Selective Harvesting of Male and Female Fiber Hemp Plants and Water Retting Experiments for the Production of High-Quality, Long-Line Hemp Bast Fiber

Commodities

• Agronomic: hemp

Practices

• Crop Production: other
• Education and Training: demonstration, display, on-farm/ranch research
• Farm Business Management: new enterprise development
• Sustainable Communities: new business opportunities, partnerships, sustainability measures

The over-production and overconsumption of synthetic textiles is a significant concern. The objective of this project is to help in the creation of a new local textile economy based on locally-grown and processed natural bast fibers. 

In this proposal, we seek to improve our capacity to sustainably grow, ret, and process high-quality long-line hemp bast fiber for textile use. Through our work, we hope to add value to an expanding knowledge base of fiber hemp production that will support farmers and spinning mills in our region and beyond. The work of the project includes:

• trials of several different dioecious fiber hemp varieties
• selective harvesting and processing of male and female plants
• study of several different retting processes
• a test of the use of retting water as fertilizer
• partnership with a local spinning mill to bridge the gap between growers and commercial customers for locally grown bast fiber

The project is designed to span three growing seasons, and is based in Danby, Vermont at Mountain
Heart, the farm of the applicant/project leader, Andrea Myklebust. The results of the work will be shared via a
series of field days, on-farm demonstrations, organizational website and social media outlets, and presentations to interested stakeholder groups, including academic partners, Fibershed affiliate groups, local growers, and laypeople interested in local, natural-fiber textiles.

The objectives of the project:

• demonstrate that it is possible to grow and process very high-quality long-line hemp fiber in our region
• continue to build a set of retting methodologies for regional growers
• work with a small regional spinning mill to understand the qualities required for locally-grown and processed hemp fiber to be utilized in their blended wool/hemp yarns.

To achieve these objectives:

• I will grow several different dioecious fiber hemp varieties chosen for their potential to yield high-quality, long-line bast fibers.
• The plants will be harvested at two different times/batches by pulling male plants when they mature, and female plants when they mature at a somewhat later date. 
• Male and female plants will be processed via dew retting (a control sample) and water retting with several variables, including:
• traditional water/tank retting and dispersal of retting water as a fertilizer for dye plants.
• experiments with the addition of saponification, alkaline, and acidic ingredients to the retting water, based on historic recipes but adapted to use non-toxic ingredients.
• evaluation and cataloging of the resulting fiber through hand processing and spinning, and evaluation by a local dry spinning mill for use in their yarns.