Mountain Times - Volume 48, Number 24: June 12-18, 2019

The Mountain Times • June 12-18, 2019 SERVICE DIRECTORY • 35
Trace launches hemp exchange
Trace, a Vermont company utilizing blockchain technology
to track and verify cannabis products, announced
today the launch of Trace Exchange. Trace is the nation’s
first blockchain-based platform where hemp cultivators
and buyers can connect and track their plants through the
supply chain and integrate their inventory directly with the
market.
“Until now, there has been no industry standard for
hemp cultivators or buyers to verify their plants and products
as they change hands,” said Josh Decatur, founder and
CEO of Trace. “By using Trace hemp growers can easily track
their harvest from soil to shelf and be connected with potential
buyers, putting control back in the hands of farmers
in an exciting but uncertain market.”
“Improving the quality of life for all Vermonters means
having the courage to be innovative and solve problems
that stand between emerging industries and economic
growth,” said Greg Huysman, director of business lending
and services at Vermont State Employer Credit Union.
“The hemp industry is widely recognized as a potential
economic driver for our state. Tools like Trace are helping
entrepreneurs safely enter this new arena without taking on
undue risk.”
Recent measures enacted federally have legalized hemp
in all 50 states, and the U.S. is seeing an unprecedented
level of growth in the hemp industry. But with this massive
proliferation there has been a notable absence of any kind
of system to ensure both regulatory compliance and quality
of product within the industry.
“To have a tracking system from seed to sale is beneficial
for all,” said Erin Nohl, co-founder of Vermont Farmacy.
“Everything is out in the open; there is nothing to hide. It
brings a sense of safety for farmers, buyers, and consumers.
Trace Exchange is a platform for transparency and honesty
within the cannabis industry.”
The unveiling of Trace’s new platform has been met with
excitement throughout the cannabis and hemp industries.
“When I talk to small farmers and craft cannabis growers,
the same concern comes up constantly: “How can we
compete against the national marketing machines and
distinguish craft cannabis grown by small family farmers
from the anonymous corporate cannabis being promoted
to consumers?” The Trace Exchange is a way to directly
address this problem for small farmers and allows them
to focus on producing quality crops instead of marketing
their products,” said Eli Harrington, co-founder of Heady
Vermont. “With the Trace Exchange, any small producer or
farmer can access markets directly—without paying for a
stamp of quality —and receive the full benefit and value of
their skills directly.”
Trace plans on extending services to the recreational
and medical sectors of the cannabis industry over the
coming months. “Trace is a much-welcomed tool for us,”
said Chris Walsh of Grassroots Vermont. “We have always
supplied premium quality products and Trace will give our
customers unrivaled access to products they can trust.”
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Summer reading:
continued from page 8
books to enjoy and keep.
Many of the children CLiF serves
are not avid readers, and they don’t
think books are ‘cool.’ Some don’t
even have a single book at home.
But after a CLiF Summer Readers
event, virtually every child rushes
up to select the books that call to
them. We bring books that match
every interest and reading level, so
even struggling readers can find
what they need. Choices range from
Goosebumpsto Dracula, Junie B. Jonesto
The Secret Garden, NASCAR
to Ghandi, and Magic Tree Houseto
The Wizard of Oz.
How do the events work? In the
remote farming town of Highgate
Center, Vermont, more than 100
children and their families attended
a CLiF presentation in quiet park
across from the two-room public
library. The audience gathered on
the grass and for 45 minutes I talked
with the children about the power
of literacy and the joys of reading.
I had encircled myself with a sea
of beautiful new books, and made
a point of highlighting dozens of
favorite volumes.
“Who likes adventure books?
Have you guys read Hatchet? It’s an
awesome tale about…” “Who likes
books about dancing? Have you
read…” I also shared with them the
fun story of Sylvester and the Magic
Pebble– with plenty of audience
participation.
Then eyes grew wide as each
child was invited to select a couple
of new books to keep from hundreds
of titles. Minutes after the
Teach your kids to get reading
A girl chooses a book from the library to read to her teddy bear.
Submitted
Highgate Center presentation
kids were scattered under trees or
sprawled on the grass, transported
by the timeless magic of the written
word. More than a few parents
stood by, smiling and shaking their
heads in wonder.
Empowering kids to choose their
own summer reads doesn’t mean
we should ignore the classics. We
should encourage kids to fall into
The Hobbit, Adventures of Tom
Sawyer, and Stuart Little, and we
should keep an eye towards ensuring
kids’ book choices are developmentally
appropriate.
But don’t be dismayed if you
discover your child sprawled on the
couch reading Diary of a Wimpy
Kid, the biography of the latest teen
idol, or Calvin and Hobbes. It all
helps. When you encourage children
to choose their own summer
reads, you’ll be amazed how far they
can go.
Duncan McDougall is executive
director of the Children’s Literacy
Foundation (CLiF), a non-profit
organization based in Waterbury
Center, Vermont (clifonline.org).
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