants from across the supply chain and have an opportunity to facilitate real work and discussion together. The Summer Summit Gathering is an invite only industry event focused at productive and collaborative work. Representatives from these companies have been invited to join. RSVP’s should be directed to [email protected] or call the office at 406-622-5680.
Thanks to our event sponsors for helping to make this a great gathering!
IND HEMP, National Hemp Growers Cooperative, Global Hemp Association, Midwest Hemp Council, Planet Based Foods, and New West Genetics!
Summit Agenda (Will be updated as speakers and topics are confirmed)
-Click Here for the Confirmed List of Attendee’s –
Tuesday, August 9th
8:00am – Start arriving- Montana Agriculture Museum (1205 20th Street, Fort Benton, MT 59442)
Coffee, fruit, hot items, and breakfast pastries provided
8:30am – 12:00pm
8:30 to 9:15 – Welcome speech Ken Elliott, recap of last year by Morgan Tweet – Introduction to the Sunflower Film Crew
9:15 to 10:15 – Panel (Moderator: Morgan Tweet) State of the Union: Updates from trade associations:
Trade associations (GHA, NHA, HFC, Hemp Exemption, USHBA)
10:15 to 10:30 – Break
10:30 to 11:30 – Panel (Moderator: Ken Elliott): Carbon Measurement and liquidity: PanXchange, Arva Intelligence
11:30 to 12:15 – (Trey Riddle) Introduction to Trade Alliance: 30 minutes, 15 minutes Q&A
12:15pm – 1:30pm LUNCH
Featured industry speaker session during second half of lunch- Montana Department of Commerce
1:30pm – 3:00pm
Panel (Moderator: Morgan Tweet) Agronomic and Research: FFAR Hemp consortium, GHA, and Ben Brimlow (IND HEMP Lead Agronomist) Q&A, White Board Session
3:00pm – 5:00pm – Oilseed and Fiber facility tours (split into two groups and alternate), Transportation provided (Fort Benton Longhorn Buses)
2:30 to 2:45 – Load shuttle, travel to sites
2:45 to 3:30 – Tour session 1
3:30 to 3:45 – Load shuttle, travel to sites
3:45 to 4:30 – Tour session 2
5:00pm – 5:30pm Closing session at Fiber building
Shuttle available to transport between IND HEMP Fiber Building, Downtown, Ag Museum
6:00pm – 6:30pm
Optional Happy hour at Montana Agriculture Museum
Time to rest, catch up on emails, enjoy the town of Fort Benton and get ready for dinner
6:30pm – 9:00pm Banquet Dinner: Montana Agriculture Museum/Center (1205 20th St. Fort Benton, MT)
7:00pm food served, drinks, music!
9:00pm -?? Optional after party Wake Cup
Wednesday, August 10th
6:30am – Start arriving – Community Bible Center (1600 Main St. Fort Benton, MT 59442)
Coffee, fruit, hot items, and breakfast pastries provided
6:45am – Start loading into Fort Benton Longhorn Buses
7:00am – Departing Fort Benton and Driving to Great Falls
7:00am – 12:00pm – Field Trip – Touring hemp fiber and grain fields in Fort Benton Longhorn Buses
8:00am – Bus will meet at North 40 Outfitters (1000 3rd St. NW, Great Falls, Mt 59404) West Store Location parking lot to pick up guests staying in Great Falls
Location of fiber field is located approximately 22 miles West of Great Falls.
9:15-9:30am – Leave fiber field, stop back at North 40 Outfitters to drop people off and head back to Fort Benton for the Grain Field Visit
Location of Grain Hemp Field is located approximately 13 miles East of Fort Benton.
12:00pm – 1:00pm LUNCH – Community Bible Center (1600 Main St. Fort Benton, MT 59442)
Feature industry speaker session during second half of lunch: AgriCap, review Insurance for hemp
1:00pm – 4:30pm
1:00 to 1:45 – Panel (Moderator: Trey Riddle) Featured Speaker Capital: Merida Capital, Wipfli
1:45 to 2:30 – Panel (Moderator: Ken Elliott) Future of (Hemp) Food panel: Chad Rosen – Victory Hemp Foods; Braelyn Davis – Planet Based Foods; Tonia Farman – Queen of Hearts
2:30 to 2:45 – Break
2:45 to 4:15 – Panel (Moderator: Trey Riddle) Hemp fiber panel: current state, opportunity, and requirements:
Textile, Non-Woven, Composites: Guy Carpenter – Bear Fiber; Chad Ulven – NDSU, ASTM, & c2renew; Mattie Mead – Hempitecture &
Jim Preston – Rhetech
4:15 to 5:00 – Trey Riddle: Future of the Industry & Trade alliance whiteboard
5:00 to 5:30 – Closing remarks Ken Elliott/Morgan Tweet
5:30pm Dinner and the rest of the evening, feel free to do whatever you’d like. There are a few lovely places to eat in Fort Benton;
The Grand Union Hotel Restaurant, Wake Cup Coffee, Club House, and more!
IND HEMPers plan to be at the Wake Cup for Beer & Pizza, anyone is welcome to join.
Thursday, August 11th
8:00am-? Summit is over. IND HEMP team is available for scheduled 1 on 1 meetings. Contact [email protected] to schedule a meeting.