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:
https://grassrootscoop.com/
https://www.zingermanscommunity.com/
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/value-added-producer-grants
https://www.heifer.org/
https://www.heifer.org/usa/index.html
https://cypressvalleymeatcompany.com/
https://www.landtomarket.com/
https://www.landtomarket.com/eov
Follow Kyle and AC on LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/kyle-krull
linkedin.com/in/anthonycorsaro
