Helping Hands at Hemp Nation
Hemp Nation’s purpose as a Research and Cultivation School is to develop and promote personal independence by using raw hemp materials, processing tools, and business techniques to grow, harvest, create, make available, and allow for the sale of excess hemp retail products.
We provide education by offering lectures, classes, labs, and other hands-on experiences focused around the propagation, harvesting, and processing of industrial hemp as well as its useful, manufacturable end-products; i.e. cloth, paper, bio-diesel, various construction materials, and food stock. Hemp Nation also strives to provide all the tools and materials needed to grow, process, and package hemp products including land, seeds, fertilizer and planting tools.
The participants work the fields, grow houses, or labs, manning all the equipment while learning hands on in a live environment. A portion of whole goods is kept by Hemp Nation for other projects while the rest is evenly distributed among the participants for the last and most creative lab in a coursework track - “The Finishing Lab.” All who enter The Finishing Lab are considered artists - no longer participants - and are taught and encouraged to take care in their creative process as they turn their hemp whole goods into ready-to-use or ready-to-sell conditioned merchandise, also known as retail goods.
Hemp Nation acknowledges that everything made in these Finishing Labs, belongs to the artist, to keep or to sell. Artists are encouraged to only keep what they need and prepare the rest to sell in the retail market, hence, the artists have become their own bosses. Also, these artists can now effectively reproduce every aspect of their product, having obtained knowledge and skills they can employ at will for their own independence.
This is where Hemp Nation brings in the storefront and restaurant, “Wake & Bake” in Alamosa, CO. Just like Hemp Nation, Wake & Bake is also run by volunteers and will serve a full breakfast menu 24 hours a day while providing a retail venue for hemp goods. Artist’s from Hemp Nation may also choose to sell their handcrafted hemp goods at Wake & Bake. Proceeds from sales are then split equally between Hemp Nation which puts 100% of its funds back into the next generation of programs, and the artist.
Opportunities at Hemp Nation take three forms:
a.) Full-Time Volunteers: Those who have chosen to devote at 32 - 60 hours a week toward the development, success, and daily operation of Hemp Nation. Full-time volunteers receive free meals, limited assistance with housing (based on current availability) and other essential needs as set forth and approved by the board of directors. These dedicated volunteers run the day-to-day operations of Hemp Nation, receiving no direct compensation, but are granted full access to all services and benefits of the Hemp Nation facilities during their personal time for the length of time they are active Volunteers for Hemp Nation.
b.) Part-Time Volunteers: Those who donate less than 32 hours per week. Part-time volunteers eat with full-time volunteers and are only granted access to all of the services and benefits of the Hemp Nation facilities as agreed upon.
c.) Members: Those who pay a fee to access the services and benefits of the Hemp Nation facilities. Members work under the direction of a designated instructor, following all rules and regulations of the lecture or lab. Members also receive 10% off in store retail and dining purchases, 50% off local produce and free domestic shipping of our retail products. Members also receive invitations to attend special events
d.) Students: Those who pay a fee for a specific lecture or lab and only have access to the related services and materials for the duration of the event.
Hemp Nation has been running with less than ten full time volunteers and we are ready to mature to the next level. This core group dedicates their time, talents, and energies in exchange for job security, steady meals, and the chance to make an independent future for themselves that cannot be taken away. These are exciting times as we push forward with our plans to expand and open our doors to more full time volunteers. In order to make sure that our volunteers — and thus Hemp Nation — is successful, we need an extra push of cash to get us on our way.
Our Capital Plans
We are looking to build two water wells to supply all the water we need for next season's hemp crop, the potable water needs of our resident volunteers, and the water for our edible food garden. $12K - $20K
Currently, Hemp Nation is run completely off the grid by the use of solar and propane. The solar power rig was donated and could easily support several more batteries before reaching its limit. We would like to have enough solar power to be able to get through an entire harsh winter night. $3K
Additional funds will go to increasing the space we have for volunteers. We are currently offering three (3) meals a day. With the additional volunteers, that means even more supplies. $300/week-of-meals/10 volunteers. Our goal is to extend this program to sustain 30 volunteers. We are always on the lookout for old RVs or trailers and the cost to purchase and remodel varies. Summer will bring the ability to make earthen homes with perhaps some plumbing.
The rest of the funds will go to getting a few other items to help make Wake and Bake a success:
1.) Supplies to build a walk-in cooler and freezer
2.) Large dough mixer
3.) Tableware and general supplies
If we are able to meet our funding goals, our dreams of expansion will be realized. Hemp Nation functions with the ability to scale according to its resources. All the volunteers live simply, we practice transparent and controlled spending, and we are committed and motivated to succeed.
Will you please help us by making a small donation so we may go forward and make this a true Hemp Nation?
