#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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