YES AND Launches Organic VOTE Masks & Tees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
YES AND Launches Organic VOTE Masks & Tees
The timely, digitally native sustainable fashion brand, created by ECOlifestyle pioneer and Author Marci Zaroff, connects agriculture to popular culture
NEW YORK, NY (October 13, 2020) – As we get out the VOTE for the 2020 USA election, YES AND is now offering voters a way to WEAR THE CHANGE they wish to see—with their new GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic cotton, low-impact dyed, and ethically made “VOTE” masks and T-shirts for both women and men.
This stunning, stylish, and sustainable collection includes organic "VOTE" tees ($43) in olive, black and moonbeam, "VOTE eco logically" long sleeve tees ($48) in heather gray and white, "VOTE eco logically" short sleeve unisex crew tees ($38) in heather gray and white and "VOTE" masks ($13) in olive and black.
YES, this innovative ECOfashion brand, founded by visionary Marci Zaroff, introduces responsibly luxurious, cool and conscious apparel to the masses, AND, at an accessible price point. YES AND was born to break the stigma that sustainable fashion has to compromise modern design, quality, fit, color, comfort or price. YES, the vibe is edgy, flattering, and fun, AND the company is committed to value AND values.
In the spirit of co-creation, YES AND has partnered with like-minded organizations, including the Rodale Institute and Women’s Earth Alliance, for this timely and important “VOTE” campaign.
“There can be no climate justice without social justice. This year’s election is so critical for Mother Earth, our global community, and our children’s futures—so please join me to VOTE eco logically—for a better world and a cleaner, greener planet,” states Zaroff.
According to The Organic Center and Organic Trade Association, “Organic agriculture mitigates climate change by reducing direct and indirect sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and acting as a carbon sink via soil carbon sequestration. Organic Farms emit 18% less global warming potential than other farming systems, and have greater biological activity, greater soil stability, more biomass and higher diversity, and sequester 26% more carbon than soils from non-organic farms.”
YES AND’s parent company, ECOfashion Corp, runs a “Greenhouse of Brands,”—all sharing a passion for organic and regenerative agriculture. MetaWear, EFC’s manufacturing arm, has an office in India and manages all production from organic farm to finished fashion, and source to story. Sister brands Farm to Home and Seed to Style will bring GOTS certified organic home and apparel to world-leading home shopping network QVC in January 2021.
YES AND gives people a way to buy what they love and seek—affordably and online, while making a difference to human and environmental wellness, farmer and worker welfare, and future generations. YES, join the movement to look good, feel, good and do good in the world, AND, “VOTE eco logically” in this upcoming election, and always.
Enter YACOMPASS11 at checkout for 11% off at www.joinyesand.com.
About YES AND
YES AND is hailed as a timely, digitally native, modern and sustainable fashion brand, created by ECOlifestyle pioneer and authority, Marci Zaroff. The brand offers responsibly luxurious, GOTS certified organic apparel to the masses at an accessible price point. YES AND was created to break the stigma that sustainable fashion has to compromise style, quality, fit, color, comfort or price. The vibe is edgy, flattering, and fun AND is certified organic, low impact dyed, and ethically made.
According to the Textile Exchange, the fashion industry is one of the largest air and water polluters, representing 8-10% of the planet's carbon impact and 20% of Earth's industrial freshwater pollution.
About ECOfashion Corp
ECOfashion Corp is a Social Purpose Corporation (SPC), focused on people, planet, and prosperity, and was founded in 2019 by ECOfashion pioneer, serial entrepreneur, expert and author Marci Zaroff, with the vision to transform the fashion and textile industries through inspiration, education, innovation and collaboration. By leading with modern design, high quality and affordability, the ECOfashion Corp "GreenhouseTM of Brands" includes YES AND (direct-to-consumer sustainable apparel online), Farm to Home (organic bed and bath on QVC), Metawear (turnkey sustainable apparel and home manufacturing), RESET (a regenerative, in-conversion-to-organic cotton farm project in India,) and Seed to Style, GOTS certified apparel brand (sizes XXS-3XL) launching on QVC January 29, 2021.
For more information visit:
www.joinyesand.com | @yesand | @MarciZaroff
www.ecofashioncorp.com
Media Contact
Brandsway Creative
Alexandra Rothenberg - Account Executive
E. AR@BrandswayCreative.com
O. 212 966 7900
Life After Manitoba Harvest: Mike Fata Celebrates 25 Years of a Personal and Entrepreneurial Journey to Health
This article originally appeared on LetsTalkHemp.com
By Steven Hoffman
Mike Fata, founder and former Chair and CEO of Manitoba Harvest – and one of the original founders of the hemp food industry – is celebrating the 25th anniversary this month marking the beginning of his personal journey to health.
In 1995, Mike was, as he said, “an unhealthy and unhappy 18 year old who weighed 300 pounds. I became sick and tired of being sick and tired, and decided to do something about it.”
Along the way, Mike learned a lot about nutrition, a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. He lost 125 pounds, regained his health, and … “the journey to health got me to see the value of hemp seed,” he said.
Inspired by the superfood potential hidden in the hemp seed, Fata in 1998 founded Manitoba Harvest. Today, the award-winning company is a widely recognized global hemp food leader, with lifetime sales in 2020 surpassing $500 million.
After successfully selling Manitoba Harvest in 2019 to Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY), a publicly traded, vertically integrated cannabis company based in Canada, for US$318 million, Mike is no longer involved on a day to day basis with the company. “It came to the point where the business was going that it was best to have a classically trained CEO leading the company,” he observed.
Yet, having carved out a significant entrepreneurial legacy in hemp and the natural and organic foods industry, Mike has future plans to mentor and invest in companies and brands that are committed to improving health, the environment and the quality of people’s lives.
“My passion is health and my purpose is to share it with the world,” Fata said. “I’m starting to diversify and help other founders fulfill their mission in the natural products space. I’ve made a couple of investments and got involved on the board level, and am involved actively in a couple of businesses.” Mike cites, for example that he’s become involved with Om Organic Mushrooms, an emerging natural supplements brand.
Mike also is committed to helping the hemp industry and natural products industry grow in Canada. “Giving back has been a big part of my work for my whole career; I’ve done 25 years of nonprofit board work,” he shared. Currently, Fata serves as Chair of the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA), and during his tenure, the organization has been supportive of removing restrictions on CBD sales in Canada.
Currently, there are no legal means to bring non-prescription CBD health products to the Canadian marketplace, said CHFA in a statement. However, the association this past month released a report identifying CBD products as an opportunity for economic recovery in Canada that could create a niche market valued at more than C$1 billion.
“CHFA has been very outspoken in favor of hemp and CBD in the last couple of years,” said Fata. “Currently, to buy CBD in Canada you have to go to a licensed dispensary. We’re trying to change it so natural food retailers in Canada can sell these products.”
In applying what he’s learned leading the growth of Manitoba Harvest, Fata said, “At the end of the day, if you have a great product and you put the right capital and great people together, good things can happen. However, he noted, “The hemp industry is missing strong strategy and planning because it’s still a new industry. Also, more innovation has to happen,” he advised.
Fata also believes that “extracts aren’t the cure all and end all for the hemp industry. People rushed in; it will take years to work out.”
However, Mike notes that there is huge potential for hemp food and hemp fiber. “There is tremendous value in the seed and the fiber 10 to 20 times over where the industry is now,” he said. “For now, we have hemp hearts, but we need more innovation. Look at the advancements in soy protein, pea protein, for example. “Hemp is just scratching the surface. We’re just getting started on being a superfood.”
While Mike admits he is currently under a noncompete agreement in the hemp market as a result of the sale of Manitoba Harvest to Tilray, “I am a super hemp consumer and am super passionate about it, from genetics to market. So, stay tuned.”
The best way to reach out to Mike Fata is via LinkedIn.
Even Dr. Fauci Takes Vitamin D – New Study Points to Strong Correlation Between Vitamin D Levels and Covid-19 Outcomes
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
By Steven Hoffman
Dr. Anthony Fauci, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, is one of the most trusted experts in the U.S. regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. So, when he recommends taking dietary supplements to boost immunity and lessen susceptibility to Covid-19 infection, people listen.
On a recent Instagram Live interview with host and actor Jennifer Garner, Fauci suggested taking vitamin D and vitamin C, supplements he said he took himself, reported CNBC. (Garner also is co-founder with industry veteran John Foraker of organic baby food company Once Upon a Farm).
“If you’re deficient in vitamin D, that does have an impact on your susceptibility to infection. I would not mind recommending, and I do it myself, taking vitamin D supplements, he told Garner during the livecast. “The other vitamin that people take is vitamin C because it’s a good antioxidant, so if people want to take a gram or so of vitamin C, that would be fine.”
A recent study published in JAMA Network found that people with untreated vitamin D deficiency were nearly twice as likely to test positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus compared to individuals with sufficient vitamin D levels. In addition, in a retrospective study of patients tested for Covid-19, researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine found an association between vitamin D deficiency and the likelihood of becoming infected with the coronavirus.
Past research also has shown that deficient levels of vitamin D are linked to more severe cases of Covid-19 and higher likelihood of death, reported Business Insider. New Hope Network also reported on a number of recent studies conducted in the U.S. and throughout the world demonstrating a correlation between vitamin D levels and Covid-19 outcomes.
In Spain, results of a recent clinical trial with vitamin D study were so startling that, while the sample size was small, the results were so “dramatic that they are statistically significant,” wrote one scientist in BMJ in response to the research.
In the Spanish study, researchers randomly allocated 76 confirmed cases of Covid-19 into those that received either oral calcifediol (25-hydroxyvitamin D) (50 patients) or no-calcifediol control (26 patients) on the day of hospital submission. Oral calcifediol was given at high does on the first day and then on the third and seventh day, and weekly until discharge or admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). All patients also received the best available standard care at the time, the study noted.
Medium reported that results of the clinical study revealed that 13 out of 26 patients, or 50%, in the control group were admitted to the ICU, and two died. In the vitamin D group, only one out of 50, or 2%, required admission to ICU, and none died.
According to Medium, the results of the clinical trial from Spain provide some of the strongest evidence to date that vitamin D therapy could work for Covid-19. The results also support prior research that found that low vitamin D levels in the blood are an independent risk factor for severe Covid-19.
In addition to taking his daily dietary supplements, Dr. Fauci recommends masks, social distancing and handwashing as the best practices for keeping yourself and others safe.
Excellence Matters, in Space and on Earth: Front Range Biosciences Establishes Hemp Center of Excellence
By Steven Hoffman
Dr. Jonathan Vaught, Ph.D. – renowned plant-breeding and biotech scientist and CEO and cofounder of Front Range Biosciences – is committed to hemp. With a Ph.D. Organic Chemistry and expertise in molecular biology, he knows that quality – and excellence – matters, especially in seed stock and genetics.
You may remember Front Range Biosciences as the company that in March 2020 partnered with the University of Colorado to send hemp tissue cultures into space to study the effects of the International Space Station’s zero gravity environment on the plant’s gene expression.
“Our company is focused on figuring out how to develop and grow these plants in a wide range of environments, and the most extreme environment would be outside of the atmosphere in space, in zero gravity,” Vaught told Hemp Grower in June. “As a lot of our scientists put it, it’s the most remote location we have for our field trial program, and I think it’s an exciting area of research that we want to continue to explore."
More down to Earth, in Boulder, CO, the company recently established the Front Range Biosciences (FRB) Hemp Science Center of Excellence. Founded in partnership with the Shimadzu Corp., a 145-year-old science, technology and instrumentation company based in Kyoto, Japan, the FRB Center of Excellence will focus on genetics, biobanking, breeding and analysis, all with state-of-the-art Shimadzu instrumentation, the company announced in late August.
According to Vaught, the FRB Center of Excellence will host scientists performing chemical and genetic analytical research to “support the development of new hemp varieties for the production of cannabinoids, terpenoids and other compounds for medical and wellness applications; lipid, wax and protein ingredients for food and cosmetics applications; and fiber for industrial applications.”
The Intersection of Human Health, Plant Breeding and Agriculture
After years focusing on diagnostics in healthcare and food safety, working with companies large and small, Vaught, along with his business partner and Front Range Biosciences cofounder Nick Hofmeister, began looking at hemp and cannabis as an “intersection of human diagnostics, food safety, plant breeding and agriculture – all the work I’ve done,” he said.
The partners set out at the beginning focused on the agricultural part of the supply chain – “developing new plant varieties, leveraging technology such as plant tissue culture, and marker assisted breeding to bring innovation and differentiation of hemp and cannabis products through genetics,” Vaught said. “As the regulatory pathway for hemp opened up a way to work with this plant, we moved aggressively into hemp because there were less restrictions to drive research and technology.”
Today, through its Clean Stock Program, the company is focused on supporting licensed cannabis and hemp operations in California, Colorado and throughout the U.S. and the world with next-generation plant breeding technology that the company says provides a consistent supply of disease- and pathogen-free plant and seed stock.
“We are really a platform company that leverages multiple technologies and capabilities to deliver new products within the hemp and cannabis markets,” Vaught explained. “Whether it’s premium flower, concentrates, fiber, grain or supplements, we are using our platforms to solve problems in all those areas by developing new plant varieties via cloning, vegetative, seed and other technologies,” he added.
While FRB sees value in new technologies and developing a deep knowledge and database around plant genomes, “We are not interested in producing GMO products,” Vaught emphasized. “We have a lot of growers using organic production practices, whether they are truly certified or not, and we support them,” he said.
“We are big believers in regenerative agricultural practices,” Vaught added. “The cannabis plant presents a unique opportunity as a model crop for regenerative practices in that it can be bred to be resistant. It’s a naturally robust plant,” he noted.
“At the end of the day, most of the products that come from this plant get concentrated or distilled and put into people, so it’s vitally important that these products are clean, with no toxic components going into the supply chain,” Vaught emphasized.
With the Center of Excellence as a resource, FRB “looks to leverage chemistry to understand the different ingredients in this plant – the cannabinoids, flavonoids and other small molecules – to understand them better, and then to apply technologies to develop varieties that can take advantage of these components,” he said.
“We’re on the cutting edge. This is one of the fastest growing, most exciting industries in the world. We expect to see continued growth in both hemp and cannabis as more states legalize it,” Vaught added.
More than just an expert in cannabis, plant breeding and biotechnology, Vaught, a musician on the side, admits he’s had his eyes on Let’s Talk Hemp Founder Morris Beegle’s newly manufactured Silver Mountain Hemp Guitars. Which may prove that while man cannot live on bread alone, he/she can get by pretty well with hemp!
CBD Industry Takes the Fight to the DEA
Harmony, RE: Botanicals CEO Janel Ralph Leads Industry Lawsuit Challenging DEA’s Proposed Rules on Hemp
By Steven Hoffman
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) just made the wrong person mad.
By issuing in late August an interim final rule to regulate hemp that is separate from USDA’s, many hemp business leaders feel DEA’s IFR could seriously threaten the hemp extracts market.
Enough so that Janel Ralph, CEO of two leading hemp extract brands including Harmony (aka Palmetto Harmony) and RE: Botanicals, has taken the initiative to file a federal lawsuit challenging DEA’s rule and perceived interference in the industrial hemp market.
In particular, manufacturers are challenging DEA’s rule stating that any hemp product exceeding the federal limit of 0.3% THC during manufacturing is considered a Schedule I controlled substance, even if the final product contains less than the 0.3% limit.
The petition was filed on September 18, 2020, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by RE Botanicals, Inc. in partnership with the Hemp Industries Association. A leading hemp extract manufacturer based in South Carolina, RE Botanicals in 2019 acquired Palmetto Synergistic Research (dba Harmony), which was founded in 2015 by Janel Ralph, inspired to develop products to serve her special needs daughter Harmony.
“We are a small, woman-operated company,” said Ralph. “The DEA’s new rule could put us out of business overnight.”
The lawsuit claims DEA’s interim final rule is unlawful because it exceeds the DEA's legal authority and violates the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill.
The DEA’s rule clarifies the agency’s position that all hemp derivatives or extracts exceeding 0.3% THC shall remain Schedule I controlled substances. According to the petitioners, this requirement could be interpreted to include intermediate hemp derivatives that temporarily exceed 0.3% during processing, but contain less than 0.3% in final products.
As such, it improperly establishes the DEA’s authority over legal hemp activities, which is contrary to the plain language and intent of the 2018 Farm Bill, the petitioners claim.
The petitioners also argue that acting DEA administrator Timothy Shea, who is individually named as a respondent along with the agency, issued the interim final rule without observing procedures required by law.
Attorneys for the petitioners include Vicente Sederberg LLP, Yetter Coleman LLP, Hoban Law Group and Kight Law Office PC.
"The DEA implemented this rule without following proper rule-making procedures, such as providing the public with notice and the opportunity to comment," said Shawn Hauser, a partner at Vicente Sederberg and chair of the firm's hemp and cannabinoids practice. "The petitioners believe legal action is necessary to protect the lawful U.S. hemp industry that Congress intended to establish when it enacted the 2018 Farm Bill.”
Hemp industry members, business owners and advocates are encouraged to provide comments to the DEA before the October 20, 2020 deadline. Comments can be submitted here.
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Register Today! Join Ashley Koff RD on Compass Coffee Talk, October 14, 11:30am EDT
Wellness in the Time of Covid
Join Nationally Renowned Registered Dietitian Ashley Koff for the Latest Product Trends in Health and Wellness, Plus What You Need to Know Now for a Healthier Life
Episode 7 - Wednesday, October 14, 11:30 am – Noon EDT
Zoom, Admission is Free
Does your brand need a boost in health and wellness power? Join the conversation and hear from nationally acclaimed nutrition expert Ashley Koff, RD, who will share the latest trends and buzz in the natural products industry and how to grow your business through better nutrition.
Hosts Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman will chat with special guest Ashley Koff, RD, on October 14th, 11:30 am – Noon EDT, via Zoom. Hear insights and inspiration on what we need to know now to live a healthier tomorrow. Learn how to improve the overall well-being of consumers better, how to promote immunity through nourishing foods, and practice sustainable measures for a better environment during these uncertain times.
Ashley will also discuss her dynamic online Better Nutrition Program and how your brand can get better results powered by better nutrition.
About Ashley
Ashley Koff RD, CEO, The Better Nutrition Program uniquely blends over twenty years as an integrative practitioner with decades of helping individuals get and stay healthy, powered by better nutrition choices. Today, Koff runs The Better Nutrition Program, the all-in-one system to grow your integrative healthcare business, consults for leading food and supplement brands, and is a partner for BeyondBrands LLC. An accomplished author, speaker, media expert, spokeswoman, and activist, Koff hosts My Better Nutrition, co-hosts the podcast Take Out with Ashley & Robyn, is an advisor for Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition’s Food and Entrepreneurship program, and is an advisory board member for The Partnership for Healthier America. She's a passionate basketball fan, relearning the trumpet, and loves outdoor adventures.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR, ALLEGRO COFFEE! THEY WILL GIVE AWAY ONE FREE BAG OF COFFEE ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE OF COMPASS COFFEE TALK.
About Compass Coffee Talk™Take a 30-minute virtual coffee break with Compass Coffee Talk™. Hosted by natural industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Coffee Talk features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of any size succeed in the market for natural, organic, regenerative, hemp-derived and other eco-friendly products.
Compass Coffee Talk™ is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading PR, branding and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry. Learn more.
It’s Hemp vs. the DEA…Again!
Photo: Wikipedia
Hemp industry leaders urge constituents to submit comments in the Federal Register: “Keep the DEA out of the hemp business.”
By Steven Hoffman
When Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, it included historic legislation that legalized the production and sale of industrial hemp in the U.S. for the first time in more than 80 years. In doing so, it removed the DEA’s (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration) decades-long adversarial jurisdiction over the crop.
Unfortunately, reported the U.S. Hemp Roundtable on September 14, “DEA has stuck its nose back under the hemp tent.”
In 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) on hemp, outlining provisions for USDA to approve plans submitted by states and Native American Tribes for the domestic production of hemp. However, in March 2020, USDA Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue testified before a Congressional subcommittee that DEA was opposed to implementing a domestic hemp program, and that it exerted outsized influence on USDA’s proposed rules.
The DEA “really didn’t like the whole program to begin with,” Perdue told Congress. “This is a new and unusual crop, as you understand,” Perdue said at the time. “Our hands were constrained many times by the interagency process.” Perdue admitted that a number of burdensome and troubling provisions inserted in USDA’s Interim Final Rule on hemp came at the direction of DEA.
Only last month, in August, DEA published its own Interim Final Rule on hemp that, among other things, “could potentially criminalize the hemp extraction process,” said the U.S. Hemp Roundtable in its statement.
As of now, both IFRs are open for public input, and industry leaders encourage hemp industry members to submit comments. “Our message is simple: Let Farmers farm. Keep the DEA out of the hemp business,” U.S. Roundtable said.
“Congress made clear in the 2018 Farm Bill that the era of DEA involvement with the hemp crop was over. So, you can imagine our frustration with the DEA trying once again to exercise its authority over the crop by imposing restrictions within USDA’s rulemaking, and by issuing its own Interim Final Rule which purports to re-criminalize hemp extraction,” said Jonathan Miller, General Counsel of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable.
“It’s time for us to take a stand, and we encourage all hemp supporters to send comments to the DEA and the USDA through our easy-to-use portal,” Miller added.
Constituents can easily submit comments via an online portal established by the U.S. Hemp Roundtable that directs comments into the federal registry by using this link. A draft letter is available for use or customizing with your own personal stories.
Jonathan Miller urges hemp industry members to act soon. The comments period closes on October 8 for the USDA, and October 20 for the DEA.
You can read U.S. Hemp Roundtable’s formally submitted comments here: USDA Comments; DEA Comments.
For more information, visit www.hempsupporter.com.
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KISS THE GROUND Documentary Signifies Hemp’s Role in Regenerative Agriculture, Climate Change
By Heather Collins
As wildfires ravage the West, unseasonal snowstorms blanket the Rocky Mountains, and hurricanes pound the South, people everywhere are talking about climate change.
Faced with the reality of a global crisis, hemp industry executives, Hollywood filmmakers, actors, farmers, celebrities, and business leaders collaborated and created KISS THE GROUND. This new full-length groundbreaking documentary gets to the root of the problem, with the solution located right under our feet.
Narrated by actor Woody Harrelson, the film features a star-studded line-up and casts a glimpse of how soil might be the clear answer to sequestering carbon out of the atmosphere and help cool a warming planet. Directed by Rebecca Tickell and Josh Tickell, the documentary features well-known celebrities, such as Ian Somerhalder, Gisele Bündchen, Jason Mraz, and David Arquette.
According to KISS THE GROUND’S Executive Producer, Ian Somerhalder, “We can get the Earth back to the Garden of Eden that it once was by regeneration in agriculture.” KISS THE GROUND is in good hands with Big Picture Ranch, a film studio that strives to change the narrative around critical environmental issues.
Save the Date
The movie, KISS THE GROUND, will be available to the world on Tuesday, September 22, at 6:00 pm PDT, on Netflix. Somerhalder is inviting everyone to view the trailer and spend an evening watching the film to learn more about KISS THE GROUND, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit whose mission is to awaken people to the possibilities of regenerative agriculture.
“There’s so much bad news about our planet. Please share the film with your community and with every friend, co-worker, mother, father, sister, brother, and acquaintance,” says Somerhalder. “We are fulfilling our mission in awakening people to the possibility of regeneration. Together, we can do this. Here we go!”
To view the trailer, click HERE or to support the KISS THE GROUND message and movement, visit: https://kisstheground.com/support-the-film/ – socialassets
The Power of Hemp Soil
Hemp business leaders, industry experts, and entrepreneurs publicly acknowledge that hemp could be key in creating solutions to the global climate crisis. “Hemp can be grown more regeneratively as a rotational crop along with cover crops. If you just inject nitrogen fertilizer, though, you miss the point of a better world with hemp. Let’s regenerate with hemp!” said John Roulac, Co-Producer of KISS THE GROUND, Founder of Nutiva, and Founder and Board Member of the Certified Organic CBD brand RE Botanicals.
The Rodale Institute, an organization dedicated to improving humans’ overall health and the planet through organic research, agricultural training, and consumer education, acknowledges that the global “climate crisis is here and regenerative agriculture is the only way to fight it.”
The Rodale Institute is leading research efforts into regenerative hemp, and it applauds the efforts many hemp farmers are making in implementing sustainable farming techniques on their farms. Even though regenerative agriculture is a relatively new concept, the organization works collectively with growers to educate them on the soil carbon solution that further protects farmland for future use.
About KISS THE GROUND 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Film Partner
KISS THE GROUND is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission of creating awareness around the extraordinary potential of healthy soil. KISS THE GROUND has educated and activated millions through its Media Program, Farmland Program, and Stewardship Program. Their Farmland Program supports transitioning farmers and ranchers with training, mentorship, and soil testing and has a robust scholarship program for farmers who need financial assistance to take part. The Stewardship Program is an education platform, community, and resource hub created to educate, inspire, and empower individuals to become powerful and impactful advocates for the regenerative movement. KISS THE GROUND has become a premier online educational hub for regenerative agriculture, offering an online “pathway” for anyone to find resources and their unique way forward in contributing to this expanding global movement.
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Hydrating the Functional Beverage Category: M Kombucha’s New Best-in-Class Elixir Delivers Powerhouse of Electrolytes and Optimal Taste
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hydrating the Functional Beverage Category: M Kombucha’s New Best-in-Class Elixir Delivers Powerhouse of Electrolytes and Optimal Taste
Powered by Buoy® Hydration, M Kombucha Launches ‘Beyond Hydration,’ a Refreshing Kombucha Elixir Enriched with Electrolytes, B Vitamins, and Antioxidants.
San Diego, CA (September 9, 2020) – Active and healthy lifestyle consumers who demand peak performance from sports drinks now have a new choice when it comes to hydrating after a yoga class, workout, or long run. Emerging beverage brand M Kombucha and start-up company, Buoy Hydration, have partnered together and are pleased to announce their high-quality, electrolyte-dense ‘Beyond Hydration’; a functional kombucha flavored with fresh, organic cold-pressed Grapefruit and Ginger.
Molecular biologist and M Kombucha’s Co-founder, Adi Ramon, realized the beverage category was missing clean and refreshing hydration, “It made perfect sense to create a truly hydrating kombucha, one that would complement M’s existing functional beverage line designed for health-conscious and active consumers.” According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, more than 75% of Americans are dehydrated, leading to chronic illness, fatigue, and other ailments. This surprising statistic prompted the founders of Buoy Hydration and M Kombucha to collaborate and create ‘Beyond Hydration.’
M Kombucha’s ‘Beyond Hydration’ is powered by Buoy Hydration’s formula of low-sodium, all-natural, hand-harvested sea salts, including 87 micronutrients and trace minerals. Unlike other leading sports drinks and hydrating powders that lose key minerals due to processing, ‘Beyond Hydration’ is able to keep the good nutrients in, while replenishing the body with natural electrolytes, B vitamins, and antioxidants – in the most refreshing way.
Dr. Lianli Li, Ph.D., President of Gateway Pharmaceutical in St. Louis, Missouri, helped Buoy Hydration founders create their proprietary blend of electrolytes. “Dehydration prevents your brain and body from functioning properly, and most of us are living our lives under the optimal hydration level,” says Dr. Li. “The combination of M Kombucha and Buoy gives consumers the proper hydration they need, and together, ‘Beyond Hydration’ works wonders in boosting brain function and enhancing the nervous system.”
When Water Isn’t Enough: A Thirst-Quenching Experience
Ramon recalls a personal experience she had with ‘Beyond Hydration’ and how it positively impacted her life. “We were hiking in the desert near Ojai on a hot day, and I was drinking plenty of water, but it wasn’t enough. Later that night, I began having symptoms of severe dehydration - headache, upset stomach, fatigue, and nausea. After plenty of rest and countless glasses of water, I still wasn’t feeling better. That’s when I remembered I had brought ‘Beyond Hydration’ with us in the cooler in the car,” adds Ramon. “As soon as I drank a cold ‘Beyond Hydration,’ I could instantaneously feel the benefits by replenishing what my body had depleted, and it brought me back to life.”
Electrolytes, which are naturally bitter, can pose a challenge when it comes to taste. That explains why the founders of Buoy Hydration have meticulously spent the past three years, ensuring their hydration formula did not compromise the taste of any drink. "Americans are simply not getting the proper hydration they need. Habitually consumers reach for sugar-packed sports drinks and processed powders to help keep them refreshed without receiving the benefits of natural electrolytes," says Buoy Hydration Co-Founder Daniel Schindler. "At Buoy, we squeeze back in what life takes out of you. Our product is all-natural and made without sugars or flavors."
What’s Inside?
Each batch of M Kombucha’s ‘Beyond Hydration’ is made with three servings of Buoy Hydration, Fair Trade Black and Green Teas*, Purified Water, Kombucha Culture*, Fair Trade Evaporated Cane Sugar* (needed for kombucha fermentation), Cold-Pressed Grapefruit* and Ginger* (* Organic Ingredient). The Kombucha, enriched with Buoy's Hydration formula, includes Low-Sodium Sea Minerals, Herbal Extracts*, and B Vitamins, providing a unique and efficacious hydration elixir that no other kombucha brand offers:
Low-Sodium Sea Minerals (Sodium, Chloride, Magnesium, and Potassium):
Electrolytes and minerals are crucial to delivering water to the body’s cells. Without enough sodium and chloride in the body, it won’t be able to balance fluids.
Buoy Hydration sources its natural sea salts from France. Sea salt helps healthy pH levels, balances electrolytes, supports brain, muscle, and nerve function, aids in detoxification and digestion, and prevents dehydration.
As an electrolyte, potassium has a positive impact on the brain, and with proper potassium levels, more oxygen will reach the brain, boosting cognitive function. Muscle cramps are common for people who don’t get enough potassium.
Herbal Extracts (Acacia, Star Anise, and Rosemary):
Acacia is used for medical purposes and acts as a prebiotic to increase beneficial bacteria and is excellent for metabolic and gut health.
Star Anise is rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C. It helps fight free radicals and is known as a natural way to fight off colds and the flu, plus it’s a digestive aid, alleviates cramps, and reduces nausea.
Rosemary is not only commonly found in kitchens but is an ancient medicinal herb that also aids in digestion and memory while boosting the immune system.
B Vitamins (B1, B5, and B6):
Vitamin B1 is a crucial component to helping electrolytes flow in and out of cells and supports the proper functioning of the nervous system and muscles.
Vitamin B5 helps sharpen memory and reduces brain fog, and produces acetylcholine, which functions as a neurotransmitter that helps the brain and nervous system function.
Vitamin B6 is needed for neuron transmission in your brain and helps serotonin production, which improves brain performance and mood.
About M Kombucha
Founded in San Diego, California, M Kombucha is passionate about elevating people’s health and well-being through delicious and refreshing functional beverages designed to meet today's consumer needs. The Company is devoted to sustainable, organic, and Fair Trade practices and collaborates with specialty companies to add efficacious formulations to their craft beverages. M is taking Kombucha to the next level with ingredients like probiotic spores, prebiotic fiber, adaptogens, medicinal mushrooms, and botanicals while staying committed to taste and ultimate enjoyment. Visit mkombucha.com to find retail locations in CA or to order online.
About Buoy Hydration
With Buoy, hydration is just a half-second squeeze away. Buoy’s mission is to hydrate the 75% of chronically dehydrated Americans and give back to the communities that need clean, effective hydration. For every bottle sold, Buoy gives back to verified 501(c)3 nonprofits. Buoy believes in the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. Part of creating a sustainable business means sourcing the best ingredients that give people who use Buoy robust, functional health benefits. Additionally, Buoy is Carbon Neutral and uses 75% of post-consumer recycled materials for each bottle. For more information, please visit justaddbuoy.com.
Media Contact:
Heather Collins, h | c marketing, 303.250.4797, heather@hcollinsmarketing.com, heather@mkombucha.com or heather@justaddbuoy.com
Industry Veteran Garrett Bain Takes the Reins at EcoGen Biosciences
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By Steven Hoffman
Following its recent acquisition by hemp consumer products leader Kadenwood Brands, newly renamed EcoGen Biosciences is set to make its mark as a world leader in hemp-derived ingredients and extracts and hemp genetics from its home base on Colorado’s Western Slope.
Combined, the companies – Kadenwood Brands based in Newport Beach, CA, and EcoGen Biosciences, headquartered in Grand Junction, CO, have created an integrated supplier – from genetics, farming and processing to finished branded products – worth approximately $250 million, reported Reuters.
The merger helps revitalize EcoGen and the local Colorado economy – earlier in the year the company, formerly named EcoGen Laboratories, had announced a restructuring due to the Covid-19 pandemic and slowed sales due to regulatory uncertainty around hemp-derived CBD.
The new owners, however, think the time is right, so much so that two of Kadenwood’s senior officers – Chief Commercial Officer Garrett Bain and General Manager Jason Waggoner – have relocated to Colorado to help integrate operations.
Formerly of Kentucky-based CBD processor Gencanna, Bain is well known in the hemp community. “I’ve had a great opportunity to work with all stages of the value chain and I bring an industry perspective,” said Bain. “The team at Kadenwood, including Chairman Todd Davis – the founder of LifeLock – brings a lot of experience from the consumer packaged goods (CPG) side of the space. Together, we round out the vertical, expanding the company into production and the processing space, as well,” he said.
With 400 acres that the company owns, EcoGen works with its own proprietary genetics and with other farming partners to be able to provide the biomass needed to offer consistent, high quality product throughout the year, said Bain. Conscious of the benefits of organic farming, Bain also mentioned that EcoGen is applying organic growing practices on acreage it farms, and is partnering with a farm in California to grow organic acreage, too.
“We provide one of the largest global platforms you’ll find in the hemp-derived CBD space. We are vertically integrated, from genetics to farming to processing and all the way through to branded finished goods.”
Bain pointed out that Kadenwood’s Level Select consumer brand of hemp-derived CBD products has been gaining traction, growing 300% over the past year. The products can be purchased on Level Select’s website and in over 3,000 retail locations, projected to grow to 7,000 retail locations by the end of the year, according to Bain. Bain mentioned the company has ambitious rollout plans, including other brands in development, as well.
In addition to building Kadenwood’s own consumer brand portfolio, EcoGen Biosciences continues to serve hemp manufacturers throughout the world. “The EcoGen brand is trusted globally. We’re known for quality and scale to serve some of the largest clients around the world, and we are investing to increase scale, capacity, and quality, from bulk ingredients to isolates, distillates, to white label manufacturing,” Bain said.