Southern Hemp Expo 2019

Ethan Vorhes and his family raise beef, pork, and poultry on a non-GMO grain farm in Northern Iowa. Ethan worked the last three years to transplant his farming operation to a hemp-legal state. He sees an opportunity to produce natural hemp-feed livestock to produce non-commodity meat with an advantageous flavor profile and a unique nutritional story. This aggressive pivot from traditional agriculture led Ethan to be a stakeholder in Colorado’s hemp fed feasibility study group. Ethan is now a steering committee member of the HIA-led hemp feed coalition. Ethan believes that hemp can help struggling family farms with a high market value product that simultaneously advances restorative land management. Federal approval of hemp grain as livestock feed is a vital part of regenerating our environment, economy, rural communities, and society. Ethan is also a Director at the Iowa Hemp Association where we focus on education and research.