"Hempsteed's bedding gives our day old baby chicks their best start. Hemp bedding keeps our chicks environment drier than traditional pine shavings, as it is more absorbent and cushions the chicks better, giving them their best start. It also works very well in nesting boxes, and for keeping poultry house floors drier. The hens enjoy scratching in it and nibbling at it, keeping their natural foraging instinct occupied on inclement weather days when they may not go outdoors. We also love that this hemp bedding is a byproduct of our domestic hemp industry, making it a sustainable and lower carbon product."

Equine operations are continuously searching for stall bedding options that are not only healthier for horses but also workers. The result is that horse farms, including my own, have been experimenting with a wide variety of bedding options. Most recently, I’ve begun experimenting with hemp bedding from Hempsteed and have found that it is just as absorbent, if not more, than other bedding options. It's also a clean, comfortable bedding for the horses but what is most making it a great option is the lack of dust. Wood-based bedding, in particular, breaks down in a short period of time. The result is an extremely dusty stall that both horses, and the humans cleaning stalls, are breathing. Horses that are often in motion in their stalls often have water buckets that are also quickly covered in a film of dust. Hempsteed-bedded stalls, on the other hand, are dust free, which is far better for both horses and humans. As the equine industry looks for ways to become more sustainable – not just environmentally but also in terms of stability of supplies – it might be wise for the industry to support development of a domestic hemp industry capable of providing the industry with a healthier form of stall bedding.