April 20, 2025

Cultivating a Greener Future with Hometown Hero

Home > Blog > Cultivating a Greener Future with Hometown Hero

Earth Day is an excellent reminder that the smaller choices we make as individuals and the larger choices we make as a society impact the environment and, in turn, our collective well-being. And at Hometown Hero, we're all about doing everything with a purpose.

Whether it's using the best ingredients to help you feel your best, supporting our veterans, or the way we grow our hemp, we strive to be mindful in everything we do.

So, in the spirit of Earth Day, we want to share a bit with you about hemp's true potential (beyond making your favorite edibles, concentrates, and more) and the organic and sustainable practices we employ to deliver top-shelf quality from the heart of Texas.

What is Earth Day?

Everyone has a vague idea of Earth Day, but why was it observed, and when did it start?

Around the mid-20th century, Americans drove large, inefficient cars fueled by leaded gas. Industry belched out plumes of smoke and sludge with little to no backlash. And smog flowing through cities was just a norm of industrialization. People were generally oblivious to environmental concerns and their threats to human health.

But then came Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. With a growing concern about the environmental impacts on Americans' well-being and, having witnessed the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill like so many others, he wanted to create an effort that had the same energy as the anti-Vietnam War movement but focused on air and water pollution.

Teaming up with Californian Representative Pete McCloskey, the two set out on a bipartisan mission to bring informal lectures to college campuses about the growing threats of pollution and environmental deterioration. Later, they recruited Denis Hayes, a young activist, to scale their reach to the broader public.

To make waves, they picked April 22, typically between spring break and final exams, to mobilize students into a massive display of action. And so April 22, 1970, became known as the first Earth Day, with 20 million Americans participating in demonstrations against the impact of industrialization and human health. Over the years, the movement grew, and by 2020, roughly 1 billion people worldwide participated in Earth Day demonstrations (albeit remote or social distancing due to the pandemic).

There are many ways people observe and show their support for a cleaner and brighter future on Earth Day, including:

Participating in the Great Global Cleanup
Advocating for climate action at universities
Preparing plant-based meals
Donating to environmental nonprofits
Avoiding fossil fuel-based transportation

But what does hemp have to do with a sustainable future?

Hemp & Sustainability

Hemp is one of the oldest crops cultivated by the human species (for reference, we began cultivating broccoli at around 600 BC, but cannabis cultivation goes back to around 10,000 BC). And there are thousands upon thousands of things we can make use of it, including:

Oil
Paper
Plastic
Milk
Tea
Lip balm
Bath bombs
Soap
Building materials
Animal bedding
Insulation
Hempcrete
Varnishes
Plaster
Wood
Paper
Water & soil purification
Weed control
Biofuels

And much, much more. Hemp may seem like a miracle material with many applications, but how friendly is it toward Mother Nature?

For Textiles/Fabric

Growing hemp requires fewer pesticides and up to 70% less water than cotton. Plus, hemp grows far faster than cotton, taking 4-12 weeks to complete its growth cycle compared to cotton's 21-25 weeks.

For Building Materials/Insulators

Hempcrete (consisting of the inner core of hemp, water, and a lime-based binder) is fire—and mold-resistant and can lead to up to 50% energy savings.

For Paper

Traditional wood pulp paper is recyclable up to three times, but hemp paper is recyclable up to seven times or even eight times. Plus, hemp paper does not require toxic bleaching substances like wood pulp-based paper.

For Plastic

On average, it takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to break down in a landfill, and don't even get us started on microplastics found in the environment, food, and even the human body (yikes).On the other hand, hemp plastic is biodegradable within six months to a year (depending on conditions) and does not leave behind harmful residues. Plus, hemp plastic requires 22-45% less energy to manufacture.

For Soil Health

Soil degradation and erosion are issues beyond the loss of fertile farmland. These factors can lead to increased water pollution and sedimentation, harming fish populations and increasing flooding. Hemp can improve soil health and conditions for long-term farming.

For CO2 Absorption

Hemp has been scientifically proven to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere per hectare than any commercial crop or even forest. Plus, per harvesting cycle (which occurs twice a year), one hectare of hemp can absorb ~4,8501.7 lbs of CO2.

Sustainability in Hometown Hero's Hemp Farming

At Hometown Hero, we know that quality products come from quality ingredients. That's why we source all of our hemp from a sustainable and organic farm. Here are just a few ways that we strive to reduce waste, minimize impact, and bring you closer to nature.

Protecting Plants with Microbes

The widespread use of chemical pesticides threatens water quality, biodiversity, and even safety when it comes to things we consume. In humans, exposure can lead to nasty things such as cancer, poisoning, and even neurological disorders.

That's why we only use biopesticides, which are select microorganisms that protect our hemp plants from pests like termites. These types of "pesticides" essentially use a mix of proteins to kill specific pests and their larvae.

So, what are the environmental and health benefits of biopesticides? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), biopesticides:

Are inherently less toxic
Only target one type of pest instead of a broad spectrum of wildlife
Decompose quickly and are effective in small quantities

Now, let's get into soil amendments (and what that means).

Amending the Soil With Gulf Shells

In short, amending soil means changing its physical and chemical characteristics. Soil amendments do not mean fertilizing it or adding manure. Amending the soil can bring about many benefits, such as:

Drainage
Aeration
Water retention
Nutrient availability
Structure
Permeability

To cut emissions and keep things natural, we use crushed seashells harvested from the Gulf of Mexico to amend the soil in which our hemp grows. These shells help lead to healthier plants and improve harvest yields.

Organic & Locally Sourced Compost

Chemical fertilizers can cause many problems, such as groundwater contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, and nutrient imbalance in the soil. Plus, according to a 1994 study by the University of Wisconsin, high concentrations of nitrate (a common compound in chemical fertilizers) in groundwater can harm the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems of young children and developing fetuses. Along with that, there's a 1973 study that shows an association of nitrate in groundwater and an increased risk of gastric cancer, along with a 1996 study that associates it with testicular cancer.

Our farm only uses organic and locally sourced compost to fertilize our hemp plants. Using organic compost delivers a bunch of benefits, such as:

Reducing waste
Cutting methane emissions from landfills
Lessening erosion

And speaking of erosion, let's now jump into our no-till farming techniques.

No-Till Farming

For those unfamiliar with it, tillage is a farming technique that involves aerating the soil to allow air and moisture to permeate the soil, help seeds germinate, manage weed growth, and integrate fertilizers.

No-till farming is the practice of planting crops in undisturbed soil. We use this technique to farm our hemp, and it provides several benefits such as:

Reducing soil erosion, avoiding water pollution
Requires less tractor work, reducing emissions
Enhancing soil health

From microbes to organic compost, we've covered a lot in our farming process, but what happens when it comes time to harvest?

Using Every Part of the Plant

At Hometown Hero, we make a great effort to minimize waste on the farm. Here's a breakdown of how we use every part of the plant.

Large buds get processed into flower products
Small buds & trim are put under CO2 extraction for their cannabinoids
Stems are either composted into fertilizer or disposed of responsibly

And that's just about it for our organic and sustainable farming practices; if you would like to take a glimpse at our entire manufacturing process, you can check out the "Our Process" page.

Happy Earth Day from Hometown Hero

Hemp has been part of our history for over 10,000 years, and if we take a stand against prohibition, it will make an impact on our future that's just as meaningful. At Hometown Hero, we take pride in what we do, which is why we grow our hemp with clean and sustainable practices to deliver you the best product while doing our best to take care of our planet.

So, this Earth Day, we invite you to reflect (maybe after a gummy), reconnect, and reimagine what's possible for our planet.

Until next time, happy exploring and Mind Your Mind.