In this episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, sits down with Tom Richards to learn more about his regenerative ranch in California and his efforts with HarvestPath. Tom discusses his family’s long history in agriculture and their journey into selling beef direct to consumers.

Additionally, Tom dives deeper into HarvestPath, a software solution he developed to solve data management challenges in ranching. This comprehensive tool aids farmers, ranchers, and processors across the country in managing animal records, production costs, and customer relationships. The software, built on the Salesforce platform, offers modules for tracking animals, managing the production process, and handling customer relations and sales. Tom also highlights how the tool can assist with planning, loan applications, and operational scaling, aiming to support the alternative meat supply chain for greater success.

Make sure to sign up for the Spring Webinar Series, where we are sharing strategies on how to better sell your meat! Learn more here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/blog/2025-meat-marketing-webinars

And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!

1. https://choplocal.com/
2. https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

Episode 33 | In this episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, interviews Rachel Jantzi, a farmer from northeastern British Columbia. Rachel shares her journey from being a conventional and organic farmer to starting her own regenerative farm called Grazing Patch Farm. She discusses her current farm operation, which includes laying hens, meat birds, sheep, and pigs, and the logistics and challenges of raising these animals. Rachel outlines her diverse background, including carpentry, plumbing, working on large organic farms, and building robots, and how these experiences have helped her in farming. She details her meticulous planning and financial strategies, including the importance of accurate cost calculations and making use of online and community marketing to grow her customer base. Rachel emphasizes the importance of transparency and authenticity in marketing and shares tips on setting up an efficient system for online sales and customer engagement. Her story serves as an inspiration and a practical guide for aspiring regenerative farmers.

Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100 Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1

And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!

1. https://choplocal.com/
2. https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

Episode 32 | In this special episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, presents key insights and data from the 2025 CHOP Local marketplace. The episode explores various metrics such as average order size and customer lifetime value, offering actionable strategies to increase repeat customer rates. Listeners will gain tips on enhancing customer satisfaction through personalized touches, effective post-order communication, and strategic email marketing. Katie also discusses the importance of shipping orders, leveraging social media, and preparing for upcoming marketing opportunities, including the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day. This data-driven episode aims to help vendors optimize their business strategies for increased sales and customer retention in 2026.

Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100 Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1

1. 00:00 Introduction to the Meat Success Podcast
2. 00:14 Overview of Monthly Office Hours
3. 00:37 2025 Data Insights and Analysis
4. 02:53 Understanding Customer Metrics
5. 09:37 Strategies to Increase Repeat Customer Rate
6. 13:36 Shipping vs. Pickup Orders
7. 15:00 Characteristics of High-Performing Vendors
8. 19:47 Marketing Ideas for Upcoming Events
9. 21:49 Seasonal Promotions and Future Planning

And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!

1. https://choplocal.com/
2. https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

Episode 31 | In this episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, prepares to speak at the Annual Grassworks Conference about effective e-commerce strategies for direct-to-consumer farms. She shares insights from her presentation, which includes results from a national survey on online meat sales. Katie discusses the pros and cons of selling meat by exact weight versus using weight ranges, emphasizing that the latter can reduce customer uncertainty and increase sales. She also provides practical tips for farmers on managing inventory and selecting the right e-commerce platform.

Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100

Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1

1. 00:00 Welcome to the Meat Success Podcast
2. 00:12 Preparing for the Annual Grassworks Conference
3. 00:40 Insights from the National Ag Marketing Summit
4. 02:06 The Concept of Selling Meat by Exact Weight
5. 02:28 Personal Meat Buying Experiences
6. 04:15 Challenges with Exact Weight Pricing
7. 05:17 The Shift to Weight Variations
8. 09:17 Implementing Weight Variations in Practice
9. 11:35 Customer Reactions and Best Practices
10. 13:49 Conclusion and Call to Action

And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!

1. https://choplocal.com/
2. https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

Episode 30 | In this episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff discusses with Jeff Charlton, also known as the Chief Beef Slinger at 3C Joppa Ranch, his journey from corporate sales to managing a direct-to-consumer beef business. Jeff shares his background, entering the cattle industry through his wife's family ranch, and evolving the traditional cattle ranch into a modern operation optimized with technology. He delves into the importance of authenticity in marketing, evidenced by his use of selfie videos and AI tools for content creation. Jeff highlights the significance of partnerships and email marketing in growing his consumer base and offers advice on overcoming the challenges of shipping and marketing. Katie and Jeff also discuss the role of efficient systems and KPIs in tracking business success, emphasizing the balance between personal involvement and leveraging professional assistance.

Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100

Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1

• 00:00 Welcome to the Meat Success Podcast
• 01:08 Introducing Jeff Charlton: Chief Beef Slinger
• 02:07 Jeff's Journey into the Beef Business
• 05:31 Transitioning to Direct-to-Consumer Beef Sales
• 11:38 The Role of Authenticity and AI in Marketing
• 22:46 Custom Marketing GPT: A Game Changer
• 24:12 Efficiency and Core Values
• 24:21 Limitations of Chat GPT in Cattle Production
• 26:10 Influencer Partnerships and Sales Strategies
• 30:00 Monetizing Email Lists and Ad Strategies
• 37:06 Challenges in Shipping and Social Media
• 38:49 Final Advice for Farmers and Ranchers

And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!

• https://choplocal.com/
• https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

Episode 29 | In the first episode of 2026, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, and Sierra Long, the marketing specialist at Chop Local, discuss marketing strategies and trends for the year. They emphasize the importance of authenticity on social media, especially behind-the-scenes content and showcasing real people.

The discussion also touches on the cautious use of AI in marketing, highlighting its utility for text but noting the current flaws in AI-generated images and graphics. Katie and Sierra also talk about the ongoing significance of customer service, from personalized messages to well-packaged shipments. They strongly advocate for email marketing over social media for better conversion rates and emphasize the effectiveness of targeted meta and Google ads for scaling meat businesses. The conversation wraps up with a reminder about the USDA's Value-Added Producer Grant.

Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100

Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1

• 00:30 Holiday Recap and Marketing Plans
• 02:04 Authenticity in Social Media
• 04:49 AI in Marketing: Pros and Cons
• 13:59 The Importance of Protein and Meat Benefits
• 24:40 Customer Service Excellence
• 30:39 The Power of Email Marketing
• 37:14 Scaling with Meta and Google Ads
• 43:49 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!

• https://choplocal.com/
• https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100

Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1

In this episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, shares her expertise on executing effective sales and promotions for meat businesses. Katie discusses the importance of promotions in attracting budget-conscious consumers, managing inventory, and increasing sales. She offers insights into different types of promotions, strategic discounting, and the psychology of numbers. Katie emphasizes the need for clear communication of sales and promotions and the importance of creating a sense of urgency to drive customer action. Drawing from her experience, she also highlights how to leverage email marketing, social media, and meta ads to maximize the impact of these promotions.

• 00:00 Welcome to Meet Success Podcast
• 01:21 Introduction to Sales and Promotions
• 01:59 Why Sales and Promotions Matter
• 04:23 Strategies for Effective Sales and Promotions
• 14:52 Communicating Your Sales and Promotions
• 18:00 Creating Urgency with End Dates
• 20:29 Conclusion and Consulting Services

And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!

• https://choplocal.com/
• https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

Episode 27 | This is a webinar replay brought to you by ChopLocal University.

Email marketing is arguably the most effective marketing strategy that you can be using for your meat business - and it doesn't have to be scary!

In this free webinar, we'll uncover the secrets to successful email marketing.

You'll learn:

- effective email design

- how to get people to WANT to sign up for your list

- best practices to maximize your email marketing efforts

Whether you're just getting started with email marketing, or you've been at it a while and it's not performing as well as you'd like, this webinar will provide tips and tricks that are useful for email marketers at any level.

This free webinar is taught by ChopLocal's Katie Olthoff, a farmer and former teacher with over 10 years of experience using email marketing in food and agriculture.

--

For more FREE resources to help you sell more meat:

- Visit https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

- Subscribe to our email newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/choplocal/choplocal-university

- Follow us @ ChopLocal University on Facebook and/or Instagram

-Catch the course mentioned in this episode here: http://choplocaluniversity.com/email-marketing

Episode 25 | In this episode of the Meet Success podcast, host Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, shares four essential winter projects that will significantly improve your meat business and marketing. Katie emphasizes the importance of effective, low-cost, one-and-done tasks such as SEO optimization, gathering customer reviews, taking mouthwatering product photos, and creating an automated welcome sequence for email subscribers. These strategies aim to enhance your brand’s online presence, customer trust, and overall sales performance. Tune in for practical tips and start making lasting improvements to your meat business today.

• 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
• 01:30 SEO Tips for Your Meat Business
• 06:19 Gathering and Utilizing Customer Reviews
• 09:26 Creating Mouthwatering Product Photos
• 12:42 Automated Welcome Sequence for Email Subscribers
• 19:44 Recap and Marketing Funnel Insights
• 21:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Episode 24 | Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct to consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100

Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1

In this episode, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, sits down with Stephen Ussery from Stewart's Unlimited to discuss various grant opportunities for farmers and meat processors. They cover the value of agricultural grants, particularly the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) and the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion (MPE) grant. Stephen offers insights into the grant application process, the importance of business planning, and how to effectively utilize grant funds for expanding and improving agricultural businesses. They also touch on the role of artificial intelligence in grant writing, illustrating its potential benefits for efficiency and accuracy.

Learn more about Stewards Unlimited here: https://stewardsunlimited.com/about/

• 01:06 Overview of Stewards Unlimited
• 03:51 Grant Opportunities and Challenges
• 05:13 Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPE)
• 17:10 Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG)
• 33:21 Excitement for Paid Ads and VAPG Program
• 35:26 The Importance of Identifying Ideal Customers
• 37:24 Challenges and Strategies in Customer Retention
• 39:41 Exploring Funding Options for Farmers
• 41:30 Effective Use of Grants for Business Expansion
• 47:05 Grant Writing Tips and AI Assistance
• 55:01 Final Thoughts and Resources

And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below!

• https://choplocal.com/
• https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/