Margaret River Hemp Co

Margaret River Hemp Co holds industrial hemp grower licence number 32. The family-owned business says it has more than 30 years of experience with the plant, and over that time it has built most of a supply chain around it.

The company describes its operation as vertically integrated, from seed to shelf. It states that it runs the largest hemp processing facility for fibre and hurd in Australia. Its founder and director sits on the committees of the Australian Industrial Hemp Alliance and the Western Australia Hemp Association, iHempWA. A sister company, Hemp Homes Australia, builds with hempcrete, and a related property, the Indica Hemp House, shows what hemp construction looks like.

This guide's focus is smaller and closer to home: what gets made from the seed. The hemp seed oil skincare is described as handmade in Margaret River using 100% Australian cold-pressed hemp seed oil. There is a milky face wash in a glass pump bottle, and a shampoo and conditioner bar made from hemp seed and olive oil. On the food side there is hemp flour, made by milling the seed cake that is left once the oil has been pressed out.

The company describes its own products as GMO-free, vegan, cruelty-free, pesticide-free and made without parabens or sulfates. Beyond skincare and food it also sells hemp clothing, bags and pet products.

There is a store on Bussell Highway in Margaret River, open to visitors. Check the maker's site before visiting. If you have only met hemp as rope or a shopping bag, the range covers a good deal more ground. One plant ends up as flour in the pantry, a bar in the shower and, through the sister company, a building material.