New West Genetics

The need for more sustainable food production is at its all-time high as the world continues to grapple with the impact of climate change and a rapidly growing population. A promising solution to combat this situation is hemp cultivation, which pledges various advantages over traditional commercial crops. It requires half the water and nitrogen needs of corn, and has a positive impact on soil health due to its deep root system capable of longer term carbon sequestration as well as soil remediation. In addition, agronomic studies now show hemp can lower pest pressure and increase yields in the following rotations, particularly for wheat and soy.

A global leader in hemp seed genetics, New West Genetics is ideally positioned to take on the mission of contributing reliable solutions to the ever-escalating agricultural and food challenges. It has developed high-performing, genetically stable hemp seeds well-suited to U.S. production environments with various value-added traits. With its reliable, premium hemp varieties—enhanced for food, feed, and fiber applications—New West Genetics has paved the way for a new, economically viable rotational option. By embracing hemp cultivation, the agriculture industry can take a giant leap toward more sustainable and resilient food production while seamlessly serving the country’s growing protein, oils, and fiber supply chain needs.

“Our goal is to revolutionize agriculture with our proprietary, non-GMO seeds that reduce risks, increase yields, and enable a more sustainable rotational option,” says Wendy Mosher, CEO and co-founder of New West Genetics.

New West Genetics has a sterling reputation for its extensive knowledge and experience in genetics and breeding across crops, as well as agribusiness. The Company has the largest commercial-scale hemp breeding program in the US. Their work leverages a blend of traditional breeding techniques and modern genomics to create varieties that offer superior yields and enhanced profiles while reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint and promoting soil health. The team typically begins with a traditional field selection process, identifying multiple traits that excel in a specific region. This data-driven discovery process is followed by advanced genome mapping, where it leverages genomic technology to inform selection, without needing transgenic techniques. The resulting seeds are designed to serve a variety of climatic conditions, and a selection of varieties that are adapted for farmers across a broad swath of the U.S., from Manchester Vt, to Boise, Idaho. Its commitment to excellence in every step of the process ensures clients can trust the reliability and quality of its products.

A key advantage of New West Genetics’ non-GMO hemp seeds is its global applicability of the genetic traits. Since it has no genetically modified organisms, farmers can use these seeds without encountering any regulatory hurdles specific to their countries. In addition, their value-added traits like the double yielding hybrid, AMPLIFY™, enable hemp breeders outside of the US to license and cross AMPLIFY with their regionally adapted varieties to double their grain and flower yields quickly. This trait greatly expands grain market opportunities, including sustainable fuels and animal feed markets. AMPLIFY can be across the US in trials this 2023 season, and will be pilot launched commercially in the 2024 season.

“Having achieved scalable, adapted varieties, our breeding program now focuses on more valued-added traits to serve processors’ refined specifications, in particular for novel fibre and grain traits,” says Mosher.

The key to the success of New West Genetics is its sheer focus on innovation to address the most pressing issues facing our modern monocropping system. Its premium, non-GMObased seeds lay the foundation for an expanding industry and make the firm a repeat choice for customers. With its innovative methods, New West Genetics has paved the way for a thriving, sound rotational option for all of agriculture.