Episode 71
Building a Hemp Supply Chain from Scratch
How a South Dakota Family Business is Growing Crops, Processing Materials, and Creating Markets While Dealing with Regulation, Cash Flow, and Supply Challenges
About This Episode
Alex Diaz interviews Ken Meyers about the operational realities of building a hemp supply chain from scratch. The conversation covers regulatory hurdles, processing challenges, cash flow constraints, and market creation in a newly legalized industry.
They dive into scaling production, recruiting farmers, processing diverse plant materials, and creating markets for hemp fiber, blocks, and animal bedding—revealing what it really takes to grow a new agricultural and manufacturing sector in the U.S.
Key Discussion Takeaways & Themes
- ✓Building a Hemp Supply Chain from Scratch: Agricultural licensing, fiber decortication machinery, and establishing commercial fiber processing in the U.S.
- ✓Regulatory Hurdles for Industrial Crops: Navigating federal, state, and banking friction when scaling industrial non-cannabinoid hemp fiber.
- ✓Fiber Quality & Processing Standards: Matching domestic decorticated hemp fiber to existing textile spinning and paper manufacturing specs.
- ✓Farmer Contracting & Risk Sharing: Structuring equitable purchase agreements with agricultural growers to guarantee feedstock supply.
Featured Guest
Ken Meyers
Co-founder · Complete Hemp Processing
Recorded Dec 10 2025
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