Hemp Voices: Danny Desjarlais, Lower Sioux Hemp
Danny Desjarlais is Morton, MN-based Lower Sioux Industrial Hemp Construction project manager
My role as the project manager has been everything from design, planning, estimating, ordering, building, bookkeeping and managing a stable of Belgian Horses. Those are the builders of our team. They deserve all of the credit.
Hemp is the answer to so many of the world’s problems. Building is just one of the many branches of this amazing plant. I’m most interested in the potential hemp brings to rebuilding our tribal and First Nations communities. We can grow our own homes. Better healthy homes for our people and their children.
What was a win for your organization this year?
I don’t want to brag but everything we did this year felt like a win! We were able to get 3 hempcrete structures built in 2023. The first is a duplex that we sprayed using the Ereasy system. Also a 4 bedroom single family home that was cast in place. Last was a 1 bedroom prefabricated panel house with Matt Marino and Homeland Hempcrete. I would have to say our biggest win was teaming up with Cameron MacIntosh and Americhanvre. He has been a great influence to our team and a huge contribution in our success. Having him and Navid Hatfield on site for our first build was a blessing and has really set the pace for the way we approach our projects. Being able to get people living in these houses will be the biggest win for us in 2024.
What have you learned that you didn’t know a year ago?
1 year ago we were brand new to the hempcrete world. We had just finished our first cast-in-place build which was a demonstration shed. We have since learned how to work with blocks, panels, and spray. We have definitely learned how fast panels and spraying make the job. Now we need to start spraying panels!
What is the biggest challenge faced by hemp building in the next 5 years?
I’d say the biggest challenge would be the standards for building-grade hurd and being able to create that supply chain at a national level. Once those supply chains are established and we have multiple processors throughout the country selling building-grade hurd at lower prices, there will be more demand from the builders. Lower Sioux has created our own supply chain by growing and processing our own hemp.
Contact: danny.desjarlais@lowersioux.com
507-697-6185
