Emerald Hemp was founded in 2024 by Emory Horton, a hands-on innovator with a vision to change the way industrial hemp is processed. Emory began his journey in 2023 working with a startup in Wahpeton, North Dakota. From the start, he saw the potential of hemp—but also the inefficiencies and limitations in how it was being handled across the industry.

Determined to find a better way, Emory traveled the country, visiting processors and testing every type of hemp machinery available. Though grateful for the insight and generosity of others in the industry, he came away unsatisfied. He believed hemp deserved better—faster, cleaner, more cost-effective solutions.

Back at the Emerald R&D facility, Emory began testing equipment from unrelated industries, searching for adaptable solutions. After 18 months of relentless trial and error, he developed a proprietary system that streamlines hemp processing using practical automation, high throughput, and minimal labor. Every part of the process was designed and built in-house by Emory himself.

Emerald Hemp is built on two unshakable values: fiscal and environmental responsibility. We don’t have investors. We don’t take government subsidies. We believe that if a business can’t stand on its own, it’s not truly viable. Our operations are lean, sustainable, and community-focused.

We grow our hemp naturally in the Red River Valley and surrounding communities. We process it locally, using local labor, and we reinvest in the places we live and work. As active participants in agriculture, we champion value-added farming while remaining committed to soil health and long-term productivity.

We also take packaging seriously. Our goal is to be 100% plastic-free. That means using renewable, compostable materials like paper bags, cardboard totes, sisal twine, and other eco-friendly options tailored to industrial hemp. Every choice we make reflects our belief that hemp isn’t just the future—it’s a right now solution.

At Emerald Hemp, we don’t follow trends. We build better ones.