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So one of my listeners Alan Denko said you gotta interview this guy Ben, he just moved to where you are, and I sent you an email and here we are talking already! I’m a big hemp seed girl!  Are you thinking of you starting a podcast? No, I’m too busy. Do you know where your listener heard me speak? At a seed library event in Michigan. http://www.smallhousefarm.com/ (Small House Farm) Tell us a little about yourself. I’m in Central Michigan, my wife and two children we call http://www.smallhousefarm.com/ (Small House Farm )an effort in sustainable living attempt to grow the majority of our won food keep our pigs etc we do a lot of growing our own food seed crops here my 9-5 cold press seed and nut oil sunflower herbal wellness products Across from 1100 acres of forest Do a lot of education sustainable there’s a heave focus on heriloom seed saving Michigan seed saving 45 seed saving libraries I was just taking pictures of birds on our bird feeder. My listeners know I’m interested in growing enough seeds for my bird feeders. our farm total property is about 3.5 acres don’t grow our hemp seeds here Hemp production is not something that is happening here in Michigan yet organic farm in Canada 15-1800 pounds a month, hemp seed It’s Canadian grown. Are you close to Canada. We’re about 15 miles from the border. We’re right on the border here in Michigan well I wouldn’t say they’re super expensive we bring in the seeds Cold press the oil on site mill the seed cake into a hemp powder People use that as a supplement gluten free baking I feed the animals That’s why I get so frustrated, everyone always says put hemp protein in your smoothie or use hemp seed oil and Mike can’t grow it and its sooooo expensive. You’re importing them. What’s your cold press like, is it a commercial machine? I got a hand turned oil press, anyone can do it at home.  https://amzn.to/2LaJmxW () I got a https://amzn.to/2LaJmxW (Piteba hand turned oil press.)  It’s got a little kerosene lamp  for heat It’s hand turned, I joked it’s Ben powered very first round http://www.smallhousefarm.com/seeds/ () I pressed 6-8 bottles of sun flower oil and took them to the farmer’s market just to test the water with it, it went really well! people really responded well local freshness of the oil pressed that week You can’t get it at the grocery store! our sunflowers are grown here in michigan dont have the space to source locally Michigan pumpkin seeds proven to be the best option to bring it in from Canada working out those details relatively new thing here in America The regulations aren’t in place to allow commerce from state to state that we’re looking for. Tell me about your first gardening experience? That’s a good question. I’m from Michigan. I was born and raised within 50 miles of where I live right now.  When I was a kid we lived in an apartment. I’d have a flower pot type of thing out  on the balcony that I grew radishes in I was always planting seeds even when I was little. I didn’t grow up on farm.  transitional phase definitely a change in my life. Having kids, made that more significant to raise a family and be responsible for other lives. I live right close to where I grew up. For me, the story I like to tell is not really my first gardening experience but my first time I ever saved seeds. That’s the story I like to share. Well let’s here that! My listeners are really interested in saving seeds. We all should be. http://chippewanaturecenter.doubleknot.com/event/calendar/2941 () I was in Midland in the http://chippewanaturecenter.doubleknot.com/event/calendar/2941 (Chippewa Nature Center), is a wonderful place!  1200 acre nature preserve beautfiul place they have an old homestead... Support this podcast