Applegate Farms Unveils New Brand Of Culinary-Inspired Products

Applegate Farms, LLC, Bridgewater, N.J., announced THE NEW FOOD COLLECTIVE, a new premium brand that uses pasture-raised meats and small-batch production methods to create culinary-inspired products.

The launch features a line of fresh sausages that are said to be the first pork to be certified by the American Grassfed Association (AGA), Denver, Colo.

“The American Grassfed Association standard is a leap ahead of anything else out there,” says Gina Asoudegan, vice president of mission and innovation for Applegate. “The organization’s name focuses on pasture, and these new sausages deliver on that. But, AGA also stands for no antibiotics, no genetically modified feed and the highest animal-welfare standards. You’d need five separate logos to replace what AGA does.”

THE NEW FOOD COLLECTIVE brand sources meat from small farms in Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri that use regenerative agricultural practices, which are designed to improve soil, water retention and biodiversity. Applegate is also working with the Savory Institute, Boulder, Colo., to assess farm practices and create proof-of-impact metrics that can be shared with the public.

“At Applegate, we want to change the meat we eat, and this launch propels that mission forward,” says John Gingho, president of Applegate. “We’re making a big bet on regenerative agriculture as one of the paths to show the world that raising animals and eating meat doesn’t have to be problem. Animals can and do play a vital role in a healthy food system.”