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Applegate introduces a hot dog with regeneratively grown beef

Hormel-owned Applegate Farms, which is known for its natural and organic meat offerings, released The Do Good Dog, a hot dog made from beef raised in a verified regenerative U.S. grasslands system.

The beef used in these hot dogs comes from Northern California and contributes to regenerating up to 260,000 acres of grassland. Cows coming from this system are part of one of the largest, Savory Institute's Land to Market Seal-verified regenerative farming enterprises in the U.S. And size is what Applegate is aiming for. With the introduction of its Do Good Dog, the company has bold ambitions to take regenerative agriculture from niche to norm.

To build regenerative agriculture into the mainstream, hot dogs are a good place to start. Last year, data from Statista showed that over 255 million Americans ate hot dogs. But hot dogs are not the only product where beef — a protein source that is consistently highlighted for its negative impact on the environment, accounting for 65% of total greenhouse gas emissions from the meat industry, according to data from the United Nations FAO — is consumed. In fact, beef is the second-most widely consumed meat in the U.S., according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

While there is a pronounced shift to plant-based options occurring as a solution to mitigate the adverse effects that cattle and other farm animals can exert on the environment, two out of three U.S. adults still say they eat meat frequently, according to a Gallup poll cited by Applegate.

For those sustainably conscious consumers that wish to continue to eat meat, regenerative agriculture presents a potential avenue to continue to do so. In the announcement about the hot dog launch, Applegate president John Ghingo said that food animals “have a vital role to play in restoring soil health, sequestering carbon and safeguarding the land.” Regenerative agriculture is a farming method that involves soil quality and biodiversity improvements that lead to carbon sequestration. However, this naturally sustainable farming system has yet to become the norm at an industrial scale. Applegate is looking to change that.

Already, the company’s investment in regenerative hot dogs has led to SunFed Ranch, from where it sources its meat, to double its grassfed cattle production. In the future, Applegate said that it will work to develop evidence-based regenerative practices for non-grazing animals and plans to grow its regeneratively-sourced product line to pork and poultry.