Story by Bri Hunter
Contributing writer
Murray State has teamed up with new businesses by using industrial hemp to make wood.
On May 29, the Hutson School of Agriculture recognized its foundational partners for the new Center of Agricultural Hemp.
Congressman James Comer, who was instrumental in legalizing hemp in Kentucky while serving as the state’s Agriculture Commissioner, praised the University and Hutson School of Agriculture dean, Tony Brannon for their support of the hemp industry.
“Murray State deserves to be where they are today: one of the leading industrial hemp research and development universities in the United States,” Comer said. “It took a lot of courage for Dr. Brannon to take those seeds. No university had planted hemp since World War II. I don’t think any other university would have planted hemp seeds if it weren’t for Murray State.”
President Bob Jackson said this will later be recognized as an important moment for the University.
“I think we’re going to look back in a few years and recognize this as a watershed moment for the University and the Hutson School of Agriculture,” Jackson said. “We thank Congressman James Comer for his hard work. He has spent a lot of time developing legislation to drive this industry forward, and we appreciate his efforts.”
One of the five foundational partners of the Center was Maryland-based, Fibonacci, which makes wood out of industrial hemp.
Although hemp was legalized in 2018, farmers still have to have a permit in order to grow and cultivate it, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels must be under .3 percent otherwise the crop must be burned.
Cannabidiol (CBD) hemp industry is completely different from the fiber hemp industry that Fibonacci is diving into. The fiber hemp industry uses the stalk, whereas the CBD hemp industry uses the buds and leaves. CBD hemp varieties are smaller and bushier, whereas fiber hemp varieties are taller and can also be used for seed crop. Both have the same opportunities for companies processing the seeds.
Fibonacci LLC owner, Greg Wilson, has adapted the process of making wood from bamboo companies in China where he previously worked. The company name, Fibonacci, is based off of an Italian mathematician from the 11th century; the Fibonacci sequence is used in the engineering equations, thus the name being derived from the mathematician.
Fibonacci will produce blocks and beams of HempWood at it’s pilot plant in Murray for companies to buy and create products out of such as cutting boards, furniture among others.
“The flooring companies are already beating the doors down wanting to buy this,” Fibonacci Operations Manager Phil McCallon said.
Using hemp is not only more beneficial for the environment but it can also be renewed quickly, only taking about 6 months to grow.
Brannon said there are pros and cons of using hemp compared to other commodities.
“The positive side of the legalization of agricultural hemp is that it gives farmers another ‘tool in the toolbox’ as they look to expand their economic bottom line,” Brannon said. “Hemp has a long and rich history in the early years of our Commonwealth. Anything that is good for farmers is good for our region. To have the opportunity to reinvent this crop is a crucial ‘once in a lifetime or era’ opportunity. There are no negatives for using hemp other than we are creating this industry on the fly. This hemp wood plant is one of the few fiber type operations in the nation…only two of over 110 processors in the Commonwealth are for fiber, the rest are for the exponentially expanding CBD market.”
Murray State’s partnership with Fibonacci brings together several departments on campus, not just agriculture. McCallon said that Fibonacci is currently working with the chemistry department to create an adhesive to keep the HempWood together after being pressed. The College of Business had a class this past year that created a marketing plan for Fibonacci, and Fibonacci has also worked with the engineering department as well.
The mission of Fibonacci is to disrupt the $60 billion wood industry and to remove the negative effects of deforestation by benefiting mankind and helping the farmers of the world, according to hempwood.com.
