iMD Companies announces its purchase of Freedom Seed and Feed

Dec 17, 2014

Freedom Feed and Seed is America’s first federally permitted hemp seed and fibre farm

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

Companies from the states of Florida and Kentucky came together in a deal that, when completed, will come in being worth $1.9 million.

"This acquisition is so key for us as we were not only able to obtain a one-of-a-kind company but it also gives iMD a source that is capable of leasing land, purchasing seed, clones and the equipment needed to grow industrial hemp," said Larry Robertson, president of iMD Companies, Inc. "The bold vision that iMD management has in common with Freedom Seed Farm's (FSF) David Hadland and Michael Lewis will help expedite our entrance into the industrial hemp market."

There are more than 30 countries who grow hemp as an agricultural product and as a source of national income.

In 2011, Canada alone licensed more than 30,000 acres of land dedicated to growing hemp, which resulted in $10 million in product sales. Because the United States currently doesn’t allow industrial hemp production, judging the market value is difficult, but it’s estimated the value of all hemp-based items can be greater than $300 million annually.

Since 1970, the United States deemed hemp illegal to grow because of its similarity to marijuana. In 2005, the U.S. government allowed for hemp products to be imported.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.