CO --> WY --> SD --> MN --> IA --> NE --> CO
I just returned from a road trip to Minneapolis to see, among others, Cargill (via South Dakota/ Pine Ridge and Alex White Plume of Sioux Nation outbound, and then Iowa / Nebraska) about collaboration with University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine (and Nutrition) on the St. Paul Campus. There is an opening to pursue animal feed initiatives consistent with Cargill's desire to consider alternatives to antibiotics and approaches that are more sustainable than conventional (e.g., biochar & pelletized spent hemp biomass (very low in cannabinoids) as supplements separately at first, also potentially together in my view). Regulatory issues are very different and must be understood and clearly laid out for Cargill to present to management.
The trip brought into much sharper focus a vision for a better world with cleaner water & healthier animals while working within the large GMO infrastructure. Considering the Warfarin story as inspiration, in 1933, cows were dying from hemorrhagic sweet clover disease. The cure was to stop eating the moldy sweet clover hay in Dairyland, except it was all the farmers could afford. Now in 2020, the land and water are dying and it is making it harder for the fish and animals to stay alive and be healthy. And of course it impacts the health of the food system. Something has to give in my estimation. The acres of Corn and Soy in particular struck me. An astounding number of monoculture acres out there. Thinking of a rotation with Industrial Hemp for “Grain or Fiber,” and in particular areas closer to estuaries where runoff is the biggest concern. Knowing how Biochar can address algae blooms, these options must be considered, leaving funding aside for now. This form of farming is "all we can afford," and we are stuck with it so we are told. There are regulations and incentives that must be better understood & adjusted. I have a clearer idea of what is feasible, especially considering Industrial Hemp grows feral throughout this whole region. One can picture pre-prohibition cows raised for beef foraging around feral hemp fields in the early 1900s and eating whole plants, or at least the tops. Good things could well happen, especially once large-scale domestic processing comes online. Here is to Industrial Hemp for 1) Food, 2) Fuel & 3) Fiber and all that was meant from this.
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