Sustainability and Environmental Impact of Hemp

Susan Barnhart’s Journey to Create Sustainable Socks and Beanies—Made in the USA

The average American throws away about 81 pounds of clothing each year, with 85% ending up in landfills. These textiles release roughly half a million tons of microplastics into our oceans annually—accounting for 35% of all microplastics in marine ecosystems. Susan Barnhart, founder of Shemp Yarn Company, is on a mission to change that with sustainable, biodegradable textiles made from wool and industrial hemp.

On this week’s iHemp Hour, Barnhart shared her six-year journey building America’s only wool-hemp sock and beanie company—a story of innovation, persistence, and the very real infrastructure challenges facing the U.S. hemp fiber industry.

From Wool Council Research to Women-Owned Business

Shemp Yarn Company began in 2018 when the American Wool Council explored developing new uses for the abundance of wool produced in the United States. The project was eventually abandoned due to limited interest in industrial hemp fiber and a disconnect between hemp processors and textile manufacturing requirements.

Barnhart didn’t give up. She spent the pandemic years conducting intensive research, taking courses, and talking to industry experts. In 2021, she incorporated Shemp as a C Corporation, and six months ago achieved a significant milestone: SBA certification as a women-owned small business.

“We had a vision. We wanted to be able to produce sustainable textiles and create a new generation of yarns in the United States out of natural fibers.”

The name “Shemp” is an amalgamation of “sheep” and “hemp”—fitting for a company that blends 60% American wool with hemp fiber to create something entirely new.

The Science Behind Wool-Hemp Textiles

Why wool and hemp together? The combination offers unique advantages over other blends:

Natural fiber synergy: Unlike hemp-cotton blends, wool and hemp don’t absorb water. The microscopic hooks on wool fibers naturally grab onto hemp fibers during processing, creating an exceptionally strong bond.

Product properties:

• Moisture-wicking and breathable
• Completely biodegradable
• Extremely durable (“They’re going to last you a lifetime”)
• Surprisingly soft—defying expectations about hemp textiles

“When people try the beanies or they try the socks they’re like, ‘I cannot believe this.’ They are really soft. People have this perception you’re going to get something made out of hemp and it’s going to be rough.”

Barnhart put her products through rigorous real-world testing, including having her husband wear the same pair of socks for consecutive workdays at Lowe’s:

“He came home and said, ‘You know, they don’t stink, they’re not wet, they felt good all day.’ He was amazed.”

Current Products and Pricing

Shemp currently produces three main product lines, all manufactured in women-owned, family-owned factories in Minnesota and Colorado:

Product	Price	Features
Rag Socks	$30-35/pair	Wool, hemp, and alpaca blend
Cushion Socks	$35-40/pair	Wool and hemp
Beanies	$55 each	Brioche stitch with hidden color in ribs

The beanies feature a distinctive design where opening the ribbed pattern reveals a contrasting color underneath—currently available in purple/black combinations, with custom colors possible.

Production capacity: Up to 600 pairs of socks per month, with plans to produce 500 beanies in April.

🛒 Shop: www.chempyarn.com

The Infrastructure Problem: Why U.S. Hemp Fiber Falls Short

Despite growing American hemp, Barnhart sources all her hemp sliver (the processed fiber ready for spinning) from France. This isn’t by choice—it’s necessity.

The U.S. hemp industry faces a critical infrastructure gap in textile processing:

The Processing Chain

1. Decortication: Separating fiber (bast) from the woody core (hurd)
2. Degumming: Removing natural plant gums from the fiber
3. Carding: Creating sliver—the long, rope-like fiber ready for spinning
4. Spinning: Combining hemp sliver with wool sliver to create yarn

“Unfortunately, spinners in the United States are not willing to clog up their carding machines with degummed hemp fiber. Until someone in the United States steps up and invests in the equipment that you can actually make hemp sliver to create textiles, we will be at the mercy of getting it from the EU or China.”

The equipment exists. NSC in Fort Mill, South Carolina sells the necessary machinery for $2-3 million. But no U.S. company has made the investment.

The result? Some American hemp growers ship their fiber to China for processing, then pay to ship it back—a practice Barnhart refuses to participate in.

“I don’t want to support China. I want to support the EU if I have to do something.”

A Call for Investment

Barnhart didn’t mince words about what’s needed to build a U.S. hemp textile industry:

“They gave out 35 million dollars to universities, which I think is very nice. But they could take some of that money and actually say, ‘Let’s figure out what these farmers we are encouraging to grow hemp are going to do with it.’”

She pointed to the disconnect between encouraging hemp cultivation and providing market pathways:

“You’re a farmer, right? So you make all this hemp. What are you gonna do with it? It’s great that you grow it, but you still gotta have a customer at the end.”

The show’s hosts noted that Bill Gates is the largest private farmland owner in the United States and, combined with the Gates Foundation’s resources, could single-handedly transform the industry. Michigan, meanwhile, has invested nothing in hemp infrastructure—contrasting sharply with Pennsylvania’s $20 million commitment.

Business Strategy: Crawl Before You Walk

With a Fortune 500 background working with major retailers like Kroger, Safeway, and Target, Barnhart is taking a deliberate approach to scaling:

Current phase: Building sample boxes for retailers, proving product-market fit through direct sales

Target markets: Outdoor apparel retailers, sustainability-focused consumers (particularly Gen Z), and specialty stores

Financing strategy: Considering WeFunder crowdfunding, factoring for large orders, and potentially B Corp certification to access foundation funding

“The worst thing a company can ever do with products is over-promise and not have inventory. I’m not going to do that.”

She’s also partnering with Hemp Today for digital marketing support, acknowledging that social media—where “all the action is”—isn’t her forte.

Breaking News: Twitter Opens to Cannabis Advertising

Mike Brennan of 420 Post shared breaking industry news: Twitter will now allow advertising for cannabis, THC, and CBD products in the United States, including accessories and services. Full details are available at 420post.com.

Michigan Cannabis Market Update

• January 2023 sales: $207.3 million (adult-use and medical combined)
• Year-over-year growth: Up 37% from January 2022
• 2022 total sales: $2.3 billion
• Michigan remains the #2 cannabis sales state nationally, behind California (which has 4x the population)

Upcoming Events & Resources

📅 Hemp Building Educational Sessions

iHemp Michigan is hosting a series of workshops on building with industrial hemp materials:

Date	Location	Time
Saturday, March 18	Grand River Sailing Club, Grand Haven, MI	8am networking, 9am-3pm sessions
Saturday, March 25	Ann Arbor area (TBD)	TBA

Lunch included. Registration details coming via email—join the list at iHempMichigan.com

Kim Crows (Fiberfork) will also host a hands-on hempcrete workshop this spring focused on bathroom applications. Details forthcoming.

📅 US Hemp Authority Webinar

Date: March 1, 2023 Topic: New partnership with Perry Johnson Registrars (Troy, MI) for certification audits Speaker: Brett McMillan Contact iHemp Michigan for questions about US Hemp Authority certification

📅 NoCo Hemp Expo

When: March 2023 Where: The Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado One of the largest hemp industry events—Morris Beagle coming soon to iHemp Hour to discuss

🌐 EPA Seeking Input on Greenhouse Gas Reduction

The EPA is collecting public comment on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in buildings—directly relevant to hemp building materials.

Comment dates: March 2, March 22, April 19 Details on iHempMichigan.com homepage

Legislative Alerts

The US Hemp Roundtable has issued Red Alerts for hemp businesses in:

• Virginia: Bills would criminalize hemp extract products containing more than 2mg THC per package
• Washington & Tennessee: Additional concerning legislation pending

Visit USHempRoundtable.org for details and action items.

Recipe Corner: Cauliflower Hemp Soup 🥣

Perfect for these last cold days of winter (only ~40 days until baseball!), this warming soup serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon hemp seed oil
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 head cauliflower, diced
• 1 carton vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup hemp hearts
• Grated Parmesan (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional, for color)

Find hemp seed oil and hemp hearts at DownOnTheFarm.biz

The Bottom Line

Susan Barnhart’s Shemp Yarn Company represents both the promise and the challenge of American hemp textiles. She’s proven the product works—customers love the softness, durability, and sustainability of wool-hemp socks and beanies. But until the U.S. invests in fiber processing infrastructure, companies like hers will continue sourcing from Europe while American hemp sits without a market.

“I just keep plugging along. There are moments when I cry about this business. But we have to educate consumers, we have to support products made in the USA, and somebody has to step up and say, ‘I’m going to really help you.’”

As Dave Crabill reminded the group: “We got to keep lifting each other up.”

Growing the future from seeds of the past.

This Week’s Sponsors

Down on the Farm (DownOnTheFarm.biz) – Hemp hearts, hemp seed oil, and premium hemp animal bedding that absorbs ammonia, lasts longer than pine shavings, and keeps animals healthier.

Icon Processors (IconProcessors.com) – Full line of CBD products including tinctures, creams, pain rubs, and award-winning wrinkle cream.