SANTA FE, N.M., and LOVELAND, Colo., Aug. 4, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Santa Fe Farms, a leader in the production, manufacturing and distribution of hemp and hemp-derived products for industrial use, soil health and carbon offsets, and Hemp Feed Coalition, a nonprofit with the mission to gain federal approval for hemp byproducts as commercial animal feed, announced that Hunter Buffington has joined Santa Fe Farms as vice president of the Products Division, and director of policy and advocacy.
Buffington will split her time between Santa Fe Farms in her new role and as a policy consultant for the Hemp Feed Coalition (HFC), as the HFC’s first ever application for hemp-fed laying hens gains federal approval from the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM).
“Hunter Buffington is one of the few industry veterans in the emerging industrial hemp community, and her product and policy expertise is particularly critical at this stage of the company’s and the industry’s development,” Santa Fe Farms CEO Steven Gluckstern said. “Our ongoing ability to attract world-class experts to develop and implement the strategies and plans to build a vital new industry from the ground up is critical to the success of Santa Fe Farms.”
In her new role at Santa Fe Farms, Buffington will be responsible for commoditizing hemp byproducts and creating an overall value chain in the agricultural, carbon and manufacturing segments. Furthermore, she will be working on policy connecting the supply chain with rural economic development grants in indigenous lands and other rural communities to create circular economies with hemp.
“The budding industrial hemp industry is still emerging; and the enthusiasm that began in 2018 now needs investment, development of standards, regulatory oversight and business intellect to become what we know it can be on a global scale,” Buffington said. “That future for the hemp industry includes a supply chain that protects farmers by adding new crops to their agricultural toolbox that can capture carbon, provide high-quality food and feed sources, and can change the way we think about building materials and carbon. Santa Fe Farms’ comprehensive approach to the business is what the industry needs and I’m proud to be a part of making it happen.”
