About

Where Heritage Meets the Future

Freedom Valley: The Route 66 Revival Project is a national initiative led by Earth Merchant and Freedom Valley Rescue to revitalize rural America through regenerative agriculture, sustainable construction, and cultural preservation.  

Our flagship effort, The American Hemp Heritage Project, begins with a landmark build: The Route 66 Hempcrete Barn in Lebanon, Missouri—the first in the United States.  

This 5,000 sq ft barn is more than a structure. It is a symbol of renewal, innovation, and the future of farming and rural development.

Our Vision

To unite America’s heritage with its future by reviving Route 66 through sustainable agriculture, innovative building materials, and community-centered development—beginning with the nation’s first hempcrete barn.

Our Mission

To build a 5,000-square-foot hempcrete barn in Lebanon, Missouri that demonstrates regenerative agriculture, advances climate-smart rural innovation, honors the legacy of American farming, and creates pathways to job creation, housing solutions, and community revitalization along the iconic Route 66 corridor.

The story we tell everywhere

Route 66 has always represented freedom, movement, possibility, and the heartbeat of America. But as many rural communities along this legendary highway face economic challenges, population decline, and aging infrastructure, the road is asking for a revival.
Freedom Valley: 

The Route 66 Revival Project answers that call through The American Hemp Heritage Project, beginning with the construction of the first hempcrete barn in the United States.

By building with hempcrete—a material that pulls carbon from the atmosphere, creates durable structures, and supports local agriculture—we reconnect heritage with innovation, pride with progress, and America’s past with its sustainable future.