Pennsylvania’s Bio-Economy Poised to Grow | Hemp Industry News

BLANDON, Pa. — Pennsylvania is well positioned to be a leader in the biobased economy.

That was the message Aug. 3 at Lunaria Farm, where the owners of Coexist Build hosted an event to illuminate Pennsylvania’s bio-economy and educate policymakers on the potential of the industry.

The bio-economy is commercial activity centered on agricultural raw materials for use in goods, services or energy.

Coexist Build is a biobased, architect-led building company owned and operated by Drew Oberholtzer and Ana Konopatskaya, who live, work, and raise their two children on the 10-acre farm in Berks County.

It was an invitation-only event, and about 150 people were in attendance to mix and mingle with various businesses that had set up display tables under tents near the barn.

“It’s a gathering of stakeholders in the biobased material space, starting with the family farm and going all the way to the manufacturers of material and to the customers,” said Oberholtzer, whose company is developing a precast hemp block used for construction.

The event aimed to highlight how agricultural outputs can be the raw materials for numerous industries, from building materials and textiles to biobased plastics and biofuels.

The potential of the biobased economy is huge, Oberholtzer said.

“It’s essentially slowly replacing petroleum. Everything made with petroleum will eventually be biobased, sourced from agriculture raw material,” he said.

He said Pennsylvania is poised to be a leader in this space — “we have an ecosystem that is ripe to make that happen.”

Pennsylvania has much to offer in terms of excellent farmers, rich farmland, and proximity to markets up and down the East Coast, but the key to a successful future lies in the past, Oberholtzer said.

“Pennsylvania has always been a manufacturing and agricultural leader, so the infrastructure is there for that entire supply chain,” he said.

Perhaps one of Pennsylvania’s greatest strengths is its people whose ingenuity was on display at the event.

Over 30 Pennsylvania-based companies were on hand to share their products, services and ideas — from hempcrete and straw bale construction, 3D printing with hemp bioplastic, plant-based paints and varnishes.

Heidi Barr and Emma de Long from PA Flax Project gave a demonstration about growing and harvesting flax for use in textiles, projecting that Pennsylvania can have a thriving linen industry.

During the brief introductory remarks by various stakeholders, Bob Morgan, state director of USDA Rural Development, encouraged farmers and producers look to the agency for assistance in funding biobased projects.

Coexist Build used the Value-Added Producer Grant Program to fund its hemp block product line.

“Look, if you are a farmer and you grow tomatoes, I can’t help you get it to the farmers market,” Morgan said. “However, if you make those tomatoes into spaghetti sauce or salsa, I can help you market that.”

Mike Roth, director of conservation and innovation at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, is excited by the growth potential of the biobased economy, and not just for economic reasons.

“I’m challenged to think of another industry where you can have a conversation about biomaterials, human health, environmental health, just a multitude of different things,” he said.

Erica Stark, chair of the Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council, said the bio-economy — especially the hemp industry — faces regulatory challenges that are hindering the growth of the industry and limiting investment.

The 2023 Industrial Hemp Act, currently making its way through Congress will go a long way in de-risking the hemp industry by creating a sub-definition of industrial hemp, which is hemp that is grown purposely for fiber and grain.

Stark echoed the sentiment about Pennsylvania’s potential.

“We have everything we need right here in this commonwealth in order to have a thriving, successful and lucrative hemp industry,” she said.