Meet Carla Boyd | Founder of Hemp Way Foods

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carla Boyd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carla, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was looking for a nourishing source of clean plant-based protein that could be prepared quickly without sacrificing comfort and real flavor.

I grew up in the South. I was always gardening and always cooking. I wanted to create something that would feel like a home cooked meal. At the time, the only “veggie” products I could find in the freezer aisles were soy and allergen-ridden and tasted “too healthy”– like cardboard.

I had been really sick for a while, suffering from “leaky gut” and it became apparent that my body was just not absorbing nutrients. I had already been in the hemp industry so I understood the general value of sprinkling hemp hearts over my granola, but I never really considered hemp as an “ingredient” in food. As I started diving deeper into the nutritional profile of hemp hearts though, the more I was just like, “Wow.”

I started playing around with hemp at home, trying out my recipes on people hanging out at the house. I am not a trained chef, but I love to cook. I was constantly looking for feedback, creating and recreating, until I felt confident in what I was making. My neighbor was actually a really integral part of the R&D process.

We started selling our Original Hemp Way Foods Hemp Burgers at the local farmers markets. I didn’t know what I was doing, I just knew I needed to be sharing what I was making, so I dove in head first. We were sharing our concept of “superfood hemp burgers” with tons of people and word started to travel. People started requesting the product . The business just naturally began to expand.

The evolution of Hemp Way Foods has really brought to light an untapped market. I think we often try to fit people into a bubble: Vegan, Vegetarian, Eats Meat, Gluten-Free, etc. and we don’t like it when they don’t fit. I created Hemp Way Foods for the person that is looking to eat less processed food and less meat but wants to enjoy a really good meal that’s better for them and for the earth.

It sounds cheesy but Hemp Way Foods is delicious and nutritious and that’s the point. It doesn’t matter what category you fit in, or if you enjoy our plant-based sausage with local eggs, or our burger with a slice of cheese– it tastes good and it’s good for you, regardless of your lifestyle. I didn’t know it then but Hemp Way Foods was designed for the “Flexitarian.”

What should our readers know about your business?
I grew up in the South. Food was designed to bring comfort and I was always out in the garden and always cooking.

At a certain point of my adult life I had become very sick. It became apparent that my body was just not absorbing nutrients.

I had already been in the hemp industry so I understood the general value of sprinkling hemp hearts over my granola, but I never really considered hemp as an “ingredient” in food. As I started diving deeper into the nutritional profile of hemp hearts though, the more I was just like, “Wow.”

That’s really how Hemp Way Foods got started– I was looking for something I could eat that was wholesome, comforting but also nourishing and quick to prepare, so I started to play around in the kitchen, using hemp protein as a main ingredient in my recipes. We always had guests coming around the house and I would test my recipes out on them, recreating and creating until I was proud of the finished product.

Hemp Way Foods has been a rollercoaster of emotion. Some of the greatest highs and lows of my career. I started creating and pressing our original product, The Hemp Burger, one burger at a time with a small, hand-held burger press. A whole year later, we then graduated to eight burgers at a time. It felt quite monumental at the time. As more people requested our products, the more we naturally expanded.

The year of 2020 was gearing up to be an exciting year. We had won a pitch at Expo West and were catering a private concert at SXSW at Willie Nelson’s private ranch. To say we were stoked was an understatement. All of my time and energy went to preparing for these two events. When everything shut down, we had to pivot or throw in the towel. It was a scary time.

I started creating prepared foods at our commercial kitchen, posting our menus on social media and driving around Colorado, making deliveries. Not only did it keep us afloat but it kept the Hemp Way Foods brand name relevant.

In 2021, we brought on sales and marketing and we are gearing up for new growth. We recently signed on with a co-packer and will be able to triple our output without changing the ingredients, flavor or nutritional profile of our products.

I think every entrepreneur will be able to relate when I say– “nothing is easy” and you have to stay true to what you believe in.

It may not happen overnight, but where there is a will, there is a (hemp) way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love to take friends to some of the smaller towns in CO to visit the hot springs, one of my favorite activities. I love to visit Mount Princeton to enjoy the natural flowing hot springs alongside the creek. They have some great little restaurants in the Buena Vista area. On the way back I would detour and stop in Pine for a bit of kayaking then stop at Zoka’s Bar and Grill for a delicious meal. We would then head up the 170 corridor toward Georgetown, to visit Coopers on The Creek, they make the best hemp burger and hombre margarita. Be sure to enjoying along side the creek on their amazing back outdoor patio. We’d then head to Glenwood Springs visiting Iron Mountain Hot Springs, saying in a local cabin.
Heading back from our week long travel we stop at Two Bears in Idaho Springs then to Cactus Jacks to enjoy an evening sunset along the evergreen lake listening to the creek flow along side the outdoor deck.

We sum up the trip in Denver with out last day at Lincoln’s Road House to listen to Jaz and eat a delicious Cajun food, we end the trip with an amazing food truck Farm To Truck we catch in the central downtown area.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
MY Team!! I have the most amazing team, they have been with Hemp Way Foods since this past June. They work tirelessly promoting HWF and assisting in us reaching amazing heights. Our branding Company Barr Code Branding, they have stepped in and made out branding and design life a dream, assisting in helping us shine with beautiful branding, packing, and banners!

Website: www.hempwayfoods.com

Instagram: @hempwayfoods

Linkedin: @Hempwayfoods

Twitter: @hempwayfoods

Facebook: @hempwayfood

Image Credits
Lauren Gillan Sarah Nava