Hemp heaven: my day down on the farm with the Good Oil guys

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of visiting Collabear Farm in Devon where the tasty hemp cooking oil Good Oil is made. I'd been enjoying the oil in the form of salad dressings for some time, but had no real idea just what a fabulously green foodstuff hemp oil is until my trip to the farm, where I got to see first-hand how simple the process is from field to bottle, and how absolutely nothing of the crop is wasted.

Read on to find out what I learnt about hemp and its health-giving, planet-loving qualities

Related: Want to win a hamper full of Good Oil products? | Unisex sneakers by Hemp Icon | Hemp for your hair with Alterna Organics

Collabear is a small, family-run farm in Barnstable, North Devon, full of friendly ducks and donkeys. It's also the heart of the Good Oil operation, and this is where I met Henry Braham, co-founder of Good Oil along with Glynis Murray.

The oldest crop to be grown in Northern Europe, hemp fell out of fashion during the industrial revolution, when cotton replaced it, due to being cheaper and easier to handle. It enjoyed a brief resurgence during WW2, when hemp was used to make canvas, ropes and other products related to the war-effort, but then disappeared again when nylon was developed.

Now that we're better equipped to harvest and use hemp, many people are rediscovering it for its environmental and health benefits. Hemp is a 'complete' crop, meaning that no part of it needs to be wasted. As well as the seedy, edible part of the plant where the oil comes from, the stalk can be used to make strong canvas and other fabrics, including a sturdy but very light material that can be used to line cars, making them lighter and helping cut down on fuel consumption. The root of the hemp plant is extremely beneficial to the soil, leaving it in great condition after harvest and attracting wildlife. It's also an entirely organic process, since you simply can't usefully spray hemp with pesticides.

Good Oil, which is available in most supermarkets is different from most of the hemp oils you'll find in health stores because it's essentially been made by foodies for foodies: it'll still give you a mega dose of digestible omega oils, (great for veggies and vegans in particular) and contains half the saturated fat of olive oil -- but you get all this without feeling like you're taking a medicine. Remember the days when the only olive oil you could buy came from the chemist and was meant for softening ear wax? Well, in terms of taste, the difference between that stuff and really decent olive oils is comparable to the difference between Good Oil and bog standard health store hemp oil.

Want to find out what I'm so excited about? You can become a fan of Good Oil on facebook and they'll send you a free sample in the post.

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