Western Australia’s industrial hemp business simply scored a well-deserved highlight, with Farm Weekly just lately that includes Margaret River Hemp Co and Hemp Houses Australia in a narrative about how WA-grown hemp is being was hemp constructing supplies — together with hempcrete blocks and panels for housing.
For us, it’s a proud (and actually fairly thrilling) reminder that hemp isn’t only a “good concept”. It’s a actual crop, with actual merchandise, and the potential to help regional jobs, native manufacturing, and lower-impact building.
From early pioneers to real-world constructing supplies
As highlighted within the Farm Weekly article by Mel Williams, our co-founders Gary Rogers and Georgina Wilkinson have been concerned in Australian hemp for greater than three a long time, and established Margaret River Hemp Co in 1995.
Over time, we’ve labored to construct consciousness of hemp’s potential throughout a number of industries — from farming and textiles by means of to building and sustainability — all the time with a give attention to creating a dependable WA provide chain.
On the coronary heart of it: processing hemp into worthwhile uncooked supplies that may help a number of industries.
Farm Weekly additionally famous that Margaret River Hemp Co just lately obtained a State Authorities grant particularly to help the manufacturing of hemp hurd — the important thing ingredient used because the “mixture” in hempcrete building.
What’s hemp hurd — and why does it matter?
A hemp stalk has two major parts:
- Bast fibre – used for textiles, rope, biocomposites and insulation
- Hurd (shiv) – the woody interior core, utilized in hempcrete and likewise animal bedding
Hurd is the unsung hero in the case of hemp constructing supplies. When mixed with a lime-based binder, it turns into hempcrete — a breathable, sturdy wall infill materials that’s gaining consideration as builders search for smarter methods to assemble comfy houses with much less environmental affect.
Scaling WA processing capability
One of many key factors within the Farm Weekly piece was the significance of native processing.
Our processing plant in Margaret River has the capability to scale as much as 10 tonnes per day of uncooked hemp processing when required — the type of functionality that issues if hemp constructing supplies are going to change into mainstream and constantly obtainable.
And for anybody nonetheless complicated industrial hemp with marijuana (it occurs!), the article made a transparent distinction:
Industrial hemp is a low-THC number of Hashish sativa grown for fibre, hurd, seed and agricultural worth — not for any psychoactive use.
Why builders are listening to hempcrete
Farm Weekly summarised why hempcrete is getting used increasingly in constructing:
Hempcrete combines hemp hurd + a lime-based binder + water to create a non-structural infill materials that gives a extremely compelling mixture of efficiency and luxury.
Advantages of hempcrete building (as outlined within the article)
- Glorious thermal efficiency (power financial savings)
- Breathability + moisture management
- Hearth resistance
- Full recyclability at finish of life
- Low embodied carbon, helped by hemp’s speedy CO₂ uptake throughout development
The article additionally defined a key function of lime-based programs: the binder permits vapour to maneuver by means of the wall system, serving to the hemp dry out — and the pure alkalinity of lime may also help resist mould, pests and decay.
Meet Iggy Van + Hemp Squared: hemp blocks made in WA
The Farm Weekly function additionally launched readers to Iggy Van, a WA hemp producer and processor who arrange Hemp Squared to fabricate hempcrete blocks and panels for housing.
Based on the article, the blocks are designed at roughly:
- 300mm excessive
- 600mm huge
- 90–300mm thick
The method makes use of the woody centre of the hemp stalk (hurd), chopped into chips, then mixed with lime and binder to kind blocks.
A quote that caught with us was the reason of what occurs over time: the lime continues to react and the ultimate product can change into stone-like, with the long-term sturdiness you need in constructing supplies.
Backed by WA analysis: DPIRD + AgriFutures trials
The Farm Weekly piece additionally highlighted analysis help from DPIRD and AgriFutures, together with multi-year selection trials in Kununurra and Manjimup to assist match hemp cultivars to WA rising situations.
In trials referenced within the article, 36 hemp varieties had been assessed throughout three years, producing encouraging outcomes and serving to construct confidence for growers hemp as a critical rotation crop.
And that’s a part of the larger image: if we wish extra WA hemp constructing supplies, we’d like extra WA hemp grown — and that requires stable agronomy, good varieties, and dependable processing pathways.
The larger takeaway: hemp is shifting from “idea” to “building”
Probably the most thrilling factor about this Farm Weekly function is what it represents:
Hemp is not only a future-facing concept — it’s changing into a sensible materials for housing, supported by analysis, processing functionality, and a rising community of individuals constructing the business from the bottom up.
When you’re a grower, builder, architect, or just hemp-curious, we reckon that’s one thing value celebrating.
Need to be taught extra?
Hemp Houses Australia
hemphomesaustralia.internet.au
Hemp Squared
hemp-squared.com.au
