ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont company is hoping to renovate an old grain mill in St. Johnsbury into an industrial hemp processing facility.
Zion Growers has an option to purchase the property that includes a grain silo lettered “E.T. & H.K. Ide” from current owner Tim Ide, of Danville, the current owner and great-grandson of the founder of the Ide company over 100 years ago.
The location was once a major grain distributor. The grain silo is among the tallest structures in town.
Zion Chief Operations Officer Travis Samuels tells the Caledonian Record the proposed facility will not be used for making any cannabis products or for growing plants.
It would be used to process and store hemp.
The St. Johnsbury Development Review Board has approved Zion’s request to use the property on condition the property only be used for industrial hemp and that a charcoal air filtration system be used for odor control.
The Vermont Legislature legalized the growing of industrial hemp, which can be used in a variety of products, in 2014.
“The market is still in its infancy in most parts of the country and this (Bay Street facility) puts us in a position to be at the front of that in this area,” he said. “It’s what we’re looking to nail down.”
–Associated Press
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