The owner of Kentucky’s first hemp processing plant will open its doors to the public Saturday. Kentucky Hemp Works, located in Hopkinsville, was the first of 35 processing plants to join the Kentucky Department of Agriculture in its statewide hemp pilot project.
Janine Silfies combines frozen fruits, unsweetened almond milk and hemp protein powder, a byproduct of the oil making process from hemp seed.
“What’s not protein is fibre. And then there is an oil, and that's a positive oil, it's omega 3 omega 6, perfect ratio for humans. So this is a good safe source of omegas and protein,” says Silfies.
Silfies is the mother of Hemp Works Owner Katie Moyer.
“The first thing that sparked my interest in hemp was that hemp was 7 times more efficient in ethanol than corn was,” says Moyer.
Christian County was already home to an ethanol plant. Moyer saw possibilities for hemp beyond “clothing and necklaces.”
Moyer, also an appointed member of the Kentucky Hemp Commission began sharing her interest in the plant almost 8 years ago. In her journey to educate Kentuckians on the sustainable properties of the plant Moyer met Jamie Comer, the former Ag Commissioner responsible for bringing hemp to Kentucky after an exemption in the 2014 Federal Farm bill allowed the growing of the crop for research purposes.
Moyer has teamed up with Kendall Clark, owner of the largest pilot hemp plot in the U.S. as well. It is his seed that provides Hemp Works the material to produce the salves, lip balms and protein powders for sale this weekend.
“We are opening our doors from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Guests are invited to share the excitement with hemp-themed food and drinks, door prizes, and KyProud Hemp products available for sample and purchase,” says Moyer.
