Late last month we interviewed John Strohfus, CEO and Founder of Minnesota Hemp Farms. 

John grew up in Hastings, MN. Right along the Saint Croix River Valley. He grew up on a small farm. His father worked for Coca Cola and the family had commercial horse boarding. Most of their excess land was rented out for corn, wheat, soybean, and alfalfa farming. So he was very immersed in the agriculture industry. He went to college at Saint Cloud State University and went on to have a nineteen-year career with Accenture, a large IT consulting company. 

His father passed in 2010 and he had the opportunity to buy out the family farm estate in 2010. They then expanded the farm’s operations (horse boarding, hay production, brought beef cattle direct to the consumer). 

In 2015, Hemp was coming through the legislation, and John thought that it would be a tremendous opportunity. He was very passionate about being the first person to grow hemp in Minnesota. In 2017, John launched Field Theory Hemp Products, a CPG brand that sells hemp food, CBD, and CBD for pets.

A lot of people didn’t understand the benefits of hemp when they first got started. Most people don’t realize how good hemp is as a food product. Plant proteins are in vogue and plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular. John’s family eats hemp at home with his kids, they’ve even used hemp hearts in their spaghetti! Hemp is a great option for those looking for a complete protein. It really is a superfood.

John doesn’t really see his hemp production as competing against other crops. But, hemp is the highest plant-based protein next to soybeans. It’s a great alternative to soy and it’s a compliment to chia seeds. It’s a little behind pea protein as far as product development goes.

John takes a measured approach when it comes to talking about hemp. He doesn’t want the buzz that’s surrounding hemp to become annoying or overly played out.