WA Hemp Moves From Paddock to Building Site, Farm Weekly Reports

Western Australia’s industrial hemp industry just scored a well-deserved spotlight, with Farm Weekly recently featuring Margaret River Hemp Co and Hemp Homes Australia in a story about how WA-grown hemp is being turned into hemp building materials — including hempcrete blocks and panels for housing.

For us, it’s a proud (and honestly pretty exciting) reminder that hemp isn’t just a “nice idea”. It’s a real crop, with real products, and the potential to support regional jobs, local manufacturing, and lower-impact construction.

From early pioneers to real-world building materials

As highlighted in the Farm Weekly article by Mel Williams, our co-founders Gary Rogers and Georgina Wilkinson have been involved in Australian hemp for more than three decades, and established Margaret River Hemp Co in 1995.

Over the years, we’ve worked to build awareness of hemp’s potential across multiple industries — from farming and textiles through to construction and sustainability — always with a focus on developing a reliable WA supply chain.

At the heart of it: processing hemp into valuable raw materials that can support multiple industries.

Farm Weekly also noted that Margaret River Hemp Co recently received a State Government grant specifically to support the production of hemp hurd — the key ingredient used as the “aggregate” in hempcrete construction.

What is hemp hurd — and why does it matter?

A hemp stalk has two main components:

• Bast fibre – used for textiles, rope, biocomposites and insulation
  
• Hurd (shiv) – the woody inner core, used in hempcrete and also animal bedding
  

Hurd is the unsung hero when it comes to hemp building materials. When combined with a lime-based binder, it becomes hempcrete — a breathable, durable wall infill material that’s gaining attention as builders look for smarter ways to construct comfortable homes with less environmental impact.

Scaling WA processing capacity

One of the key points in the Farm Weekly piece was the importance of local processing.

Our processing plant in Margaret River has the capacity to scale up to 10 tonnes per day of raw hemp processing when required — the kind of capability that matters if hemp building materials are going to become mainstream and consistently available.

And for anyone still confusing industrial hemp with marijuana (it happens!), the article made a clear distinction:

Industrial hemp is a low-THC variety of Cannabis sativa grown for fibre, hurd, seed and agricultural value — not for any psychoactive use.

Why builders are paying attention to hempcrete

Farm Weekly summarised why hempcrete is being used more and more in building:

Hempcrete combines hemp hurd + a lime-based binder + water to create a non-structural infill material that offers a really compelling mix of performance and comfort.

Benefits of hempcrete construction (as outlined in the article)

• Excellent thermal performance (energy savings)
  
• Breathability + moisture control
  
• Fire resistance
  
• Full recyclability at end of life
  
• Low embodied carbon, helped by hemp’s rapid CO₂ uptake during growth
  

The article also explained a key feature of lime-based systems: the binder allows vapour to move through the wall system, helping the hemp dry out — and the natural alkalinity of lime can help resist mould, pests and decay.

Meet Iggy Van + Hemp Squared: hemp blocks made in WA

The Farm Weekly feature also introduced readers to Iggy Van, a WA hemp producer and processor who set up Hemp Squared to manufacture hempcrete blocks and panels for housing.

According to the article, the blocks are designed at approximately:

• 300mm high
  
• 600mm wide
  
• 90–300mm thick
  

The process uses the woody centre of the hemp stalk (hurd), chopped into chips, then combined with lime and binder to form blocks.

A quote that stuck with us was the explanation of what happens over time: the lime continues to react and the final product can become stone-like, with the long-term durability you want in building materials.

Backed by WA research: DPIRD + AgriFutures trials

The Farm Weekly piece also highlighted research support from DPIRD and AgriFutures, including multi-year variety trials in Kununurra and Manjimup to help match hemp cultivars to WA growing conditions.

In trials referenced in the article, 36 hemp varieties were assessed across three years, producing encouraging results and helping build confidence for growers looking at hemp as a serious rotation crop.

And that’s part of the bigger picture: if we want more WA hemp building materials, we need more WA hemp grown — and that requires solid agronomy, good varieties, and reliable processing pathways.

The bigger takeaway: hemp is moving from “concept” to “construction”

The most exciting thing about this Farm Weekly feature is what it represents:

Hemp is no longer just a future-facing idea — it’s becoming a practical material for housing, supported by research, processing capability, and a growing network of people building the industry from the ground up.

If you’re a grower, builder, architect, or simply hemp-curious, we reckon that’s something worth celebrating.

Want to learn more?

Hemp Homes Australia
hemphomesaustralia.net.au

Hemp Squared
hemp-squared.com.au