PIKEVILLE, KY--(Marketwired - Apr 9, 2015) - Freedom Seed and Feed, Inc. ("FSF"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of publicly traded Mountain High Acquisitions Corp. (OTCQB: MYHI) ("Mountain High" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has partnered with the University of Pikeville ("UPIKE") to develop a research institute designed to facilitate the development of the industrial hemp industry within the coalfield region of Eastern Kentucky.

Under the agreement, FSF and UPIKE will co-support the development of the Institute for Regenerative Design and Innovation ("IRDI"), a cutting edge research institute defining new applied sustainability arenas within the emerging field of regenerative design. IRDI will promote the development of industrial hemp through student-based research and development for all components of industrial hemp production in collaboration with universities, the state agricultural department, businesses, entrepreneurs, and farmers.

David Hadland, CEO of Freedom Seed and Feed, stated, "The market applications of regenerative design cover the entire spectrum of the industrial hemp sector. From bio-pharmaceuticals to building materials, the regenerative design approach to innovation will set a new precedent in market development."

The University of Pikeville will assist with the development of the IRDI through both integrated student-based research under the emerging Applied Sustainability program, as well as provide office space and organizational management services. FSF will provide technical expertise and funding for the project. This includes, but is not limited to, technical knowledge, equipment, necessary funding, and assistance with land preparation, planting, growing, harvesting, and processing of industrial hemp materials.

FSF will be offered a first right of refusal for all potential investment opportunities and intellectual properties that are produced during the term of this agreement.

According to J. Eric Mathis, the new institute's Senior Innovation Consultant, "The Institute for Regenerative Design and Innovation will be a leader in the emerging field of regenerative development that will provide premier research and development services for a diverse pool of clients while simultaneously ensuring the emergence of sustainable economies across the central Appalachian region."

With a specific focus on industrial hemp, the IRDI is charged with developing a regional open-innovation cluster centered on regenerative design. A leading expert in the management of research and development and an innovation consultant for the institute, Director of Aalto University's Center for Knowledge and Innovation Research, Hans Schaffers, stated, "While the average innovation success rate is fairly low, products launched using our proposed open-innovation methodology will potentially have a considerably higher success rate due to the institute's unique public-private-user partnerships. Given the early stages of the industrial hemp sector in America, this innovation process is well suited to produce profitable outcomes."

Mathis provided further clarification, "Our open-innovation process is designed from the ground up to mitigate the risk of failure through innovative student-based research that is directly linked to user-communities or Living-Lab affiliates through the established Central Appalachian Sustainable Economies (CASE) network. It's really quite simple, by involving potential consumers and producers from the beginning, we create inherent efficiencies within the innovation process as a whole."

Wendy Willis, the Director of Policy Consensus Initiative and senior collaborative governance consultant for the new institute, stated, "Open-innovation requires more than a partnership between a private entity and a university. It requires support from the government as well. The state of Kentucky is a perfect storm for integrating a collaborative governance process. With the Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) program, established in 2013 by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, and the current bi-partisan support of the industrial hemp industry, eastern Kentucky is ripe for capitalizing on these synergistic opportunities."

Tom Hess, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at University of Pikeville, stated, "Being the leading university of central Appalachia, we are the perfect anchor institution for this type of initiative. The institute's focus on student-based research is an essential ingredient to enriching the University of Pikeville's focus on experiential learning and R&D at the core of any efforts to strengthen the economy of our region."

Hadland concluded, "Situated in one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world, IRDI is actively linking industrial hemp to this invaluable asset. Presently, our partners at IRDI are identifying biologically derived materials from within the region and then blending them with established industrial hemp products. Utilizing this asset will set our company apart for our competitors."

The University of Pikeville anticipates beginning its 2015 Hemp Pilot Projects in early spring. To find out more about the Institute for Regenerative Design and Innovation ("IRDI"), visit www.upike.edu/Colleges/COAS/programs/mthsci/IRDI

About Freedom Seed and Feed, Inc. (FSF)

Based in Lexington, Kentucky, Freedom Seed and Feed, Inc. ("FSF"), through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Healing Ground Farms and Freedom Hemp Works, is an innovative industrial hemp cultivation, processing, and marketing company. FSF's expertise in the production, processing, and supply chain management create a safe, traceable, and seamless transition of crops from seed to delivery. Healing Ground Farms currently operates a 128 acre farm in the state of Kentucky. The company's 2014 hemp harvest is currently being used for research and development purposes with a global branded clothing manufacturer, and nutraceutical and pharmaceutical development partners. In addition, the company also conducted yield trials on high CBD strains of outdoor grown certified organic hemp. This plant material is set for processing into sample products in partnership with a U.S. pharmaceutical company.

About Mountain High Acquisitions Corp. (MYHI)

Mountain High Acquisitions Corp. (www.mountainhighac.com) is a diversified holding company focused on the acquisition and development of businesses within the hemp and CBD nutraceutical sectors. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, GreenLife BotaniX, Inc. (www.greenlifebotanix.com), is a California-based developer and marketer of the "SuperCBD" brand of CBD hemp oil infused nutraceutical products. Freedom Seed and Feed, Inc., also a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is an innovative Kentucky-based industrial hemp cultivation, processing, and marketing company. In 2014, Michael Lewis, COO of Freedom Seed and Feed, became the first federally permitted private citizen to farm hemp in the United States since 1937.

Mountain High Acquisition Corp. files reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company's SEC filings can be viewed at www.sec.gov.

Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This Mountain High Acquisitions Corp. news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the Company's contracts, the Company's ability to raise sufficient development and working capital, the Company's liquidity position, the Company's ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur as planned or at all. The Company does not and will not grow, harvest, distribute, or sell cannabis or any substances that violate United States law or the Controlled Substances Act, nor does it intend to do so in the future.