What Are The Kenaf Challenges,  Solutions and Opportunities in the USA?

  How does one get started in the kenaf industry for their particular needs and wants? 

    "Right here at Kenaf Partners USA" 

  Our current partners and I have asked where do we start and how do we get started? 

   It is from the Permaculture Design courses I learned about the many benefits of plant guilds and how different plants provide different benefits to other plants. Working together each plant thrives, and a state of regeneration comes into existence. With this in mind I hope we find a way to work together and share our talents, resources and knowledge in a way that benefits each other, and we become a "Regenerative Sharing Community".

   If you are new to kenaf or a veteran in the kenaf industry, I recommend that you visit each page and keep up with new changes, blogs etc. as we learn and share. 

   If you are a corn and soy farmer contact Bob and request a "Farmer Request For Contract with Buyer" or fill out the form on this page: Fiber-For-Sale Information on this form is confidential and will be seen by Bob Lawrason Founder, CEO Kenaf Partners USA only.".

   If you are a manufacturer and looking into the possibilities of using kenaf in the production of your product(s), contact Bob and request a "Manufacturer Inquiry and Information Form". or Fill out the form here: manufacturers

   If you are ready to start growing kenaf fill out the form Fiber-For-Sale and get the SEED you need to start.

Kenaf for Health, Wealth and Relationships

Why Am I Doing This

   It started in 2011 having a discussion with a veteran Permaculture Designer about the importance of watersheds and watershed management. As a result I have studied various aspects of this topic and found important statistics that I could not overlook. It was the culmination of these statistics and getting through the processes to get to the bottom of "why" and "what solutions" regarding flooding, drought, pollution, human health, environmental health, economics in the USA etc. that drove me to find an entry point or "common denominator" that made sense and could have a beneficial outcome in each of these areas. What I have discovered is kenaf has the potential of improving conditions in each of these areas.

Statistics Affecting and Related to our Largest Watershed

• The Mississippi Watershed includes 37 states and 2 Canadian Provinces.
• In 1945 the US with 5% of the world population was producing 45% of the worlds consumable goods from this watershed.
• Agriculture in the USA is the largest industry in the USA by 20 times the next largest industry.
• 39% of the US (not Alaska) 1.9 billion acres are agricultural land. In 2018 that worked out to be 899 million acres.
• Out of that 1.9 billion acres 3.6% Urban (68 million acres), 20% Cropland (380 million acres), 41% Animal Feed and Grazing (779 million acres) and 36% Forested (684 million acres).
• Agriculture pollution is the largest polluting industry in the USA taking onsite pollution into consideration. 
• 91.7 million acres in corn, 80 million acres in soy, 13.7 million acres in cotton and 800 million acres for animal feed and grazing. 
• Corn, soy,cotton farmers and ranchers are struggling to survive and many have no idea of what would make sense in terms of other choices. 
• Livestock farming is also dependent upon corn and soy and their waste practices contribute to pollution in various ways.
• The farming industry supports other industries and plays a key role in the economics of their local communities and the communities that provide the things they need to do business.
• International trade agreements now and in the future affect supply and demand for our farmers' products, affect market prices and farmer profit, outside the control of our farmers.

The list goes on!

   Whys

• Pollution from on site agriculture practices include erosion of valuable soil, tilling releasing stored CO2 in soils, fuel used on site and CO2 released into our atmosphere, use of toxic chemicals that get into our waterways, food, bodies and environment.
• "Best Practices" taught in our universities, promoted by vested interests and practiced by most farmers are the cause of these pollutions.
• Vested interests have interfered with alternative choices based on profit and potential competition.
• Options offered to farmers in most cases are too costly for farmers to take advantage of out of pocket, and loans from conventional institutions are not made available for these options. Some of these options take several years to see a return on their investments that farmers cannot afford. 
• Solutions offered are profit motivated and not in the best interest of our farmers' success, environmental health and contribute to an increase in human health problems throughout our food supply. i.e. corn syrup in most of the products found on the shelves of grocery stores.
• More and more farmers are beginning to see that what they are doing is not sustainable and not improving their bottom line. They are also under peer pressure and other social situations, holding them back from stepping out of the social traps and changing the way they do business.

   Introducing kenaf as a rotational cash crop to farmers as a way of helping them transition gradually through the steps of sustainability, resilience and ultimately regenerative practices while improving their bottom line is where we begin.

   Our Mission is to help farmers increase their profits and soil health while growing kenaf the new rotational cash crop for corn, soy and cotton farmers.

   Sustainability options could be as simple as proper plant spacing causing less stress on the plants they currently grow, thus lowering input costs of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Keyline plowing on contour to handle erosion, flood control as well as store water in their fields during drought, instead of expensive drain tiles and ditch systems.

   Resilience options could be "proper" soil testing and amendments targetting optimum soil conditions increasing yield, healthier plants and reslient soil. This along with kenaf as a rotation cash crop increasing profits and improved soil. Cover crops and no till or little till towards "Regeneration".

   Regenerative options are things like woody perrenial poly crops, food forests, silvopasture, agroforestry and others.

   This is a sequence of transition from the existing scene towards the ideal scenes, that most corn, soy and cotton farmers, could and would take action on over time. Why? Because it will make sense to them once they see the particulars associated with their current operation.

   These 6 recommended steps (covered on our kenaf and soil page) can be taken, lowering input costs, increasing yield and profit while they continue to grow corn, soy and cotton. Utilizing all of these successful actions where and when appropriate would be the ideal scene. It is the ideal scene that we want to work towards and take actions over time based on results.

   By introducing these things and making kenaf seed available and grown in the USA, the farmer can start eliminating pollution on site and help restore the Mississippi Watershed while improving the quality of their own life and the lives of others in their community. 

   We could launch a thriving kenaf industry in the US, but what could possibly prevent this from occurring? The same answer to that question could also be the same for the question "What do we need to do, to make it happen"? Our current estimate is we will need 600,000 acres of seed growing operations in the USA,  to provide enough seed for 55 million acres. This approximately 1/3 of total acres currently growing corn, soy and cotton. We would need the seeds first to makes this happen. Without a sufficient supply of viable and affordable seed, the rest becomes a mute point.

   While we grow enough kenaf seed to make available for our farmers to start using kenaf as a rotational cash crop, kenaf fiber growing operations can begin and start supplying USA processors and manufacturers with the quantity and quality of kenaf fibers and wood they need.

   We now have access to the 3 types of kenaf seed that can be grown throughout the US for seed supply.

   With equipment and infrastructure in place we begin providing the needed kenaf material for the growing list of buyers in the US. Having the infrastructure in the strategic locations in the US will save time and money for buyers making kenaf material a wise choice.

   

If you want to make small changes, change how you do things. If you want to make major changes, change how you see things. Don Campbell

Solutions For The Kenaf Industry

    Our approach at Kenaf Partners USA is to address this by, contracting with kenaf growers for seed-fiber-hurd, processors, buyers and even shipping and storage partners. 

   Over 20 years ago the USDA did research on kenaf in nearly every US state with a positive recommendation as a rotational crop. Eventually we will need a sufficient seed supply grown in the USA to handle the growing demand now and in the future. Another opportunity for farmers.

What We Know Is Here

What You Know We Need

• We are here to provide you with what we know to help make decisions and get started.

• What you know about your business and when you provide us with the details, makes it possible to find the supply of kenaf material you require to do business with us or find a buyer of your grown and harvested kenaf seed, fiber, and/or hurd.

• Special forms (on this web site) are available for you to fill out to get started. Your information is confidential and will only be used to facilitate a contract on your behalf.