AAFCO Approves Hempseed Meal for Laying Hens - National Hemp Association

On August 7th, 2024, the Hemp Feed Coalition (HFC) achieved a historic success as the full Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) membership approved the Ingredient Definition for Hempseed Meal (HSM) for Laying Hens. This federal approval represents a monumental moment for the hemp industry and a leap forward in animal nutrition. This is a critical first step in opening the door to widespread use of hemp grain in animal feed.

Hempseed Meal is not just another feed ingredient; it’s a powerhouse of nutrition. Packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and a complete protein profile—including all 20 amino acids and the nine essential ones—HSM offers unparalleled benefits for laying hens. Research has shown that incorporating HSM into a hen’s diet significantly improves egg quality. Hens fed with hempseed meal lay eggs enriched with essential fatty acids like ALA, DHA, and GLA, which are vital for promoting human health.

The approval process was no small feat. It involved years of rigorous evaluations, detailed correspondence with the FDA-Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM), and careful consideration by the AAFCO Ingredient Definition Committee. This victory is thanks to the relentless efforts of the Hemp Feed Coalition and its partners.  Their commitment to recognizing the value of hemp as a feed ingredient has been instrumental in achieving this success.

For farmers, the approval of Hempseed Meal provides a new avenue for crop rotation and farm flexibility, offering a nutritious and sustainable alternative to traditional feed sources like soy and canola. The nutritional benefits extend beyond the farm, as consumers will soon have access to eggs that are not only delicious but also nutritionally superior.

From left to right: HFC Executive Director, Morgan Tweet; HFC President, Andrew Bish; AAFCO Ingredient Definition Committee Chair Erin; HFC Board Member Bill Bookout

This milestone is just the beginning. The Hemp Feed Coalition remains dedicated to expanding the authorization of hemp seed products across a wider range of animals. As we look to the future, advocating for FDA and state-level approvals for hemp-based feed ingredients for pets and other non-production animals will be crucial in promoting agricultural diversity and sustainability.

The approval of Hempseed Meal for Laying Hens is more than just a win for the hemp industry—it’s a step towards a more resilient, diverse, and environmentally conscious agricultural future. Let’s keep the momentum going and continue to champion the integration of hemp into all aspects of animal nutrition.

AAFCO Approves Hempseed Meal for Laying Hens - National Hemp Association

Update Lignin Removal Test Plants Photo

Growing Kenaf Test Plant Images from first planting Jan 2016 till Sept 2016

Two Sets of Test Plants are growing.  1 set started indoors, 2nd set planted in backyard garden.

As of Sept 18 the second set of plants is within 2 feet of acquiring the height the 1st set has reached.

This is a perfect example of Kenaf ability to produce clean energy from the plant biomass.

Kenaf Plants started indoors Mid Jan 2016

2 feet tall kenaf plants transplanted to pots and moved outdoors Spring 2016

Kenaf Plant Flower

2nd set of Kenaf Plants planted directly in backyard Garden 

Kenaf Seed pods and seeds from 1st plants

Sept 18 2016 1st and 2nd Kenaf Plant Height comparison.

Here is a lesson I learned from this experiment: Don't plant anything under a roof edge that doesn't have a gutter to collect the water and keep it from downing and drowning the plant below. 

Little Green Thumbs Helping with Kenaf Plants

The whole family is in awe and pleasantly surprised to see how fast the Kenaf plants have grown.  The Kids and I have been watching and monitoring the Kenaf Test Plants since they sprouted in January. The Kids grow almost as fast as the Kenaf 8234 plants.

Great Help with the Kenaf Plants from the Little Green Thumbs!

It is a no-brainer to see why Kenaf is a sustainable Biomass Energy Champion.  

Kenaf 8234 Sprouts- Jan 2016

In the 5 months we have been tending the Plants.  We have watched the Kenaf Plants grow from little sprouts to 6 feet tall plants with a stalk diameter of 1 inch!

Kenaf Test Plants 6 ft Tall June 2016

Kenaf 1 inch Stalk Diameter June 2016

Hemp: A Source Biomass Antibacterial Fibers

Cannabis sativa: The Plant of the Thousand and One Molecules

Plant lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant renewable resource, which can provide biopolymers, fibers, chemicals and energy (Guerriero et al., 2014, 2015, 2016). 

Trees are important for the provision of wood, however, also fast-growing herbaceous species, like textile hemp (which has a THC content <0.3%; Weiblen et al., 2015), can provide high biomass quantities in a short time. The stem of this fiber crop supplies both cellulosic and woody fibers: the core is indeed lignified, while the cortex harbors long cellulose-rich fibers, known as bast fibers (Figure 1) (Guerriero et al., 2013).

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 1. Anatomical details of Cannabis stem. (A) Stem of an adult plant (ca 2 months); (B) The stem can be peeled off and shows a lignified core and a cortex with bast fibers. (C) Longitudinal section of hemp stem stained with toluidine blue 

showing the cortex with a bundle of bast-fibers (white asterisk) and the core with xylem vessels (black asterisk).

This heterogeneous cell wall composition makes hemp stem an interesting model to study secondary cell wall biosynthesis, in particular the molecular events underlying the deposition of cortical gelatinous bast fibers and core woody fibers.

Cannabis woody fibers (a.k.a “hurds” or “shivs”) are used for animal bedding because of their high absorption capacity and for the creation of a concrete-like material.

Hemp bast fibers are used in the biocomposite sector as a substitute of glass fibers. The automotive industry is particularly keen on using hemp bast fibers to produce bioplastics: this material is stronger than polypropylene plastic and lighter in weight (Marsh, 2003).

Beyond the applications in the construction and automotive industries, hemp fibers are attractive also in the light of their natural antibacterial property. Hemp bast fibers have been indeed described as antibacterial (Hao et al., 2014; Khan et al., 2015) and their use for the manufacture of an antibacterial finishing agent (Bao et al., 2014), surgical devices (Gu, 2006) or functionalized textiles (Cassano et al., 2013) has been reported. This property is linked to the chemical composition of hemp bast fibers: both free and esterified sterols and triterpenes have been identified, among which β-sitosterol and β-amyrin (Gutiérrez and del Río, 2005). These compounds possess known antibacterial properties (Kiprono et al., 2000; Ibrahim, 2012). Hemp bast fibers were also found to contain cannabinoids (2% of the total metabolite extract) (Bouloc et al., 2013 and references therein). More recently hemp hurd powder showed antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli (Khan et al., 2015). Since the hurd has a higher lignin content than the bast fibers, its antibacterial property may be linked to lignin-related compounds such phenolic compounds, as well as alkaloids and cannabinoids (Appendino et al., 2008; Khan et al., 2015).

Hemp Stem: A Source of Fibers with Antibacterial Properties

REVIEW ARTICLE

Front. Plant Sci., 04 February 2016 |http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.00019

Christelle M. Andre*, Jean-Francois Hausman and Gea Guerriero

• Environmental Research and Innovation, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Startup Lesson: Industry Players vs Non Industry People

One thing I've learned when talking to Hemp and Agriculture People vs those outside the business is: People in Agriculture understand Agriculture terms used in my startup pitch deck.

Here's a simple example:  I mentioned a drill the other day to a non ag person.  "He asked how big of a hole?"  When I mention a drill to an Ag person; they understand I'm talking about a seeder or planter that "puts the seeds into the ground".  The one simple word has very different meanings.

I also learned that it takes me more time to explain farming techniques and less time is spent on talking about my inventions or MOhemp Energy:

• such as crop rotation, 
• planting or harvesting are times often determined by weather conditions, 
• the difference between a combine or a harvester...

The greatest thing about pitching to Agriculture Industry Players is that they want to see Farmers succeed.  They understand that Farming is the most important industry in the World.  Farmers create the most treasured resource: Food.