Experienced Spalding horticulturalist sets up new industrial hemp supply business
A businessman is grabbing the opportunity to boost South Holland's reputation as a leader in agriculture and horticulture by pioneering the supply of industrial hemp.
Richard Priestley left his role after five years as commercial director of Spalding-based flower, herb and plant grower Bridge Farm Group to set up Redleaf Global Solutions.
The aim of Redleaf is to create, develop and expand opportunities for the large-scale production of hemp plants, both as a healthy food source and fibre that can be used in the fashion, insulation and packaging industries.
Mr Priestley said: "At the moment, industrial hemp is quite highly regulated by the Home Office and you need a licence to be able to grow it.
"As a variety of the cannabis sativa plant species, it is grown for its fibre or seed.
"But unlike the cannabis indica variety, it has no psychological or psychoactive properties.
"Some people may see a field of hemp growing, then think they can cut it up and make drugs out of it.
"But if you look at hemp as a product, it's been grown in the UK since the Middle Ages and, at one point, if you were growing a certain acreage of crops, it was mandatory for you to grow a proportion of it as hemp.
"Now it's an industrial product with a lot of benefits and a lot of opportunities, but it's not easy to know the routes to market."
After leaving school, Mr Priestley went to agricultural college before joining his family's business, selling fruits and flowers."I've always been very fortunate in that I've enjoyed what I do, but there are still things that I want to achieve," Mr Priestley said.
"So I've set up Redleaf Global Solutions to provide a supply chain solution for industrial hemp production because there isn't one at the moment.
"I got interested in it because of a government-sponsored competition I saw to develop a highly nutritious food source.
"I looked at hemp seed which is incredibly protein-rich and has more Omegas (dietary fat) 3, 6 and 9 than fish oil.
"Hemp seed also has Vitamins D & E, nine essential amino acids (organic compounds like nitrogen, carbon and oxygen that combine to form proteins) and can be turned into a multitude of land-based food options.
"Also the fibre obtained from hemp can be turned in to fabrics, textiles, ropes and insulation.
"In fact, the UK fashion industry wants a British-grown product which they can put a label on saying 'Produced in the UK.'"
Mr Priestley has set his sights on Redleaf being one of the first businesses to be based at the new South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone now under development at Holbeach's Peppermint Park.
He said: "A lot of what Redleaf is doing is driven by environmental concerns and as we progress, we want to do the right thing ethically, sustainably and environmentally."
