Country Archer Provisions, (formerly known as Country Archer Jerky Co.), the leading grass-fed meat snack brand, today announced a new partnership with Richards Grassfed Beef, the first cattle ranch on the west coast to be Ecological Outcome Verified by the Savory Institute. Committed to improving soil health of the land, this family-run ranch based in Northern California converted their practices to include regenerative land management, such as holistic grazing, to foster carbon sequestration -- a process that pulls carbon from the atmosphere and stores it into the soil -- and cultivate a biodiverse ecosystem.
As a vertically-integrated company that handcrafts all its jerky in Southern California, Country Archer’s alliance with Richards establishes a new sustainable supply chain for grass-fed and -finished pasture-raised beef while enabling the farm to continue expanding its regenerative operations. In the wake of COVID-19, an influx of conventional meat suppliers vying for space at processing facilities across the country created fierce competition that nearly forced Richards Grassfed Beef to cease its operations as it was unable to meet the minimum processing requirements. This is just one example of the systemic issues with large-scale conventional meat processing that has been exposed by the pandemic. However, partnerships between manufacturers like Country Archer and sustainable farms like Richards are a case study for the entire industry, demonstrating how smaller-scale regional operations can protect the meat supply chain while also furthering the regenerative agriculture movement.