BOULDER, COLO. – The Savory Institute has had a long and special relationship with husband and wife duo Katie Forrest and Taylor Collins, founders of EPIC Provisions and now, advisors and suppliers to Force of Nature Meats. “Our two organizations grew up together,” says Collins. Just as the Savory Institute began with the goal of regenerating the world’s grasslands with Holistic Management, EPIC had the idea of bringing healthy, regenerative, grass-fed, meat-based snacks to the masses. It redefined the category of healthy snacking and, in just a few short years, changed an entire industry.
Collins and Forrest sold EPIC in 2016, and while they continue to remain involved with the company, they spend much of their days practicing what they preach at ROAM Ranch – their regenerative bison ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas. As it turns out, Robby Sansom, former EPIC Provisions CFO/COO also is making ripples with new ventures in the regenerative space.
Sansom has stepped in as CEO of Force of Nature Meats. After a stint in the Austin startup scene, he joined EPIC as one of the first employees, and while Collins and Forrest were the ones that came up with the crazy, bold ideas, Sansom was the operator-extraordinaire that turned them into reality. He now aims to bring that same category-redefining growth to fresh and frozen meat.
Force of Nature’s commitment is to sourcing quality meat from regenerating landscapes and aligning with consumers’ shared values of animal welfare and world-changing impact. Whereas EPIC redefined the snacking category, Force of Nature is doing so with fresh and frozen meat. Many say the fresh meat category has long been due for an injection of new ideas, and there are none more poised to bring positive disruption than Sansom and his team.
Once again, the two organizations have set out to blaze a new trail together, so Savory is proud to announce that Force of Nature Meats is formally joining as a Frontier Founder of the Land to Market program. Frontier Founders are brands bold enough to roll up their sleeves and create a new paradigm; each of them working to overhaul their supply chains to source verified regenerative product, and at the same time celebrating the ranchers and livestock farmers around the world who are doing it best.
When EPIC first reached out to Savory years ago, they said, “We know we can provide healthy grass-fed meat from animals raised with care. What we don’t know is that it’s improving the environment, reversing climate change, and if so by how much. We want to be able to quantify land health improvement and take that message to consumers.” This was an avenue Savory had already been exploring, so it was a perfect match. They became Savory’s earliest financial supporters for developing the Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) protocol and the Land to Market program. At every stage, they have encouraged and challenged other brands and processors to step up and support regenerative sourcing.
Now that Land to Market is up and running, with brands big and small from food to fashion, Collins and Forrest are on the other side of the supply chain. They’re the ones stewarding the land regeneration at ROAM while their former colleague is in the CEO seat, bringing products from their ranch and other verified regenerative sources to market.
Products from Force of Nature are available now. As one would expect, their branding and messaging are beautiful – transporting the customer back to the ranch and helping them understand how properly-managed grazing animals can heal our planet. They are launching their first run of verified regenerative products with protein originating from White Oak Pastures, a Savory Hub in southwest Georgia. You can purchase their meats through Force of Nature’s online store or at select locations in the Southeast U.S.
With partners like Force of Nature, at Savory we have no doubt that together we can hit the milestones needed to save civilization and increase adoption and market pull-through for regenerative agriculture. Here’s to the road ahead…
