Mission Matters: Our first-ever Mission Report

Quantifying what we do at Applegate isn’t easy. But hard things aren’t something that puts us off.  And so I am proud to announce our very first

And the news…is pretty amazing. Here are just a few of our 2023 accomplishments.  (See pg. 3-4 in the Mission Report.)

• 12 million animals raised in higher welfare conditions 

• 11 tons of antibiotics avoided 

• 280,000 pounds of food donated

• 50,000 tons of soil loss avoided across all farms thanks to good farming practices

• 6 million acres of grasslands expected to converted to regenerative thanks to Applegate’s new hot dog beef sourcing by the end of 2025

One key part of this report was an in-depth study of our impact, undertaken with Ecotone Analytics, a team of economists, analysts and strategists that builds impact models to drive advancements in climate resiliency, health and more. A deep dive into our Applegate Humanely Raised, meat raised with No Antibiotics Ever, Organic, and Grass-Fed Beef revealed an incredible range of positive impact across our supply chain. (See pg. 4.)

For example, poultry producers following our strict animal-welfare standards, may have earned more. So did organic and grass-fed beef producers, who were 43 percent more profitable than the conventional guys!  And eaters of that grass-fed beef? Over the course of a year, they consumed 7,350 fewer calories and 1,100 fewer grams of fat than those eating grain-fed beef. (See pg. 4)

Our Mission Report also offers insights into our impact on people, specifically our team members. I see building a strong culture at Applegate, one where our team is connected to and engaged in our mission, as one of my most important duties. It is how our company continues, after more than 35 years, to deliver on our mission:  Changing The Meat We Eat®. 

And here’s what’s most exciting: There’s so much more to come! As part of our commitment to transparency, we will be updating this report annually. 

Here’s to a great (and impactful) 2024!