Bear Fiber, Inc.

Great visit to see Mark Leonard and Hill Spinning Mill with Amie Farkas and Catherine Bosma from Maggie's Organics! #HEMPMAKESITBETTER Bear Fiber, Inc.

Here is a good article that includes the perspectives of two hemp textile experts who have helped the Global Hemp Innovation Center form our perspectives as we work forward finding ways for industrial hemp to find its place in the United States agricultural and biobased manufacturing landscapes. Check out the quotes by Guy Carpenter with Bear Fiber, Inc. and Mark D'Sa with Panda Biotech. Great views from two veterans in the global hemp industry.

Helping small businesses after uninsured natural disasters or massive uncontrollable events, like COVID. With the help of Vicki Lee Parker-High from North Carolina Sustainable Business Council I was invited to the White House this AM. I personally know some small western NC businesses that were wiped out by the floods caused by Helene, most of them did not have any flood insurance, have closed their doors, and not interested in talking on the debt, not even at a low interest rate not knowing the future of the rebuilding in the area. We are advocating a program similar to PPP that without it TS Designs would have probably not survived COVID. Only the federal government can issue forgivable loans and I am quite aware of the issues and abuses surrounding how the PPP program and millions of dollars went missing or misdirected. As a small business owner I am responsible for paying our taxes, abiding by the regulations and providing a safe working environment for our employees, but something beyond our control or insurance coverage that could wipe out our business I am hoping my partner in doing business in the US, the federal government would help. In the months and years to come we will see a dramatic change in the small business environment in western North Carolina and a lot of those vacancies will be filled with corporate and big box companies. Small businesses is what makes and connects a more resilient community. Another idea that came from having coffee with a pilot flying aid into the area was about developing a small business resource directory, (people and skills) so when a massive disruption hits an area then these resources could be employed by the federal government instead of flying everything in. This would help the employees of the small businesses impacted, avoiding them having to file for unemployment and more people that know the community. The world is becoming more and more complicated, a stronger and more connected relationship between government and small businesses will build more resilient communities. Emily Stasiak, Alamance Chamber, Carolina Textile District, Ilsa Spaan, Jackson Spivey, B Lab, Fibershed, Croatan Institute, Textile Exchange, Michael Shuman, Kevin Doyle Jones, Mountain BizWorks, Joel Skene, Dig Local, David Billstrom, North Carolina Sustainable Business Council, Vicki Lee Parker-High #allintogether