Cultivating Change: A Recap of the Recent California Regional Regenerative Meat Summit

02/21/2025
By: Kathy Webster

In November 2024, on behalf of TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation, I attended the 3rd California Regional Regenerative Meat Summit at Mulvaney’s B&L in Sacramento. The event, organized by Roots of Change, UC Davis Institute of the Environment, and IC-FOODS in collaboration with Mulvaney’s B&L and Cream Co. Meats, marked the end of the joint three-year project that successfully established high-value regional meat supply chains in Northern California as part of a USDA-funded grant. The room was abuzz with excitement and filled with the wonderful aromas of locally sourced, beautifully presented meals prepared by Patrick Mulvaney, owner and head chef at Mulvaney’s B&L, and his team.

The attendees included meat producers, processors, chefs, butchers, and buyers, and together we celebrated the project’s success. Presentations and panel discussions included market opportunities, resources, and business solutions and ended with a robust dialog about the future.

Throughout the summit, the audience was fully engaged, asking insightful questions about supply chain barriers for small producers, sharing opinions on the definition of regenerative agriculture, and joining in impromptu discussions.

Highlights included:

• Marilyn Biscotti from the University of California’s Office of the President updating attendees on the UC Regional Regenerative Meat Purchasing Program. She highlighted the UC’s growing commitment to sourcing local regenerative meat, with increased purchases across all ten campuses and five hospitals.
• Cliff Pollard, CEO of Cream Co Meats, shared challenges in aggregating products from various ranches but expressed confidence in scaling up to meet UC’s needs. 
• A panel discussion featuring Nick Anicich (CDFA Farm-to-School Program), Sarah Keiser (Wild Oat Hollow), Jim Kleinshmit (Other Half Processing), and Steve Schwartz (Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative) exploring emerging market opportunities. Topics included grazing for fire prevention, farm-to-school programs, Halal markets, and sales opportunities for meat byproducts.
• Michael Delbar (CA Rangeland Trust) and Loren Poncia (Stemple Creek Ranch) engaged the audience by addressing the challenges faced by producers and proposing solutions.
• USDA Undersecretary Jennifer Lester Moffitt delivered the keynote address, and during dinner, Karen Ross emphasized supporting small local producers and early food education.
• While I briefed the audience on the history of the Beef2Institution initiative.

In conclusion:

Most, if not all, attendees left the event excited about the potential of the project and the future of regeneratively produced meat in California. Although this event marked the close of the USDA-funded phase, a strong commitment to the project remains among those involved, including Roots of Change, IC FOODS, the UC Davis Institute of the Environment, TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation, and other collaborators.

The overarching goal from here on is to increase the number of partners involved, grow and stabilize the supply chain of regional regenerative meats for the UC system, connect regenerative ranchers with programs and opportunities, and broaden our reach throughout California.

Stay tuned!