MIDDLEBURY — Three organization will host a networking event for people interested in hemp on Wednesday, March 19, in Middlebury. The evening will also feature a special screening of the hemp documentary “Bringing it Home.”
The event, hosted by Rural Vermont, Full Sun Company of Middlebury, VT, and Vote Hemp, is intended for all those interested in cultivating hemp, and networking with other Vermont farmers, processors and advocates. The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Ilsley Public Library.
The event will feature remarks from long-time hemp entrepreneur and advocate Netaka White, co-owner of Full Sun Company of Middlebury. White and his business partner, David McManus, will discuss Full Sun’s commitment to processing locally grown hemp and explore ways that Vermont farmers can be involved in the state’s emerging hemp industry. Reuben Stone, a past director for the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance and fourth-generation farmer in Lower Stafford, Ontario, will also be sharing his experiences in growing the Canadian hemp market. Stone will be speaking via video conferencing.
Rural Vermont organizer Robb Kidd of Montpelier and Vote Hemp Board member Eric Lineback of Dummerston will give an update on how the changes in Vermont and the federal law may authorize Vermonters to grow hemp this year or in the near future.
 “Bringing it Home” (52 minutes) is an award-winning documentary and is being shown courtesy of Hemp History Week. The film tells the story of hemp’s past, present and future through interviews with hemp business leaders and entrepreneurs from all over the globe, historical images and media clips, and footage filmed in the U.K.; Spain; Washington, D.C.; California; and North Carolina. The documentary aims to magnify dialogue about hemp in order to facilitate America’s transition to a more informed, sustainable, and healthy future. For more information about the film visit the film’s website,www.bringingithomemovie.com.
This event is an opportunity for all those who are interested in networking with other Vermonter farmers, processors and advocates of an agricultural hemp crop. For more information contact Robb Kidd of Rural Vermont at (802) 223-7222 or [email protected].