Marijuana Business Magazine April 2020

April 2020 | mjbizdaily.com 89 from fermented soybeans. Their original tempeh product was unpasteurized and had to be frozen for shelf life. But customers don’t tend to look for tempeh in the freezer aisle. Oliphant and Yancey also found that many shoppers who purchased the product would bring it home, stick it in the freezer and forget about it, which put a crimp in their repeat business. They eventually opted for pasteurization, which meant the product could share shelf space next to tofu and other tempeh brands that don’t require refrigeration. Oliphant said sales took off as a result of the change. “When I got started, I was a purist with regards to tempeh. I wanted to provide the most authentic tempeh product I could, but that wasn’t necessarily what the market was looking for,” explained Oliphant, who encourages fellow entrepreneurs to “live from your vision but listen to the market.” INGREDIENTS MATTER Hemp farming has taken off since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, but food manufacturers still face certain limitations when it comes to sourcing ingredients. Boyd, for instance, figures her firm could save money by buying hempseeds directly from farmers and dehulling them—with the proper equipment, of course. But she prefers the ease and peace of mind that comes with buying hemp hearts (shelled hempseeds) from Colorado Cultivars. The Boulder, Colorado-based firm grows and sells hemp and offers a wide range of wholesale hemp products, including hearts, protein and seed oil. It uses organic farming practices and regularly tests its products for purity and potency. The company also tests its food products to ensure they don’t contain cannabinoids, which have yet to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in food products. “I’d probably never go to an independent farmer without going over very strict prequalification work,” said Boyd, whose hemp burger is sold in 10 stores and 10 restaurants in Colorado. While many food manufacturers don’t buy hemp directly from small, independent farmers, they are turning to firms such as Victory Hemp Foods, which buys hempseed from farmers or small cooperative farming groups and processes it into hearts, seed oil and protein for use in food, skin-care and other types of products. Chad Rosen founded Kentucky-based Victory Hemp Foods. Courtesy Photo