Vital Ones,
This March reminded me of where we’ve been and where we’re going. We started Vital Hemp humbly, on the Venice Boardwalk, then traveled to festivals, then opened wholesale accounts and a hemp store. Now we go to big shows that open up worlds of possibilities for the growth of the company. Still we never forget our roots.
We just returned from the Serenity Festival in the mountains East of San Diego, on the La Jolla Indian Reservation. While the electronic music was much different than the music I know, the acts on the live stage reminded me why I love festivals and concerts—so much talent, artistry and soul in those performances.
We also connected in playful ways with members of our extended family, the non-profit Peace Sticks family (http://peacesticks.com), who builds teams, educates and entertains with lightweight, painted throwing sticks, crafted and painted by children in Nicaragua. Playing with Shine Rilling and friends, we connected to the fun of challenge, movement and flow—all after a simple talking stick ceremony that grounded us in the land and life.
We reunited with vendors—old friends and new—including the vital crew at Imlak’esh Organics (http://imlakeshorganics.com), who astound us with their newest superfood snacks, combining elements in original ways to delight and nourish us, and who always remember to have a good time! Thanks to Imlak-esh for investing in hemp tees for their peeps!
We appreciated creative contributions of chefs and jewelry makers, textile artists and face painters, supporting each other with money or barter, and mostly with time spent together. They remind us that all human culture begins with the land, and manifests through our creative work with the elements.
Earlier in the month, we attended the Natural Products Expo, where we held down the booth as tens of thousands roamed the halls in Anaheim, foraging for snacks, or for the latest, greatest natural product. We were happy to be among the companies for whom we make hemp t-shirts, hemp aprons, etc.. and happier to experience the excitement about hemp products. While we’ve felt a bit marginalized at the show in the past, we now feel like our country is re-discovering hemp. We’re proud to have been holding the hemp banner for twelve years (this Earth Day will mark our thirteenth anniversary!). We are so grateful for all the support you’ve shown us during that time.
Thank you for buying our clothing, reading our newsletters, and supporting the re-legalization of industrial hemp in the USA, a process that is now happening with greater and greater momentum.
When I started this company, I thought that it would take ten years to see the day when hemp was again legal to grow in the USA. It’s taken twelve. Now we’re growing industrial hemp legally (though currently for “research” purposes as the industry gears up) in Colorado, Kentucky (where Patagonia’s developing fabric capacity) and Vermont. My guess is that within the next five years we will see a re-vitalized hemp industry in this country, growing hemp for food, fabric, building materials, bio-plastics and more.
If you’re interested in being a part of this positive transformation of land, economies, fashion, climate and life, email us! We are now partnering with key people to build upon what we’ve created so far, and would love to hear from you. The future is with us. Let's work together to make it better for all of us.
Thanks for being vital,
Ron and the vital hemp crew
~satisfy your hemptations~
vital hemp
www.vitalhemp.com
store and wholesale: (310) 450-2260
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