What's New! Hemp and Company Blog

What's New!

2007-11-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

Hemp and Chocolate Children's Clothing.

On their hybrid road trip to the San Fransisco Green Festival in November, Lorna and Bill discovered a unique hemp shop in Guerneville, California. They produce an adorable line of kid's clothing for the 3 to 10 year age range and we will offer them in our Vic west store with selected pieces at Lower Johnson.

Another new line for us is DREAM DESIGNS

from Vancouver whom we first met at the Epic Show there last spring. Linda Tang has won North American design awards for her herbal dye sheets and sleep ware. Hemp and Company is pleased to offer her night shirts, gowns and pyjama pants in Organic Cotton. A full line of women's clothing from Dream Designs will be available in the spring.

2 LOCAL DESIGNERS

have exceeded our highest expectations and created, for Hemp & Co., some irresistable wearables. Cristina of Tola Designs' hemp and recycled vintage hoodies in limited editions are now at Vic West. Caroline of Shiznit Designs has designed a reversible Filled Hemp Hooded Vest to warm up this chilly season.

Our Lower Johnson Store has entered the Downtown Victoria Business window display competition.

You can vote for your favourite window by leaving a non-perishable donation for the Mustard Seed food bank at the store of your choice. The one collecting the most donations will be declared the winner. EVERYONE WINS! Look for the DVBA flyer to see the itinerary of events planned for December.

How is hemp connected to becoming Carbon Nuetral?

2007-11-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

Simple. Unlike other crops, industrial hemp doesn't require the use of chemicals to grow. The bulk of pesticides and insecticides are made from non-renewable fossil-fuels. "Cotton uses more pesticides than any other crop for which reliable statistics are known." (Guy Dauncey, 101 Cancer Solutions, 2007) Fossil fuels are required at every stage of production: The burning of fossil fuels in order to obtain the fossil fuels needed to create pesticides/insecticides, then transport pesticides/insecticides (in tanker trucks) and application (in planes and/or tractors) contributes significantly to greenhouse gas production as well as severely affecting land, water and human quality of life.

“The production of every standard cotton T-shirt deposits one-third of a pound of chemicals into the environment and consumes 1,740 US gallons of fresh water. Approximately 1.4 billion cotton T-shirts are sold in North America alone each year. Global 2001 cotton production was 23.52 million tons.”

“. . . [C]onventional cotton accounts for about 25 per cent of the global insecticides market by value and about 10 per cent of the pesticides market. Their use has contaminated water, poisoned farm workers, killed birds, fish and even farmers who use chemicals in order to get farm subsidies.” (Erin Kobayashi, Toronto Star, July 2007) Synthetic fibers such as polyester are made from polymeric resins derived from fossil fuels. "Every day the United States produces or imports 42 billion pounds of chemicals, with 90% procured from non-renewable fossil fuels. This is the equivalent of 623,000 gasoline tanker trucks each carrying 8,000 gallons - stretching from San Francisco to Washington DC and back if placed end to end. Global chemical production is expected to double every 25 years for the foreseeable future." (Michael P. Wilson. Green Chemistry in California. California Policy Research Center, University of California, 2006.)

"The review concluded that there is 'consistent evidence of the health risks to patients with exposure to pesticides,' naming brain cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer and leukemia among a broad range of negative health effects." (Dr. Margaret Sanbord, et al. "Pesticides Literature Review." Ontario College of Family Physicians, April 23, 2004.) Human lives are lost, quality of life decreases, wildlife perish and healthy soil deteriorates, with little benefit to any. Once the fabric is made, garment construction leaves a remarkable carbon footprint. ". . . The typical T-shirt has cotton yarn and often fabric that is manufactured in the United States and then the fabric is sent to Central America and the cutting and sewing is done there. The biggest suppliers of T-shirts to the United States are Central American countries, particularly Honduras." (Erin Kobayashi, Toronto Star, July 2007) Also, from an water quality point of view please review the following document (1999) from the World Wildlife Federation: The Impact of Cotton on Freshwater Resources and Ecosytems (WWF)

Fabric made from industrial hemp, which is grown as a successful agricultural crop in Canada and does not require the use of pesticides (nor does it require much rainfall,) and also has properties that increases its value above and beyond cotton or polyester textiles. For instance, industrial hemp fabric is naturally anti-bacterial, and offers better tensile strength (four times stronger than cotton and twice the resistance to abrasion,) better UV protection and comfort compared to cotton uniforms making it suitable for work performed outside, or where durability and cleanliness are paramount. Military uniforms were once made of industrial hemp, for example, and one can speculate that workers in the Health industry, transportation and law enforcement sectors could also benefit.
From an economic perspective, the increased demand for hemp textiles could encourage the continued investment in a hemp processing facility in Canada. Thus creating a ‘seed to shelf’ manufacturing opportunity unique to Canada.

SHIFT NATURAL FASHION IN FERNWOOD CLOSING

2007-10-29T17:39:00.001-07:00

It was with a heavy heart, that I made the call to close our sweet little shop in Victoria's Fernwood neighborhood. Shift Natural Fashion began 2 1/2 years ago as a sister to the sustainable fashions we carry in Hemp and Company. Shift on Johnson Street has found its niche as an "animal friendly - vegan" shop carrying eco-clothing for a younger demographic. 2005/06 were expansive years, as I opened H&C in VicWest and Shift2 in Fernwood. Alas, our cute wee space is too wee and sales never generated enough income to pay the variables of a small retail outlet.

The good news is....we are utilizing the space to bring terrifc bargains to you in the next two weeks. We have centralized our sale items: "new stock at Thrift Store prices" in the Shift store in Fernwood Square on Gladstone Avenue, beside the Belfry Theatre. So come down, enjoy the bargains, and ease my heavy heart a little bit!
Bill Finley, owner H&C and Shift Natural Fashion.

Scene in Victoria

2007-09-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

All around us we see folks wearing t-shirts with a company or group logo and design displayed. With the realization that monetarily inexpensive but ecologically expensive shirts are bad for the environment, many groups are now sourcing their shirts from Hemp and Company. In the last month we have outfitted four groups with hemp t-shirts.

Spiral Cafe, VicWest's premier coffee and music house, utilized hemp shirts and printed them with their very unique spiral design. Groove to the music, enjoy a latte, and pick up a cool Spiral shirt at 418 Craigflower Road, Vic West, 386 9303.

Also Mike and the members of the band, Children of Celebrities, chose hemp shirts for their group. You can contact them through the Spiral Cafe.

The Cannabis Compassion Club of Victoria has H&C men's and women's locally made hemp t-shirts with logos front and back on sale at CBC of C, 826 Johnson Street, Victoria. Ted and the gang at CBC of C, offer a very needed and compassionate service to people with permanent physical disabilities and diseases. You can contact them at 381-4220 or by email at hempology@gmail.com.

Victoria Street Newz is sold by vendors who accept donations for the newspaper "to help end poverty and homelessness". The paper is a proud member of the North American Street Newspaper Association whose mission is "to support a street newspaper movement that creates and upholds journalistic and ethical standards while promoting self-help and empowermnent among people living in poverty". The vendors are now wearing H&C hemp/organic cotton, made in Vancouver, t-shirts with their very cool Street Newz design. Soon the vendors will have donated H&C bags to put their papers in. If you aren't in the downtown area to pick up a copy you can subscribe for $35/year, $20/low income to Victoria Street Newz, 1027 Pandora Avenue, Victoria, V8R 3P3.

HEMPOLOGY 101

The very popular series Hempology 101 is again presented at University of Victoria starting September 12. Ted Smith, the heart of the CBC of C Victoria's Cannabis Compassion Club, is again sharing his extensive knowledge of cannabis to any and all who want to learn more about this amazing plant. The series is free and is held every Wednesday until March 26 in the Elliot Building, Room 062 from 3:30 to 4:10.

For the second year, Bill Finley of Hemp and Company will be a guest lecturer on "Hemp Products". He talks of the hundreds of uses of hemp that are non-medicinal, such as clothing and fabrics, building materials, food products. You can hear Bill on October 3.

For a full listing of Hempology 101 topics and dates you can pick up the free Cannabis Digest newsletter from CBC of C at 826 Johnson Street, Victoria or contact Ted at hempology@gmail.com.

Taste of Africa

2007-07-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

Help support volunteer, Candice Madalena.

She is going to Africa to help with the urgent need for volunteers in Uganda. $10.00 will get you a
ticket into a draw for some great prizes like a night in a deluxe suite at
the Hotel Grand Pacific, gift certificates to Hemp and Company, Blue Fox
and John's Place, an ice cream maker, cook books, African wine and so much
more.

The draw will take place on September 8, 2007 at the store Beyond the
Kitchen Door in Courtenay BC (274 5th Street). From 1pm-6pm chef James
Street will be preparing authentic African dishes as well as beverages for
everyone to try. All of the proceeds will go towards Candice's trip to
Africa and any money made in excess will be used to take necessary medical
supplies to the hospital. The $10.00 gets you an entry into the draw, but
anyone can stop by and enjoy a taste of Africa. Attendance is NOT
necessary to win a prize and support a great cause.

Candice is volunteering through the International Christian Medical
Institute (ICMI - www.icmicanada.com), this program was founded 10 years
ago and aims to improve the lifestyle of Ugandans by training them to
become health administrators. She will be teaching courses and
volunteering at the hospital to help.

If you are interested in buying a ticket please e-mail Candice at
madalena@uvic.ca, or phone at (250) 686-4225 and state how many tickets
you would like, as well as your name and phone number so that she can
contact you if you win :) The money for the draw entry can be paid by
cheque made out to Candice Madalena, and sent to 3110 Richmond Road,
Victoria, BC, V8P 4P1

Thank you for your support

Eco-Friendly Means Animal Friendly Too!

2007-07-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

“According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, livestock farming contributes more to global warming than total worldwide transportation.”

Because we're an environmentally friendly store, we've always asked our customers to pay attention to the environmental and ethical conditions by which their products are produced. We don't want to sell shoes made by small hands or clothing manufactured from fibres that poison the earth, so it's only logical then that we'd also consider how animals are affected by our products too. Well it's been about a year now since Shift Natural Fashion decided to “go vegan”, so it's probably about time we talked a little bit about why we've made this decision, and about what it means for Shift to be a veg*n store.

Before I go into the details, I just want to clarify that the word “veg*n” refers both to Vegetarians and Vegans. While these definitions usually refer to a persons diet (free of animal ingredients), they also often extend (especially for vegans) to the ingredients in clothing or body care too. The distinction for us isn't about asking our customers to give up their meat, eggs or dairy (although you're more than welcome to make that change if you feel it's right). We really just wanted to make it easier for the existing veg*ns to find what they needed, and to let people know that we support this movement because it's one of the greatest things any person can do for the environment.

Indeed a basic reason a lot of people become vegetarian is to reduce the amount of suffering that's inflicted upon animals. On a more personal level, many people also give up meat to experience the health benefits of a plant based diet. However, the number one reason Shift adopted this principle was because of the huge environmental statement it makes! Factory farmed meat, dairy and eggs use a tremendous amount of resources to be produced.

For example, for every pound of beef you don't consume you save between 3000 and 5000 gallons of water! Also, 16 pounds of grain (fed to a cow) is required to produce just one pound of beef. These facts don't even touch on the waste or environmental destruction that is produced by factory farms. “Waste lagoons” produce greenhouse gases and have spilled into water sources killing thousands of fish.

I could go on and on, but I'll spare you the nasty details and let you do your own research if you're interested. (You can find out more about the environmental benefits of vegetarianism by searching Google for “environmental vegetarian facts”, or this pdf.) The point here isn't to make anybody feel bad about their existing diet, but simply to empower people to think more about the effect they can have. Even just eating less meat makes a big difference.

We had no shortage of good reasons to consider taking the store vegan, especially when both of the managers were proud vegans themselves.
The real inspiration came during a trip to Portland though, when we visited a completely vegan grocery store called “Food Fight”. We knew what it was like to go through ingredient lists while shopping, moving from product to product until finding something that fit. However, everything on these shelves was completely safe, from the “macaroni” to the “marshmallows”. It truly was vegan heaven!

Portland was also the source of another “vegetarian” inspiration in the form of the “Herbivore” clothing company. Although their clothes aren't printed on Hemp fabrics just yet (we'll stay on their case), we figured it was balanced by the fact that they carry a variety of fun veg*n messages, like “Please don't eat birds”, or “Wings are for flying, not frying”. At first, we weren't sure how our customers would respond to some of these vegetarian messages, but luckily people started to catch on quickly that we were the place to find this stuff.

So we were already concerned about the environment, and the “Herbivore” message was beginning to spread. We decided to take things “all the way” by doing our best to create an easy vegan shopping experience .
The change didn't happen all at once of course. We discovered some of our existing products contained ingredients that we wanted to avoid. (For example, we had lip balms and candles with beeswax in them, or body creams that contained emu oils.) We didn't want to just throw these away of course, so it took a few months to gradually phase out those items.

We're still carrying some recycled (wool etc) materials that are in locally designed garments. While we obviously don't want to promote animal based fibres (and we still avoid ALL leather), we also want to remain true to our original environmental ethics. We feel that it's better to reduce/reuse/recycle BEFORE going out and creating new materials. Plus, it's better to buy and support local whenever possible anyways, so we still plan to support local designers that want to use some recycled textiles in their designs.

Also, we occasionally faced disappointments when talking to vendors when their line didn't fit with our “ethics”. (It was especially frustrating when the issue was only something small like a bit of wool felt trim.) However, our perseverance also paid off when manufacturers come back with new line sheets that had an even greater ratio of vegan items. It's exciting when we're able to promote the production of new animal friendly products that may not have been available otherwise.

We really feel that our work is paying off. We've been able to show our veg*n customers that we're all on the same wavelength, and we look forward to connecting people with more and more of the good stuff for our planet. While it's not as difficult to make a retail store vegan as it would be if we were a grocery store, we want to ensure that we continue to act with integrity and do what we feel is best for the environment (and those beings upon it). We'll continue to search out vegan eco friendly alternatives for all your clothing, body care and accessories.

Shift Natural Fashion continues to be the only store in Canada that carries Herbivore clothing, as well as a variety of other Hemp, Bamboo and organic fabrics. If you have any comments about our products, or any ideas about vegan / eco-friendly products that we should be carrying, send an email to jeremy@shiftfashion.ca.

Lytton

2007-06-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

During a recent trip to the Interior we paid a visit to Bill's "long lost" cousin Ron Coghlan on his organic Farm on Stein Mountain on the edge of the Stein Valley near Lytton BC. Obviously the end of May is planting time so we pitched in with bedbuilding, raking, compost application and planting. During the day that we visited five of us, including Ahna and Jessie, planted a field of squashes which will be sold in the fall at the Trout Lake Market in Vancouver.Ron and his wife, Erin have farmed this land for 22 years subsidized by Erin's work as a midwife birth coach and counsellor. With limited machinery, glacial irrigation, organic practices and lots of love and energy a huge variety of vegetables, fruit and herbs flourish in Canada's hotspot.Lunch was largely provided from the salad garden, beets from the root cellar and the grains that are a staple of all organic kitchens. It was delicious with the added seasoning of a healthy farm working appetite. The day was the most fulfilling day of our week's journey. Thanks to Ron and Erin for DOING IT!

If you ever get internet up there, Ron, check out our web site!

New Podcast Episode! The Conscious Consumer (part 1 of 5)

2007-05-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

Listen online!

This is the first part of five - a lecture given by Jeremy Bezooyen to a group of high school students at UVIC, "What is conscious consumerism?", "Definition of consumerism?", "What aspects of consuming are unavoidable?"

HERE

Hemp Seeds Product Review

2007-05-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm writing about hemp seeds and no you can't use them to grow plants. They're like sesame seeds, and they've been hulled which results in being good for food only. I've been eating these for a while, mostly adding it to a fruit shake in the morning. I also like using them for salads and to increase the nutritional value of a macaroni and cheese craving. They have a nutty flavour to them.

Hemp seeds have pretty much everything you need in terms of a spectrum of proteins, and the 'good' fat, the essential kind that your body needs in order to function like omega 3 and omega 6, and contain no cholesterol. They're great if you're vegan or vegetarian looking for other sources of protein. You can buy organic hemp seeds, but since hemp can be grown without the use of pesticides, you can be assured that the farmers have been good to the soil in making the product. Also, most of these food products are grown, produced and packaged right here in Canada. Manitoba and Saskatchewan being the biggest producers, with Alberta (yes it's true! - more than just oil producers) and Ontario also producing hemp for food, cooking oil, oil for body products and many other amazing products.

Other food products that use hemp seeds are power bars, cereal, butter, hemp milk (like soy milk), bird seed and likely an array of products I'm not yet aware of. I'm sure they'd taste good in a home-cooked bread as well.

Hemp and Company is offering a special on hemp seeds for a limited time. You can purchase hemp seeds online HERE

New Nomads Spring/Summer is in!

2007-05-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Women's Shorts, $64.95 - Order Online!

Velvet Groove Pants, $79.95 - Order Online!

Salsa Dress, $69.95 - Order Online!

Travelling to Cuba, by Robert Townsend

2007-04-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

I was in Cuba for the month of February this year. The main purpose of the trip was to learn to speak Spanish better. Speaking Spanish better was not very hard, as my Spanish at the time was quite minimal - Buenas tardes, señorita. Dos cervezas frias, por favor - and the like. So, improved Spanish was not an issue. Of more an issue, before going, was where to go to learn, and being totally immersed. By circumstance, that decision started to come about while I was travelling by bike in Cuba three years ago.

In those travels, I met up with a group of Cuban cyclists while on the road from Ciego de Ávila - Morón - Caya Coca. When we parted company , I gave my name and e-mail to one of the guys. About three months after my return, I received an e-mail from a lady I did not know. She introduced herself as being a university professor at the Universidad de Ciego de Ávila, and she was married to one of the cyclists. Professors have better e-mail access than most other Cubans, and she was writing on behalf of those cyclists. Her name is Daimes. All interchange is in Spanish. We wrote back and forth a couple of times. About two years ago she wrote saying that she and her husband had separated, she was no longer going to be the link for us, and asked if she wrote to me, she wondered if I would reply. I agreed. We wrote back and forth about five or six times until about October 2006.

Last October, I decided that I would like to improve my Spanish, and I thought that a university setting would be a better choice than something like the Berlitz School of Languages. I wrote to Daimes with this in mind, and she said that I could be accommodated any time and for as long as I wished. So, I decided to go to the Universidad de Ciego de Ávila for the month of February.

Materially, Cuba is a poor country - a lot of it has to do with the draconian blockade that the USA has imposed on Cuba for the past 46 or 47 years. As an experiment, try to imagine what most retail outlets would look like if there was no access to goods either made in the USA, or made by US multinationals which are control by the US or centred in the US. The Cuban people do amazing things, given this draconian policy. It is made even more draconian when one considers that it is a policy originating in a country that wants to pride itself on doing favours for people around the world, and one which is always championing human dignity and human rights. Other than materially, Cuba is a very rich country - rich in health care, education, innovation, music, culture, spirit and of course the people. As material goods can be scarce, I gathered together some items to take with me on my trip. I had bicycle parts, a guitar, guitar strings, reeds for saxophones and clarinets, school supplies, a lap-top computer, memory sticks, and some clothing. The latter was given to me, very generously, by Hemp & Co.

I was not staying in one of the famous Cuban resorts, but I was with the people of the country. Most of the people I met were connected to the University, and many of them were people I met through Daimes. Often, well meaning folk take supplies to Cuba to give away, and they end up giving them to the staff at the resorts. These people have easy access to most of the stuff given to them, and if they do not use it themselves, it is often sold to other Cubans for a substantial profit. I wanted to deliver my items directly to the end users, and usually folk who do not have much direct access to tourists. When it came to the items that were from Hemp & Co., Daimes and I looked for a place where there was some real need. Daimes, or me for that matter, is not religious. However, she thought that a church would be the best place to donate, as they usually had the best access to poorer people.

Two doors from Daimes's house, was a neighbour who attended on a regular basis, a Baptist gathering. We went over to visit this lady and I told her (with Daimes's help) what I had and what I wanted to do. The lady was interested, and she said that she would talk to her pastor about it. A couple of days later, the pastor and the neighbour lady, came over to Daimes's place, had a look at what I had, and they were delighted. So, we took the clothing over to the church . The four of us (the pastor, the lady, Daimes and I) put the clothing out onto a table for display. It was a Saturday afternoon, and the next day, after their church service, some of the poorer folk were going to be invited in to see what they liked, what fitted them and then take it away. The pastor was most appreciative. I made a point of telling them that the gift was not from me, as it had all been given to me to give away to Cuban people who were in need.

Even though, through the regular system, everyone in Cuba is assured of food and accommodation, there are still some folk who are in more need than others. I am sure that the items all found a good home. I am most appreciative to Hemp & Co. for helping me to help others in a materially poor country who need help themselves. Thank you Hemp & Co.

For anyone who might be interested, the folk at the Universidad de Ciego de Ávila would love to have more contact with groups an organisations in Canada, and in particular in Victoria. Areas of particular interest are eco-tourism, cycling, organic urban agriculture, music and culture. The university is about 10km from the centre of the city, in the country-side. Ciego de Ávila is the name of one of the provinces of Cuba and the main centre and capital is the city of the same name. The city, Ciego de Ávila is about 425km east of Havana. The largest airport in the area is located at Caya Coco, about 95km from the city. There are flights from Toronto and Montréal directly to Caya Coco but unfortunately there are no direct flights from Western Canada.

Earth Day petition with Denise Savoie

2007-04-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

Today, after the Earth Day Parade, Bill and I ended up speaking with Denise Savoie, M.P. about Industrial Hemp playing a more significant role in the Canadian economy. As you may already know, there are no textile manufacturing facilities in Canada and although we grow the raw material, infrastructure has not been developed, resulting in textiles and other finished products requiring import. We have begun a petition with our customers and stake-holders, requesting that investments in infrastructure are considered. We feel that there is significant economic benefit to investing in a product that can be used to make building materials (like insulation, hemp-crete and particle board), paper, bio-fuel, clothing, food, molded plastics, an array of industry specific products (like horse bedding) and a range of oil based products (creams, lotions, cooking oil, soaps, etc.) Our petition asks government to consider the economic and inevitable environmental advantage of investing in infrastructure for Industrial Hemp in Canada. If you would like to read this petition, add your name to the growing list of supporters for industrial hemp, please visit: HERE

We are going to register this as an official petition in hopes that she will present it to the House.