ReGen Brands Podcast

On this episode, we have Jared Simon who is the CEO at Manitoba Harvest.   Manitoba Harvest is North America’s leading hemp food brand, and they’re supporting regenerative agriculture with their recently released Regenerative Organic Certified® Hemp Hearts.   In this episode, Jared breaks down how hemp is grown and some of the agronomic differences between conventional, organic, and regenerative organic cultivation. Jared also shares how Manitoba Harvest is developing their commercial strategy around regenerative and what this means for both their branded business and B2B ingredient business.   Jared was super engaging and insightful, and we really enjoyed gleaning his insights on how a legacy, scaled brand like Manitoba Harvest starts prioritizing regen, opportunities he sees in the broader regen movement, and how their work is influencing the larger, publicly traded parent company they sit within.   Episode Highlights:   💥 Their 25-year history pioneering hemp foods 🌱 The differences between hemp and cannabis 💪 Why hemp is a nutrition powerhouse 🔬 Using AI-Powered nutrition research to drive innovation 👉 Investing upstream to add value 💡 How they think about their regen strategy 📈 Scaling ROC™ hemp with B2B & B2C 👀 The future of regenerative marketing claims 🔥 Educating Tilray’s other brands on regen 🎯 Getting to critical mass with retailers and consumers   Links: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Oil Canada / Fresh Hemp Foods Tilray Brands Brightseed Regenerative Organic Certified® Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC™) Hemp Hearts Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn 

On this episode, we have Blaine & Brooks Hitzfield from Seven Sons. Blaine is the CEO while Brooks serves as the COO.   Seven Sons is supporting regenerative agriculture with its direct-to-consumer meat business that sells regeneratively raised beef, bison, pork, and chicken as well as seafood and other snack items.   Seven Sons sources their regeneratively raised meat products from their own 550-acre farm in Roanoke, Indiana, and from other regenerative farmers around the Midwest.    In this episode, we hear how the family farm transitioned from a conventional hog operation to a multi-species pastured livestock operation, plus Blaine and Brooks take us behind the scenes on all things direct-to-consumer e-commerce and how they’ve grown their business to 75,000 orders a year.   This was an absolute masterclass in operating a DTC brand, connecting with consumers authentically, and making regenerative products accessible through convenience.   Episode Highlights:   👏 Growing to 14,000 customers & 75,000 orders a year 😦 Their family journey from conventional pork to regen beef ⁉️ Are there actually seven sons in this business!? 🤯 Scaling to 53 pickup locations then shutting them down 👉 Why education isn’t a winning marketing strategy 😵‍💫 How to avoid “death by diversity” as a farmer 🍗 The challenges of pastured poultry economics 🎯 Winning with Quality, Authenticity, & Convenience 💲 Their winning DTC playbook (acquisition, retention, assortment) 💡 Being your own customer to improve your business   Links: Seven Sons Graze Cart Pasturebird Byron Center Meats Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn 

On this episode, Kyle and I are flying solo to bring you some updates and thoughts coming out of Expo West.   For those who don’t know, Expo West is “the annual Super Bowl of CPG” with over 67,000 attendees this year and a gathering of anyone and everyone working on CPG brands supporting regenerative agriculture - from certifiers, to investors, to the brands themselves, and many more.   Kyle and I spend some time covering our personal highlights, favorite new products, plus the state of the union for CPG capital investment and regenerative marketing claims.   Episode Highlights:   🖤 The power of human connection  🤤 Our favorite new items from regen brands 🔊 Regenerative dominates Climate Day content ⭐ Regen brands take home 5 NEXTYs 😍 Big sourcing commitments and funding rounds announced 💯 Today’s major operating hurdles for regenerative brands 💰 Current investment landscape and implications for regen brands 👀 California defining “regenerative agriculture” 👉 The fallacy of positive competition in the regenerative movement 🙏 Using hope, empathy, and vulnerability to create harmony in regen CPG   Links: ReGen Brands Expo West Force of Nature Meats Big Picture Foods Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed Sol Simple Artisan Tropic Alec’s Ice Cream Patagonia Provisions Climate Day Regenerative Organic Certified® Regenified™ A Greener World Soil & Climate Initiative The Stockdale Paradox One Step Closer TIG Brands Steward Lil Bucks California Defining Regenerative Agriculture Silk White Oak Patures Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn 

On this episode, we have Hovik Azadkhanian who is the Founder and CEO of Heirloom Coffee Roasters.   Heirloom Coffee Roasters is supporting regenerative agriculture with its 6-SKU lineup of Regenerative Organic Certified® whole bean coffees.   In this episode, we learn how Hovik is carrying on his family’s legacy as a third-generation coffee roaster, how the brand has grown from one Bay Area retail location to going nationwide with Sprouts in less than a year, and why regenerative agriculture is the key to saving coffee.   One thing is clear from this episode - when people tell Hovik he can’t do something, he is going to do whatever he can to prove them wrong. This spirit underpins Heirloom’s audacious goals which range from selling 100% regenerative organic certified coffee, to pioneering emissions-free electric roasting, and much more.   Episode Highlights:   🙏 Three generations of family coffee roasting 💡 Going from B2B coffee roaster to CPG brand 👉 “The fight to save coffee” 🥇 Why Regenerative Organic Certified® matters 🧑‍🌾 Creating better futures for coffee farmers 💫 Building “premium” into the brand and packaging ⚡ Using Bellwether’s electric coffee roasters 😮 From 1 store to nationwide in 9 months 🎫 Using KeHe’s “Golden Ticket” to land Sprouts  🔊 “We have to make it feel good and taste good to do good”   Links: Heirloom Coffee Roasters The World's First Regenerative Coffee Research Lab Heirloom & Bellwether’s Electric Coffee Roasters Sustainable Harvest Relationship Coffee Regenerative Organic Certified® Good Food Awards KeHe Golden Ticket Announcement Green Spoon Sales Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn 

On this episode, we have Jody and Crystal Manuel and Brei Larmoyeux, who are the Co-Founders of Gruff.   Gruff is supporting regenerative agriculture with its Regenerative Organic Certified® Ancient Grain Grits. Gruff’s grits are made from organic cracked Farro and are table-ready in just 12 minutes.   In this episode, we learn about Jody and Crystal's journey transitioning their farm from conventional to organic plus all the spectacular nuance of how they’re currently weaving annuals, perennials, and animals to create a winning regenerative organic system.   Crystal shares the story of how feeding their many children a nutritious breakfast inspired the creation of Gruff, and we have Brei and Kyle sidebarring on how we can bring these nutritious grits to bodybuilding bros and other performance athletes across the world.   Gruff is a vertically integrated, farmer-led, regenerative brand with a great story and a ton of growth potential - we enjoyed diving into it all with Jody, Crystal, and Brei.   Episode Highlights:   🤤 Ancient Grain Grits made with cracked Farro 💡 Crystal’s health journey that changed their farm forever 👏 A beautiful integration of annuals, perennials, & animals 🥣 The bulk kids’ breakfasts that inspired their hero SKU 🤝 Why crop diversity requires market diversity 🤩 Beefing up on-farm impact reporting with Mad Ag 💪 Growing for Purely Elizabeth & Patagonia Provisions 🎯 Making weeds an indicator instead of an enemy 🔥 The foodservice opportunity for farro grits 💥 1 Mom at a time, 1 family at a time, 1 eater at a time   Links: Gruff Timeless Natural Food Montana Organic Association Montana Milling Moz Pluck Seasonings Save The Bros Mad Agricutlure Purely Elizabeth Weeds and Why They Grow The Dorito Effect EQIP Nofence Vence Culinary Institute of America School of Lunch Three Billy Goats Gruff Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn 

On this episode, we have Nick Wiseman who is a Co-Founder and the CEO of Little Sesame.   Little Sesame is supporting regenerative agriculture with its lineup of organic and regeneratively farmed hummus products that includes a flavor lineup of Smooth Classic, Jammy Tomato, Caramelized Onion, Herby Jalapeño, and the newly launched Preserved Lemon.   In this episode, we learn how Nick and his team pivoted Little Sesame from restaurant to retail during COVID, the “freshly-spun” difference that makes their hummus unique, and Little Sesame’s explosive growth strategy and results.   We covered a ton with Nick, and this episode is super rich with insights into everything from direct-trade farm relationships, to driving product velocities at retail, to building self-manufacturing as a competitive advantage.   Episode Highlights:   😍 “Freshly spun” hummus made with regen chickpeas 😯 Pivoting from restaurant to CPG during COVID 🍋 Their new lemon preserve hummus 🔥 The ROI in self-manufacturing  🤝 Partnering with their chickpea farmer, Casey Bailey 🤯 Farmer Casey’s “10-year regen experiment” and 17-crop rotation 🎯 Obsessing over velocities to drive growth 💰 Why brands need diverse capital stacks and new financial models  🥳 Using seasonal SKUs and brand collabs to grow 🚀 Planning 1,000+ demos for 2024   Links: Little Sesame The Hummus Club Timeless Seeds Inc. Athletic Brewing Article Glyphosate In Hummus (EWG) Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn

On this episode, we have Joséphine Bournonville who is a Co-Founder and the COO at Omie.   Omie is supporting regenerative agriculture with its lineup of more than 200 French pantry staples that are sourced from regenerative farmers.   Omie’s agri-engineers work with over 40 manufacturers and 200 farmers to bring this vast assortment to life. Farming operations are audited with a Regenerative Index score then Omie works with the operators to create a roadmap for improvement and further regenerative practice adoption. All of their products are given a Planet Score, with more than 90% of the portfolio scoring an A or B and nothing being offered that isn’t at least a grade C.   In this episode, we learn about Joséphine’s journey from clean-tech investing to agribusiness M&A to a regenerative food startup, and we hear how Omie has scaled from a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform into France’s leading regenerative brand.   Joséphine was an amazing endcap to our first international series! Omie is doing incredible work, and it was inspiring and informative to hear about their efforts and compare them to all the other brands we’ve had on the show.    Episode Highlights:   🇫🇷 France’s leading regen brand with over 200 products! 🚜 Joséphine’s journey ​​from agribusiness to regen CPG 🤯 Working with 46 manufacturers and 260 farmers 🥣 Their new kids' cereal lineup featuring millet 🔥 The power of a strong DTC customer community 💯 Using radical transparency to build trust 📝 Roadmapping improvements with “the regeneration index” 👏 Dedicating 1% of sales to regen practice adoption 🔊 The recent farmer protests in France & Europe 🗯️ Engaging in advocacy + policy to drive change   Links: Omie Groupe Roullier Decathlon The Regeneration Index Planet-score® Farmer Protests Thierry Marx 2050 Lively Earth RFSI Europe 2024 Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn

On this episode, we have Jay Albany who is the CEO of Wide Open Agriculture.   Wide Open Agriculture is Australia's leading regenerative food and agriculture company and operates 3 distinct enterprises. Under the name Dirty Clean Food, they operate a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform that sells 300 different regenerative and artisan products directly to wholesale customers and individual consumers. They’ve also launched a line of branded, oat-milk-based CPG products under the Dirty Clean Food name as well.    WOA is focusing its future growth on its third enterprise - producing and supplying Buntine Protein® created by processing Australian sweet lupin. Sweet lupin serves as a rotational crop in regenerative systems of the Western Australian wheat belt but currently does not have a large, profitable market as a human food ingredient.   Wide Open Ag’s business is a beautiful blend of targeting both local and global impact while operating under their “4 returns” mandate which includes financial, natural, social and inspirational returns.    Episode Highlights:   👏 Their mission to regenerate the Western Australian wheat belt 🔮 How Jay met the Founders and joined the team 🥩 Bringing better food to Western Australia 🍔 Landing a burger joint to catalyze their brand 📈 Growing Dirty Clean Food to $12M 🥛 Launching the world’s 1st regenerative oat milk 💰 Sweetening the economics of sweet lupins 💥 Introducing Buntine Protein® - a better plant-based protein 🔥 Why Buntine Protein® is better 👍 Tackling local and global impact at once to scale regen   Links: Wide Open Agriculture Dirty Clean Food Short Order Burger Oatly Minor Figures Buntine Protein® Curtin University Wide Open Agriculture acquires Prolupin Saputo Dairy Australia Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn 

On this episode, we have Rafaela Gontijo Lenz who is the Founder and CEO at NUU.   NUU is supporting regenerative agriculture with its lineup of regenerative, cassava-based foods that includes cheese bread, chees bread pizza, tapioca sticks, and more. These items are sold in over 1,500 retail and foodservice points of sale in Brazil.   In this episode, we learn how Rafaela was inspired to leave her job at Johnson & Johnson to start a cheese bread company supporting smallholder farmers, her regenerative awakening and NUU’s regenerative journey, and their recent 4 million dollar fundraise that is set to power their future vision.   NUU is a certified B Corp, certified carbon neutral, led by an entirely female C-suite, and has been recognized by The United Nations as 1 of 50 global companies to help lead the regenerative food movement.   Episode Highlights:   🇧🇷 Our 2nd international episode with NUU from Brazil! 🤤 Why Rafaela left Johnson & Johnson to start NUU 🧀 Bringing better Brazilian cheese bread to the masses 🤩 Their indigenous, hero ingredient: yuca (cassava) 🧑‍🌾 Building supply chains to purchase from smallholder farmers 🤝 Engaging investors, NGOs, and the government in their regen journey 💡 Why all their SKUs are “air fryer friendly” 💰 Their recent 4 million dollar fundraise! ❤️ Why we need to re-feminize the food system 🔥 Using event ambassadors to drive discovery and trial   Links: NUU NUU Secures $4 Million in Series A Funding NUU’s Zero Carbon Factory The history of Pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) Kiss The Ground Movie Jornada Amazônia Dengo VEJA EcoEnterprises Fund farfarm Pão de Açúcar Carrefour Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation Alex Atala - Mandioca  The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food Donos do Mercado  Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn 

On this episode, we have Edd Lees who is one of the Co-Founders at Wildfarmed.    Wildfarmed is supporting regenerative agriculture with its lineup of regenerative wheat flours that are used in retailers, restaurants, and bakeries across the United Kingdom and powered by a network of 80 regenerative farmers.   In this episode, we learn how the brand was started when a famous DJ traded in his turntables for a tractor, how they’ve grown the business through a branded B2B2C strategy, and their big plans for their first Wildfarmed CPG product launch in 2024.   Episode Highlights:   🥳 Our 1st international episode with Wildfarmed! 🎤 How a grammy-nominated musician became a regenerative farmer 🔥 “First they laugh at you, then they hate you, then they want to join you” 👏 Scaling their B2B2C strategy from 1 bakery to 400 customers 🤩 Their regenerative standards and network of 80 farmers 😯 How they won a 25-year tenancy on their demonstration farm 🎯 Why their brand is all about being “Full of Life” ⚡ Their 1st branded CPG launch coming in 2024! 🤯 Partnering with a nationwide retailer to sell bread AND grow wheat 💥 Why stale category + high household penetration = opportunity   Links: Wildfarmed Andy Cato Wildfarmed Standards Henry Dimbleby National Trust The Green Revolution Cairnspring Mills Steward RFSI Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn 

On this episode, we have Derrick Jackson who is a Farmer and Co-Founder of Grass Grazed.    Grass Grazed is supporting regenerative agriculture with a myriad of direct-to-consumer livestock products and just launched its first CPG item, Grazed Snax. Grazed Snax is a meat stick made from 100% pasture-raised pork.    In this episode, we learn how Derrick and his family went from raising 25 backyard chickens to 4,000 pasture-raised birds in just 11 months, the barriers that small-scale regenerative farmers face in receiving financing for land acquisition, and why the family has decided to invest in building CPG products as a key to their future growth.   Episode Highlights:   👉 Health and accessibility challenges that made Derrick a farmer 😂 The family raising their first 25 backyard birds 😯 Scaling to 4,000 pastured chickens in 11 months 💰 Diversifying into 5 income streams (poultry, eggs, beef, pork, and dairy) 🔥 Providing a 65-family “buying club” with all of their meat and dairy 🎯 Why they launched their first CPG product 😡 How USDA loans discriminate against small, regenerative farmers 💡 Formulating, designing, and launching Grazed Snax 💥 Shifting their whole focus to pasture-raised meat sticks 👏 Why “bringing farmers to the table” is key to a regenerative future   Links: Grass Grazed Grazed Snax Justin Rhodes Pastured Poultry Profits Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn

On this episode, we have Zack Gazzaniga who is the Founder of Zack's Mighty.   Zack’s Mighty is supporting regenerative agriculture with its tortilla chip products made with certified regenerative corn.   In this episode, we learn about Zack’s journey in CPG helping to build and scale Sir Kensington’s, why he was compelled to “make chips that don’t break in dip,” and the wild ride building Zack’s Mighty supply chain that included everything from importing an heirloom variety of corn into the US, setting up direct trade supply with farms, investing in proprietary manufacturing processes, and certifying their regenerative claims through A Greener World (AGW).   Episode Highlights:   💪 Creating a chip that won’t break in dip 🥇 Being employee #1 at Sir Kensington’s 😂 Zack’s year-long journey to pick his entrepreneurial pursuit 🤯 The history of “flint corn” and why they use it 🔥 Importing flint corn from Italy for their first growing season 🤝 How regenerative claims can help brands get on shelf at retail 😬 Launching nationally in Whole Foods during COVID  🌽 Why the best tortilla chips start as tortillas first 🌟 Using A Greener World (AGW) for regenerative certification 👀 Their new “Rolled” chip line and why they aren’t regenerative   Links: Zack’s Mighty Sir Kensington's Flint Corn History Anson Mills Stone House Farm Hudson Carbon A Greener World (AGW) Certified Regenerative by A Greener World (AGW) Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn

On this episode, we have Kyle Koehler who is the Founder and CEO at Wildway.   Wildway is supporting regenerative agriculture with its commitment to transition its entire product portfolio to Regenerative Organic Certified®, beginning with a 4-SKU lineup of Planet Friendly Oats and a 3-SKU lineup of Coconut Chips.   In this episode, we learn about Kyle’s 11-year journey bootstrapping Wildway from the farmers’ market to a nationally distributed and profitable brand, Kyle shares his inspiration for taking the brand fully regenerative organic and the immense challenges that has created, plus he also shares how they’re looking to fund the future of the business with redeemable equity.   Episode Highlights:   👏 Wildway’s commitment to 100% Regenerative Organic Certified® 😂 How Kyle cold-called his way into Whole Foods 👍 Not wanting the brand to be synonymous with diet culture 🤯 Bootstrapping the brand for its entire 11-year journey 👎 Challenges of transitioning products to organic + regenerative 🤝 Why pre-competitive collaborations can scale regen supply 🔥 Using “beyond sustainable” to spur consumer curiosity 😡 The pitfalls of the current CPG financing landscape 💰 Funding their future with redeemable equity 🎯 Kyle’s 3-pronged approach to Wildway’s future strategy   Links: Wildway Regenerative Organic Certified® Whole30 Tradin Organics Mad Markets One Step Closer Redeemable Equity Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn

On this episode, we have Monique Hypes and Marie Krane who are the Co-Founders of ⁠Tomato Bliss⁠. Tomato Bliss is on a mission to “save the heirloom tomato from extinction” with their line of heirloom tomato soups that are made with tomatoes grown on their certified Regenified™ farm in Southwest Michigan. In this episode, we learn why tomato farming became Marie’s chosen form of activism, how she found Monique to help Tomato Bliss become more than just a farmers market brand, and the strategies they’re using to grow both supply and demand for regeneratively grown heirloom tomatoes at the same time. Episode Highlights: 😍 “Saving Heirloom Tomatoes From Extinction” 👏 Marie’s journey fighting to save heirloom tomato seeds 💡 Why farming and CPG became her best path to seed-saving 🤝 Hiring Monique to take the brand beyond the farmers’ market 🤯 90% of tomato production comes from less than 25 seeds 👍 Intercropping as their secret weapon for pest prevention 🏅 Why their farm is certified Regenified™ 🧑‍🍳 How they’re using food service to fuel their growth ⚡ Why stores should merchandise their SKUs in the produce department 📈 The imperative for regen brands to scale supply and demand in tandem Links: ⁠Tomato Bliss⁠ ⁠Green City Market⁠ ⁠Good Food Accelerator⁠ ⁠The Food Foundry⁠ ⁠The Dorito Effect⁠ ⁠Regenified™⁠ ⁠Notre Dame & Tomato Bliss⁠ Please follow⁠ Kyle⁠ and⁠ AC⁠ on LinkedIn 

On this episode, we have Cody Hopkins who is the CEO and Founding Farmer at Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative. Grass Roots is supporting regenerative agriculture with its 7-species lineup of meat products. In this episode, we learn why Cody was inspired to start the Co-Op after being a small-scale poultry farmer, what makes their business model and corporate structure unique, and how Heifer International and Heifer USA have been important partners along the way. Episode Highlights: 👏 Why Cody started the Co-Op after being a small poultry farmer 🧑‍🌾 Being vertically integrated and cooperating 50+ farmers 🤔 Learning from Zingerman’s ecosystem of businesses 💰 Partnering with Heifer International & Heifer USA 🔥 Balancing standardization and contextualization 🔪 Having ownership in their processor, Cypress Valley Meats 🥇 Onboarding with Land to Market™ & EOV™ 😍 Why philanthropists should fund nutrient density testing 💥 Using guaranteed contracts + “common pay rates” to buy from farmers 🤯 Why regen needs scale, efficiency, and vertical integration Links: Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative Zingerman's Community of Businesses Value-Added Producer Grants Heifer International Heifer USA Cypress Valley Meat Company Land to Market™ EOV™ Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn 

On this episode, we have Adam Hiner & Maddie Hamann who are the Co-Founders @ PACHA. PACHA is supporting regenerative agriculture with its lineup of organic and regenerative buckwheat bread products including 3 flavors of bread and 1 SKU of buns. In this episode, we learn how PACHA found a reliable source of regenerative buckwheat through an innovative farmer partnership and how they’re rolling out their products nationally into Whole Foods as we speak. Episode Highlights: 🤤 How Adam became obsessed with buckwheat bread 👏 Their national rollout in Whole Foods happening NOW! 🌊 Maddie’s transition from oceanography to entrepreneurship  🌳 Adam volunteering at a non-profit regenerative farm 📦 Why COVID forced them to focus on DTC early on 🏗️ Building buckwheat supply with John @ Field Theory 👍 The agronomic and commercial benefits of buckwheat 🥇 Working with Social Carbon Initiative (SCI) for certification 🤯 The simple power of slicing bread 💭 Creative marketing that drives trial at retail Links: PACHA Trilogy Sanctuary Lil Bucks Field Theory Soil Carbon Initiative Cultivate CPG Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn

On this episode, we have Hayley Painter who is one of the Co-Founders @ Painterland Sisters. Painterland Sisters is supporting regenerative agriculture with its line of organic and regenerative Icelandic skyr yogurt products that are made with organic milk sourced from their family farm and others in the Northern Pennsylvania area. In this episode, we learn about how Painterland Sisters has grown to a 3-million-dollar annual run rate in just under two years of business, how this sister duo proposed a CPG brand as a way to protect the future of their family farm, plus what the term “regenerative” means to them, their farm, and their brand. Episode Highlights: 💥 The difference between skyr, greek, and regular yogurt 🐄 Why their cows are “grass-based” versus “grass-fed” 🙏 Why CPG was the best path to safeguard their farm 😂 Hand-labeling the first 60,000 yogurts 👏 Eclipsing $1M in revenue in the first 12 months 👍 Pooling organic milk from their neighbor farms for supply 💪 Why their yogurts are packed with nutrition 🎯 How regenerative starts with adequate farmer livelihoods 😍 Leveraging “The Moo Crew” to boost retail sales 💰 Their WeFunder campaign happening NOW Links: Painterland Sisters Painterland’s WeFunder Campaign Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn

In this episode, we have Maddy Rotman & Taylor Lanzet, the Co-Founders @ Anytime. Anytime is supporting regenerative agriculture with two inaugural product lines in the adult beverage category. They first launched a canned cocktail lineup called the Anytime Spritz in May of this year and in just two weeks will bring to market their two inaugural spirit products: Anytime Famrhouse Vodka and Anytime Farmhouse Gin. All of these products are Regenerative Organic Certified® and made with wheat grown on Regenerative Organic Certified® farms. In this episode, we learn about how COVID-related supply chain crises led them to co-found this booze brand, why they believe scaling regenerative row crop acreage is all about alcohol, and what it is like starting a female and queer-founded CPG company in a hyper-masculine category like alc bev. Episode Highlights: 🎉 Launching the first Regenerative Organic Certified® booze! 🤤 Their inaugural lineup of 3 farm-to-can cocktails 😯 Why real spirits > malt liquor for RTDs 😂 The COVID supply chain crisis that inspired the brand 🥃 Why regenerative acreage depends on alcohol consumption 🎯 The huge opportunity for clean and organic adult beverages 👌 Focusing on certain retailers to drive product discovery 🤯 Why copper distilling is a gamechanger for flavor 👏 Starting a female and queer-founded brand in a male-dominated industry 🔑 Why retailers are the key to a regenerative revolution Links: Anytime Regenerative Organic Certified® Fresh Direct Misfits Market DIG. Chipotle Daily Harvest TTB Big Picture Foods Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn 

On this episode, we have Matt Maier who is the Founder, Owner, and Chief Grass Farmer at Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed. Thousand Hills is supporting regenerative agriculture with its vast array of fresh and value-added 100% grass-fed, grass-finished, and regenerative beef products.  In this episode, we learn about Matt’s background as a CPG brand manager and marketing consultant and the trip back home to the family farm that inspired him to start a better beef brand. Matt shares the 20-year journey of Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed that has led them to recently become the number one meat brand in the natural channel of retail. Episode Highlights: 🎉 Celebrating 20 years of Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed! 💥 Matt’s background as a CPG brand manager & marketing consultant 💭 The inspiration to work on regen beef after returning to the farm 🥇 Becoming the number one meat brand in the natural channel 👏 Selling products in all 50 states and sourcing from 50+ family farms 🔥 How value-added product development helps them win 😯 Why their prices will only go up as they scale 🥩 Exciting nutrient density studies coming soon! 🧐 How imported grass-fed beef affects domestic brands 🤯 Working with Lorentz Meats and now 15 total processors Links: Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed SPINS American Grassfed Association Land to Market™ Lorentz Meats Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn

On this episode, we have Rachael Petach who is the Founder and CEO at C. Cassis. C. Cassis, also know as Current Cassis, is supporting regenerative agriculture with its growing lineup of products made from blackcurrants grown in Northeast, regenerative, agroforestry systems. Right now, the product lineup includes two alcoholic beverages: a bottled Liqueur and a ready-to-drink, sparkling, blackcurrant cocktail.  In this episode, we learn about how Rachael started the brand in her Brooklyn apartment, why blackcurrants were federally illegal for decades and what brought them back, and how C. Cassis is planning to use a combination of CPG, hospitality, and agritourism to get blackcurrant products into the mainstream. Episode Highlights: 🫄 How Rachael’s pregnancy inspired her brand 💪 The amazing nutritional profile of blackcurrants 🥃 Why she started with alcoholic beverages 😂 Making the first products in her Brooklyn apartment 🤯 Why blackcurrants were illegal and why they’re coming back 💫 Moving to upstate New York to grow the business 🔥 Building an experiential distillery & tasting room 👏 The economic and environmental potential of US agroforestry 💥 Upcycling waste streams to create new products 🚫 Why leading with regen in marketing won’t work Links: C. Cassis Western Reign Creative Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn