39 min
Healing with Hemp: An Interview with Stephen Smith RegenCircle
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- Alternative Health
Stephen Smith CEO & Founder, Onda Wellness
Growing up in North Carolina in an active family Stephen spent most of his developmental days outside exploring his grandmother's farm, the woods, streams, and lakes of this bio-diversified Southern landscape.
After school in the Rocky Mountains, it was a five-month solo motorcycle adventure through South America that piqued Stephen’s interest in farming, grape growing, and wine-making. This ultimately led him to get his hands dirty working for boutique wineries and farms in Napa, California.
By 2012, Stephen found his next job back in Colorado to work as the Director of Business Development for the first Organic distillery in the US and first Biodynamic® farm in Colorado. Then, experiencing a year on a 90,000-acre cattle ranch opened Stephen's eyes to large scale holistic land management, animal husbandry, and agricultural and economic diversification. Over 12 years learning and working in regenerative agriculture has helped build the foundation of the Onda ethos.
Stephen's fascination with hemp goes back over 20 years when he wrote his high school research paper on the many uses of hemp. "My mind was blown by how dynamic this crop is and by the strange fact that hemp is not being used for building materials, medicines, food, fiber and more. This truly feels like my life's work. Time to bring hemp back."
Here is a summary of what we covered on the podcast:
- Introduction to the guest's remote location in Oregon and the factors that brought them there.
- Discussion on the guest's venture, Onda, and their hemp oil production.
- Overview of Onda's approach to hemp cultivation, emphasizing partnerships with growers practicing bio-diversified farming.
- Transition to a discussion on regenerative farming and business principles.
- Exploration of the broader concept of regeneration, extending beyond land practices to encompass various aspects of business and personal well-being.
- Reflection on the potential misuse of the term "regenerative" by larger corporations, emphasizing the need for continuous improvement and a holistic view of regeneration.
- Shift to the guest's experiences with the cannabis and hemp industry.
- Discussion on the recent negative trends in the cannabis industry, such as low-quality products and a "bro culture" around getting high.
- Introduction to the broad intersectionality of hemp and cannabis with various movements like the psychedelic Renaissance, herbalism, holistic plant medicine, natural building, and soil regeneration.
- Discussion on the potential similarity of other plants to cannabis and hemp in their holistic intersectionality.
- Exploration of the perceived threat posed by hemp and cannabis to various industries, leading to its vilification in culture.
- Addressing the lack of regulation in the cannabis product space and the challenge for consumers to discern processing methods and ingredients.
- Exploration of the future focus for Onda, including continued promotion of skincare products, partnerships with progressive skincare brands, and a focus on regenerative wellness.
Check out Ondas products at: https://ondawellness.com/
Stephen Smith CEO & Founder, Onda Wellness
Growing up in North Carolina in an active family Stephen spent most of his developmental days outside exploring his grandmother's farm, the woods, streams, and lakes of this bio-diversified Southern landscape.
After school in the Rocky Mountains, it was a five-month solo motorcycle adventure through South America that piqued Stephen’s interest in farming, grape growing, and wine-making. This ultimately led him to get his hands dirty working for boutique wineries and farms in Napa, California.
By 2012, Stephen found his next job back in Colorado to work as the Director of Business Development for the first Organic distillery in the US and first Biodynamic® farm in Colorado. Then, experiencing a year on a 90,000-acre cattle ranch opened Stephen's eyes to large scale holistic land management, animal husbandry, and agricultural and economic diversification. Over 12 years learning and working in regenerative agriculture has helped build the foundation of the Onda ethos.
Stephen's fascination with hemp goes back over 20 years when he wrote his high school research paper on the many uses of hemp. "My mind was blown by how dynamic this crop is and by the strange fact that hemp is not being used for building materials, medicines, food, fiber and more. This truly feels like my life's work. Time to bring hemp back."
Here is a summary of what we covered on the podcast:
- Introduction to the guest's remote location in Oregon and the factors that brought them there.
- Discussion on the guest's venture, Onda, and their hemp oil production.
- Overview of Onda's approach to hemp cultivation, emphasizing partnerships with growers practicing bio-diversified farming.
- Transition to a discussion on regenerative farming and business principles.
- Exploration of the broader concept of regeneration, extending beyond land practices to encompass various aspects of business and personal well-being.
- Reflection on the potential misuse of the term "regenerative" by larger corporations, emphasizing the need for continuous improvement and a holistic view of regeneration.
- Shift to the guest's experiences with the cannabis and hemp industry.
- Discussion on the recent negative trends in the cannabis industry, such as low-quality products and a "bro culture" around getting high.
- Introduction to the broad intersectionality of hemp and cannabis with various movements like the psychedelic Renaissance, herbalism, holistic plant medicine, natural building, and soil regeneration.
- Discussion on the potential similarity of other plants to cannabis and hemp in their holistic intersectionality.
- Exploration of the perceived threat posed by hemp and cannabis to various industries, leading to its vilification in culture.
- Addressing the lack of regulation in the cannabis product space and the challenge for consumers to discern processing methods and ingredients.
- Exploration of the future focus for Onda, including continued promotion of skincare products, partnerships with progressive skincare brands, and a focus on regenerative wellness.
Check out Ondas products at: https://ondawellness.com/
39 min