Growing Sustainable Communities Around the Hemp Economy

NDCS collaborated with a group of connected Pennsylvania organizations on sustainable, innovative projects across agriculture, textiles, construction, and regional coalition-building. The engagement demonstrated the firm’s ability to manage complex, interconnected projects while fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders and leveraging political and industry leadership.

The partners

The Hempstead PA — a farm and bed-and-breakfast near the Delaware Water Gap focused on chemical-free community-supported agriculture, growing hemp and vegetables and raising goats and chickens while offering guests an immersive experience in sustainable farming and rural living.

All Together Now PA — a nonprofit connecting Pennsylvania’s fiber, textile, and fashion communities toward a sustainable, equitable, and circular future for textiles.

Americhanvre Cast-Hemp — a national leader in hempcrete construction, specializing in eco-friendly building materials that use industrial hemp.

Pocono Organics — a regenerative organic farm and wellness center focused on sustainable farming, community education, and healthy living.

Rodale Institute — a globally recognized leader in regenerative organic agriculture research and advocacy.

What we did

Grant application management

Managed the USDA grant application process across the partnership — writing proposals, compiling data, and coordinating with every partner so the applications aligned. The funding secured advanced the goals of all the organizations involved.

Operations and collaboration systems

Designed and implemented remote-friendly collaboration systems so geographically dispersed teams could actually work together, with tools and processes fitted to each partner’s own workflow rather than imposed on it.

University partnerships

Established a partnership with East Stroudsburg University, creating openings for student engagement, research collaboration, and community involvement, and running educational events and workshops that widened local participation.

Media and marketing

Created social campaigns, press releases, and event materials for all five partners, and helped organize and run multiple in-person events that built visibility and community ties.

Farm registration and capacity building

Supported The Hempstead PA in formalizing its business registration and expanding operational capacity, with strategic guidance that let the farm serve its guests and CSA members better.

Regional political coalition building

Attended conferences and worked with state politicians to advocate for policy supporting sustainable agriculture, hemp industries, and regenerative practice — collaborating with Pocono Organics, the Rodale Institute, and other regional leaders, and convening cross-sector dialogue across agriculture, construction, and textiles.

Hands-on engagement

Worked alongside partners in the fields and on hempcrete construction. Doing the labor they do was the fastest way to understand the work, and it built the relationships the rest of the engagement rested on.

Impact

Collaboration strengthened across the agricultural, textile, and construction sectors, demonstrating hemp’s range as a sustainable resource. Every partner came away with better operational and marketing capability. And the relationships built between local businesses, educational institutions, and nonprofits outlasted the engagement, contributing to a more resilient and interconnected regional economy — and to policy and industry development beyond it.