ReGen Brands Podcast

#99 - Carolyn Gahn @ Applegate - Applegate Bets Big On Regenerative Beef

On this episode, we’re joined by Carolyn Gahn who is the Senior Director of Mission & Advocacy at Applegate.
 
Applegate has just announced that they’ve achieved their ambitious goal to source 100% of the beef in their beef hot dogs from certified regenerative grasslands. By implementing this change, Applegate is helping to transition 10.8 million acres of grasslands to certified regenerative.
 
Carolyn leads Applegate’s regenerative agriculture initiatives, and she joins us to share how the brand has gone from a single experimental product to transforming its entire hot dog portfolio to be certified regenerative.
 
We explore what made Applegate double down on regen even when consumers didn’t fully understand it, and how this shift reflects the brand's long-standing mission of “changing the meat we eat.” Carolyn gives us a transparent look at the supply chain complexity, the multiple certifications chosen, and how Applegate’s position within Hormel is actually helping move regen efforts forward at scale.
 
We also dig into Applegate’s nutrient density testing and human health trials, their efforts to create true market signals for farmers, and how storytelling is evolving to make regen accessible and meaningful for everyday consumers.
 
Episode Highlights:
 
🌭 Applegate went all-in: The entire beef hot dog portfolio is now certified regenerative—ROC and a custom standard for non-organic lines.
 
🤯 Consumer confusion ≠ deterrent: Despite low consumer understanding of “regen,” Applegate committed to the transformation anyway.
 
💡 Do Good Dog learnings: Applegate's first regen product provided critical consumer insights—even if the SKU itself wasn’t the final solution.
 
🧬 Nutrient density & health trials: Applegate is conducting a human health study to compare regenerative vs. conventional beef on health biomarkers.
 
🧠 Consumer education strategy: The team is shifting toward messaging rooted in proxies like grass-fed and biodiversity—not soil science lectures.
 
🏆 Hormel backing regen: Carolyn confirms Hormel is fully supportive—proving big food can be part of the regen solution.
 
🧩 Collaborative supply chain: From aggregators to fashion brands, Applegate is working across sectors to support whole-animal utilization.
 
🌱 Farmer-first mindset: The team is focused on building systems that work with long-term supplier relationships and localized solutions.
 
🔍 Certification clarity: Applegate requires third-party certifications for all claims—driving integrity while acknowledging standard complexity.
 
📈 Beyond beef: Applegate is carefully evaluating pork, poultry, and feed systems to expand regen thoughtfully and meaningfully.
 
Links:
Applegate
Applegate Beats 2025 Regenerative Goal, Transitions All Beef Hot Dogs to 100% Certified Regenerative Beef
Hormel Foods
Regenerative Organic Certified
Land to Market
Hickory Nut Gap
Kettle & Fire
EOV (Ecological Outcome Verification)
Bionutrient Food Association
The Hormel Institute
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#98 - Cole Mannix @ Old Salt Co-Op - Montana’s Multi-Faceted Regenerative Meat Brand

On this episode, we are joined by Cole Mannix who is the Founder and President of Old Salt Co-Op.
 
Old Salt Co-Op is supporting regenerative agriculture with a collection of vertically integrated businesses bringing regeneratively raised meat to consumers. The Old Salt brand was created by a group of family ranches in Montana to provide a better food system and future for their land, their animals, and their customers.
 
Old Salt sells meat direct-to-consumers online, they operate two restaurants in Helena, Montana, and they’re also operating and acquiring meat processing facilities in the region. All with the goal of selling damn fine Montana meat based on one simple idea: land is kin.
 
In this episode, Cole details why these family ranches created Old Salt in search of a better alternative to the commodity market, why their focus is to turn consumers into citizens, and how their model can eventually triple rancher margins by creating equity upside for producers.
 
We chat with Cole about the why and how behind the complex Old Salt ecosystem of enterprises, the legendary Old Salt Festival coming up in June, why he wants to start a grain-finished program, and so much more.
 
Episode Highlights:
 
🤝 Why 3 ranching families united to start the brand
💥 Their unique corporate structure and multiple businesses
🔥 Why land and community are the same thing
🐺 How their ranching partners co-exist with wolves
💭 Building an experiential brand not tied to claims or certifications
👀 Their plans to add a grain-finished beef offering
🤯 Why downstream consolidation is the problem - not production
👎 Regulatory and financial barriers preventing regional meat processing
💯 Turning customers into citizens
👉 Their plans to triple rancher margins
 
Links:
Old Salt Co-Op
Old Salt Festival
Savory Institute
Holistic Management International
Ranching For Profit
Le Pigeon
Lazy Susan
Carman Ranch
Cairnspring Mills
Range Revolution
Dorito Effect
End of Craving
Meat Eater
Steward
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#97 - Will & Jenni Harris @ White Oak Pastures - The Original Regenerative Brand

On this episode, we are joined by Will and Jenni Harris from White Oak Pastures, which may very well be the original and very first regenerative brand.
White Oak Pastures is a 160-year-old, zero-waste, regenerative farm that raises 10 species of animals living in symbiotic relationships with each other and the land. Starting in 1995, the farm transitioned away from industrial agriculture techniques and began operating their farm as a living ecosystem. 
As a brand, White Oak has been a pioneer in American grass-fed beef production, selling both Publix and Whole Foods their first domestic-supplied grass-fed beef over a decade ago. Today, White Oak operates a myriad of businesses at their home ranch in Bluffton, Georgia with a team of 160 people and their products are sought out by customers in 48 of the 50 states.
In this episode, Will shares his journey from industrial cattleman to regenerative innovator, Jenni details how the business has shifted from grocery to e-commerce, and both of our guests share their story with their trademark transparency, humility, and Southern charm.
Will and Jenni highlight the need for consumer-driven change in agriculture, Jenni shares how being on The Joe Rogan Experience has affected their business, and Will takes us behind the scenes of producing his book, A Bold Return To Giving A Damn.
Episode Highlights:
🔥 Was White Oak Pastures the first regenerative brand?
💥 160 Years, 5 Generations, & A Bold Return To Giving A Damn
👀 How White Oak Pastures almost had a different name
💡 Will’s journey from industrial to regenerative agriculture
♻️ Vertical integration, endless enterprises, and zero-waste processing
🍗 Why White Oak produces and sells unprofitable poultry
🚀 How COVID and being on Rogan boosted their business
📚 Why Will wrote a book and how its been received
🥩 Domestic vs imported beef and dumb labeling laws
🛒 Why food system change must be consumer-led
Links:
White Oak Pastures
A Bold Return To Giving A Damn
The Center for Agricultural Resilience (CFAR)
Internship Program
FOND Bone Broth
Figure Ate
Joe Rogan Experience #2062 - Will & Jenni Harris
Joe Rogan Experience #1893 - Will Harris
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#96 - Expo West Recap: Regen Wins, Emerging Trends, & Essential Insights

On this episode, Kyle and I are flying solo to bring you some updates and thoughts coming out of Expo West.
What are the latest industry trends we’re tracking?
What was the state of regenerative at this year’s Super Bowl of CPG?
What were the biggest regen wins from the Pitch Slam, to NEXTYs, to fundraising announcements?
We dive into all the most important regen CPG topics including certification presence, new product highlights, and new information on increasing consumer awareness and demand for regenerative products. We break down the activation of the “I ❤️ REGEN” campaign and celebrate the success in building community. Plus, we offer some key insights and stats you can’t get anywhere else.
Whether you were at the show or not, drop us a note with your major takeaways or other topics you’d like to see us discuss.
Episode Highlights:
🔥 Regen was well-represented at the show
👉 Why ROC™ is the leading regen certification
💥 Recoup & Wild Orchard dominate the Pitch Slam
💰 GoodSAM raises $9M Series A
🏆 11 regen brands and 6 regen products win NEXTYs
🤤 Our favorite new regenerative products
❤️ Spreading the love with I ❤️ REGEN
📈 Our top non-regen trends and insights
🚀 Promising new data for increasing consumer demand
🗣️ Powerful soundbites we saved to share
Links:
Recoup Beverage Wins Expo West Pitch Slam
GoodSAM Foods Secures $9M Series A
2025 Expo West NEXTY Award Winners
Brain Energy (book)
Down To Earth w/ Zac Efron
RegenerativeNYC
I ❤️ REGEN
Gallant International
Function Health
Edacious
Growing Success At Retail Session (Regenified Consumer Data)
RegenScore
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#95 - Expo West Preview, Federal Funding Chaos, & I ❤️ REGEN

In this episode, Kyle and I are flying solo to cover the latest and greatest from the world of regenerative CPG. We kick things off with Kyle sharing some insights from recent conversations he’s had with retailers, and we unpack recent changes Whole Foods has made to their regenerative standards. 
We break down all the things Expo West, including regenerative brands exhibiting, sessions we’re looking forward to, NEXTY finalists, where you can find regen on the agenda, and how ReGen Brands is showing up at the event. Secret sneak peek - we’re launching our first awareness campaign for ReGen Brands Coalition member brands and products, so be sure to check that out and listen to the full episode for more details.
We touch on the early effects of the new federal administration change, specifically, the current federal funding freeze that is bringing some issues, and the optimism around change that could stem from the MAHA movement. We close things out with some fun and good news for the regenerative movement which you’ll find at the very end of the episode.
Episode Highlights:
👍 Promising recent retailer interactions
✅ Whole Foods’ changing their regen standards
👉 Expo West preview and primer
👀 What regenerative brands are exhibiting + speaking?
🌎 Breaking down Climate Day, sessions, and interests
💰 Industry issues stemming from the federal funding freeze
❓ Is the MAHA optimism warranted?
⚖️ The pain and opportunity in political uncertainty
🖤 Introducing the “I ❤️ REGEN” campaign
👏 Kiss The Ground & Common Ground streaming on Prime
Links:
ReGen Brands Primer + Booth Guide - Expo West 2025
A Greener World & Whole Foods Announcement
Natural Products Expo West
Climate Day at Expo West 2025
Edacious
Trump’s Funding Freeze Creates Chaos and Financial Distress for Farmers
Alec’s Culture Cups Named NEXTY Finalist 
Sustainable Herbs Initiative
Kiss The Ground Film
Common Ground Film
Documentaries Public Watch Party
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#94 - Loren Poncia @ Stemple Creek Ranch - The Bay Area’s Regional Regenerative Meat Brand

On this episode, we have Loren Poncia who is a rancher and the owner at Stemple Creek Ranch.
Stemple Creek is supporting regenerative agriculture with their regeneratively-raised beef, lamb, pork, and chicken products mainly sold via their website directly to consumers and also available via select farmers' markets, restaurants, and retailers. Stemple Creek’s home ranch in Northern California stretches over more than 1,000 acres and their overall operation manages more than 8,000 acres of land. 
In this episode, Loren details the family’s journey from conventional dairy to regenerative beef production, why they ended up starting a brand even though he “never wanted to be in the meat business,” and how they’ve grown to a multi-million dollar regional brand over the past decade.
Stemple Creek’s commitment to honesty, transparency, and quality was very apparent as Loren shared the story of managing their ranch, developing their brand, and growing their business. He shared his three keys to cracking the code on premium quality and taste in grass-fed beef, how their brand is approaching regenerative certification, and the challenges of maintaining a fresh meat program year-round.
Episode Highlights:
🥩 Building a $10M regional regenerative meat brand
💰 Rotational grazing for profitability - not product claims
😯 Operating 15 enterprises on their home ranch
💃 Why regenerative is a “constant dance with Mother Nature”
🔑 3 major keys for the highest quality grass-fed beef
🍽️ How Bay area restaurants boosted their business
☑️ Being “first person certified” instead of third-party certified
🦆 The 55 migratory bird species that live at the ranch
👉 Pricing difference for domestic vs imported grassfed beef
🔮 Succession planning and long-term employee ownership
Links:
Stemple Creek Ranch
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Chez Panisse
Sunday Marin Farmers Market
Zuni Café
American Wolf
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Force of Nature Meats
Ranching For Profit
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#93 - Jason & Kristina Walker @ Starwalker Organic Farms

On this episode, we have Jason & Kristina Walker who are the Founders and Owners of Starwalker Organic Farms.
Starwalker Organic Farms produces various beef, pork, and chicken products on a 3,000-acre Regenerative Organic Certified® farm in Northern California. They’re one of the biggest producers of organic pork in the United States, and they sell their regenerative organic products wholesale, direct-to-consumer, and through their branded CPG SKUs. The family also owns and operates a certified organic processing facility with slaughter, cut, and value-added operations serving their farm and many others in the community.
In this episode, Jason and Kristina give us the low down on how they’re producing the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified pork, educate us on how essential processing is in building market access for regenerative farmers, and share the inside scoop on what is coming from their family of operations in the future.
Safe to say the Walkers are doing a lot, and we really enjoyed getting the behind-the-scenes view into all the ways they’re pushing to produce, process, and market regenerative food.  
Episode Highlights:
🏗️ Building vertically integrated regen organic beef & pork value chains
😯 Raising 4,000 pigs on pasture
🐷 Producing the 1st Regenerative Organic Certified® pork
🛒 Launching their ROC™ beef jerky in Sprouts nationwide
🚀 The one big contract that changed everything
😡 The difficulty in finding certified organic meat processing
↗️ Going from wholesale to DTC to CPG
💰 Working with Mad Capital to fund their farming operations
👀 New ROC™ pork and beef products coming soon
👉 How distributors and retailers need to step up for regen
Links:
Starwalker Organic Farms
Regenerative Organic Certified®
The Dorito Effect
Mad Capital
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#92 - Sara Delaney @ Sarilla - The Regenerative Sparkling Beverage Brand Spotlighting Rwanda

On this episode, we have Sara Delaney who is the Founder and CEO at Sarilla.
Sarilla is supporting regenerative agriculture with its lineup of ready-to-drink spritzers that are all made with organic and regenerative ingredients. Sarilla sources the majority of its ingredients via direct trade relationships with farmer cooperatives in Rwanda that are USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified and pursuing regenerative certification.
In this episode, Sara shares how she was inspired to launch the brand to further her work supporting the people of Rwanda in their ongoing recovery from the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, and she shares how Sarilla has grown over time to find the right name, SKUs, and product positioning.
Sara’s personal story is one of resiliency, empathy, and community and is definitely very alive in the Sarilla brand. She subscribes to the Rwandan wisdom that “to be alone is to die” - which underpins Sarilla’s social impact mission and should serve as good advice for all of looking to increase collaborative efforts in regeneration.
Episode Highlights:
🙏 How supporting Rwanda sparked a CPG brand
💔 The Rwandan genocide and need for trauma healing
🌿 Why tea was the pathway to economic impact
🧘 Sourcing from legendary, regenerative Rwandan tea gardens
👉 Positioning SKUs as sober safe and non-alcoholic
👍 Why RTD beverage can be such an impactful category for regen
🎯 Finding the right brand name, SKU mix, and positioning over time
🔥 Why sometimes “rejection is protection” and “asking who not how”
🥤 Building in foodservice, hospitality, vending, and grocery
🫶 How community is the antidote to despair
Links:
Sarilla
Sara’s TED Talk
The Rwandan genocide
Africa Healing Exchange
Vistar
Dobra Tea Asheville
1% For The Planet
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
Foodbuy
Cheney Brothers
RangeMe
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#91 - Tim Cornie @ 1000 Springs Mill - Why Ag-Tech & Demand Are Key To A Regenerative Organic Future

On this episode, we have Tim Cornie who is a farmer and the Co-Owner of 1000 Springs Mill.
Tim is supporting regenerative agriculture as a farmer managing more than 800 acres of regenerative organic land in Idaho, by owning and operating a processing facility sourcing from many farmers in his region, and by selling CPG products in the 1000 Springs Mill brand that contain regenerative organic ingredients.
In this episode, Tim shares how his regenerative efforts are inspired by the healthcare challenges that his family and community have faced, how a trip to Europe inspired him to “stop feeding cows and start feeding humans,” plus what it’s like to farm, process, and brand regenerative organic foods.
Tim is super optimistic that new ag-tech solutions are going to help more farmers adopt regenerative practices, he sees great growth opportunities in making regenerative products more convenient, and he’s a firm believer that it all comes down to creating market demand.
Episode Highlights:
🔥 Farming regenerative organic land fed by 1,000 springs
😮 How a German horse trainer inspired Tim’s farming style
⚡ Why we need to get Cybertrucks on the farm
🩺 How our health depends on changing the way we farm
😯 The powerful benefits of BARLEYmax™
⚙️ Running a 250,000-square-foot processing facility
👉 How private label sourcing can support regenerative
🍸 The two booze brands sourcing their grain
⏰ Making regenerative food convenient
🎯 Why market demand always comes first
Links:
1000 Springs Mil
Regenerative Organic Certified®
Kiss The Ground
Common Ground
BARLEYmax™
Farmer’s Gin
American Harvest Vodka
Why One Spirits Company Is Betting On Regenerative Ag And Farmers In Idaho (Forbes)
Expo West
Lil Bucks
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#90 - John Strohfus @ Field Theory - Why We Need More Demand For “Conventional Regenerative”

On this episode, we have John Strohfus who is the Founder and CEO of Field Theory and Minnesota Hemp Farms Incorporated.
John is supporting regenerative agriculture as a row crop farmer managing 1,000 acres in Minnesota, by working as a broker and supply chain builder with multiple brands, and by selling CPG products in the Field Theory brand that contain regeneratively grown ingredients.
In this episode, John educates us on what really matters to farmers, gives his take on conventional regenerative versus regenerative organic, and breaks down what it takes to find, aggregate, and broker regenerative ingredients for other brands.
This was a super fascinating conversation and a great one to start of the new year. John’s three-pronged perspective as a farmer, broker, and brand builder really unlocked some amazing insights. We were pumped to have him join us and hope you learn as much as we did.
Episode Highlights:
 
🔥 Perspective from a farmer, broker, and brand builder
🌱 Bringing hemp back to Minnesota in 2016
🚜 What’s holding farmers back from going regen?
🎯 Why we need more demand for “conventional regenerative”
👏 The lasting impact of Simple Mills’ direct trade sunflower program
🏆 What John likes about the Soil & Climate Initiative verification
⚙️ Building new direct trade regenerative supply chains
😯 Why linking regen practices to nutrient density might not work
🤔 Is CPG harder than farming?
🚀 How private label demand could help boost regen adoption
 
Links:
Field Theory
Minnesota Hemp Farms Incorporated
NETZRO
Simple Mills
Ardent Mills
Bay State Milling
PACHA
Regenerative Organic Certified
Soil & Climate Initiative
Regenified
Roots Potato Chips
MN Soil Health Coalition
Seven Sundays
Bob’s Red Mill
Nutrient Density Alliance
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