Wyoming Hemp Company's Premium Animal Bedding is now a USDA Certified Biobased Product with 100% biobased content. That means every bag is made entirely from renewable, plant-based material, namely industrial hemp grown in the USA and milled at our facility in Hawk Springs, Wyoming, with zero petroleum-based inputs. It is a third-party-verified seal of sustainability you can see right on the bag, and it is the reason the world's largest outdoor rodeo is bedding its animals with us this year.
Here is what the certification means, why it matters for your animals and the planet, and how it landed us an exclusive role at Cheyenne Frontier Days.
What does "USDA Certified Biobased" mean?
A USDA Certified BioPreferred Product is one made from renewable biological sources such as plants, animals, marine, or forestry feedstocks, rather than from fossil fuels. The certification is awarded through the USDA BioPreferred® Program and backed by independent, third-party lab testing that measures exactly how much of a product comes from biological material.
Our bedding tested at 100% biobased content. The source is industrial hemp, processed with care into a clean, absorbent, low-dust bedding for horses, livestock, poultry, and small animals. A 100% result is the highest possible designation: there is no petroleum hiding in the bag.
In short: if you have been searching for animal bedding that is genuinely, verifiably sustainable, and not just marketed that way, this is it.
Why a 100% Certified Biobased label matters for your animals and your community
Choosing a biobased product is a small purchase with an outsized ripple effect. Biobased products reduce reliance on petroleum-based chemicals, displace non-renewable materials, and feed a growing bioeconomy that supports farmers, manufacturers, and rural towns like ours.
The numbers behind the movement are striking. According to the USDA's Economic Impact Report, the U.S. biobased products industry:
-
Supports 4.6 million American jobs
-
Contributes $470 billion to the U.S. economy
-
Generates 2.79 additional jobs for every biobased job created
-
Displaces roughly 9.4 million barrels of oil each year
-
Can cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 12.7 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually
When you bed your barn, hutch, or coop with USDA Certified Biobased hemp, you are not just making a purchasing decision. You are investing in American agriculture, rural innovation, and environmental stewardship.
Standing against greenwashing
"Sustainable" is one of the most overused words in retail, and most of the time there is nothing behind it. That is exactly why this certification matters to us. The USDA label cannot be self-declared or bought. It has to be earned through verified testing.
The USDA BioPreferred Program recognized our farm directly. "We applaud GreenTree Ag, LLC dba Wyoming Hemp Company for earning the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label," said Vernell Thompson of the USDA BioPreferred Program. The program notes that the label helps create new markets for farm commodities and makes it easier for consumers and federal buyers to find planet-friendlier options, while joining a growing list of businesses pushing back against inaccurate marketing claims and greenwashing.
For us, the takeaway is simple: sustainability should be measurable, verifiable, and honest. Now ours is, in writing.
Performance without compromise
Biobased does not mean second-best. Our hemp bedding is cost-competitive, readily available, and performs as well as or better than conventional shavings, straw, and pellets. You get excellent absorbency, strong odor control, and real animal comfort, without synthetic additives or petroleum-based inputs.
Cleaner stalls, less dust, easier mucking, and a clear conscience. That is the whole point.
What the research says about hemp bedding
The science on hemp bedding is still emerging, and we want to be honest about that. A handful of university and peer-reviewed studies have begun to measure how hemp performs against conventional materials, and so far the findings line up with what hemp farmers have known for years.
Researchers at the University of Kentucky, presenting at the 2025 Equine Science Symposium, found that hemp hurd was about twice as absorbent as pine shavings and only slightly less absorbent than cut straw. A separate analysis of ten hemp varieties published in the journal Animals reported strong water absorption and ammonia absorption, concluding that hemp shives have physical characteristics similar to commercial bedding like wood shavings. And an earlier study in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science measured lower gaseous ammonia from hemp than from either wheat straw or wood shavings, which matters because ammonia is hard on the respiratory health of both animals and the people who care for them.
These early results are encouraging, but the body of research is small, and most authors rightly call for more on-farm and commercial trials. So here is the honest truth about how we know our bedding works: most of what we have learned about its effectiveness and quality comes straight from our customers. The horse owners, ranchers, small-pet families, and backyard chicken keepers who use it every day tell us that Wyoming Hemp Company’s bedding keeps stalls and enclosures drier longer, cuts down on odor and dust, composts beautifully, and keeps their animals comfortable. Their experience is the evidence we trust most, and we are grateful for every bit of it.
Why Cheyenne Frontier Days is using Wyoming Hemp Company exclusively this year
Here is the news we are proudest of: Cheyenne Frontier Days, "The Daddy of 'em All" and the world's largest outdoor rodeo, has selected Wyoming Hemp Company as its exclusive animal bedding provider for 2026!
An event of this scale, hosting hundreds of horses and livestock in front of a national audience, needs bedding that performs and a sustainability story that holds up to scrutiny. Our USDA Certified 100% Biobased status gave them exactly that: a Wyoming-grown, petroleum-free, independently verified product that reflects the values of the event and the state it represents.
So when the chutes open at Frontier Park this July, the animals at the world's largest outdoor rodeo will be resting on the same USDA Certified Biobased hemp bedding you can buy for your own barn.
Building the bioeconomy from Wyoming forward
The USDA BioPreferred Program was introduced in the 2002 Farm Bill and reauthorized in 2018 to expand the development, purchase, and use of biobased products. Today, more than 1,800 companies across the U.S. and 47 countries participate, working from farm and field through manufacturing to strengthen rural economies and shrink environmental impact.
We are honored to represent Wyoming in that national movement, one bag of hemp bedding at a time.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wyoming Hemp Company's animal bedding really 100% biobased? Yes. Independent third-party testing through the USDA BioPreferred Program measured our Premium Animal Bedding at 100% biobased content, the highest possible designation. It contains no petroleum-based inputs.
What animals is hemp bedding good for? Hemp bedding works for horses and large livestock, as well as small animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, and backyard chickens. The list of animals hemp beddings works for is nearly endless. Snakes, spiders and lizards have used it too! It is prized for high absorbency, low dust, and natural odor control.
Is USDA Certified Biobased the same as organic? No. "Organic" refers to how a crop is grown, while "biobased" measures how much of a finished product comes from renewable biological material rather than fossil fuels. They are complementary, but distinct, certifications.
Why does the Cheyenne Frontier Days partnership matter? It is independent proof of performance and integrity. The world's largest outdoor rodeo chose our bedding exclusively for 2026 in large part because of its USDA Certified Biobased status, a real-world endorsement under demanding conditions.
Is there research proving hemp bedding works? The research is still emerging. Early university and peer-reviewed studies show hemp is more absorbent than pine shavings and produces less ammonia than straw and wood shavings, but the body of work is small and more on-farm trials are needed. Most of what we know about our bedding's real-world performance comes directly from our customers, the livestock and pet owners who use it every day. They tell us that the low-dust, high absorbency, natural qualities of our hemp bedding makes their buying decision easier.
Where can I buy USDA Certified Biobased hemp bedding? Single bags ship nationwide from our online store. Pallets and super sacks are available for pickup at the Hawk Springs Country Store in Wyoming.
Bed your animals the way the world's largest rodeo does
If the standards of Cheyenne Frontier Days are good enough for hundreds of competition animals, they are good enough for your barn, hutch, or coop. Make the switch to USDA Certified 100% Biobased hemp bedding today. It ships nationwide by the bag, or you can pick up pallets and super sacks at the Hawk Springs Country Store.
👉 [Shop USDA Certified Biobased Hemp Bedding] and bed down with the only animal bedding trusted by "The Daddy of 'em All."
👉 Order yours today: https://wyominghemp.us/collections/full-catalog
Thank you to our customers, partners, and growers for supporting products that work, and work for the future.
HempBedding #WyomingHempCompany #FamilyFarm #SustainableLiving #HorseBedding #BackyardChickens #CheyenneFrontierDays
