Applegate Farms LLC., the nation’s leading natural and organic meat company, has announced The New Food Collective, a new premium brand that uses pasture-raised meats and small-batch production methods to create culinary-inspired products. The launch will feature a line of fresh sausages that is the first pork to be certified by the American Grassfed Association (AGA).

The AGA standard mandates that hogs have maximum access to the outdoors, allowing them to forage and roam in woods and pasture and that, during the grazing season, they gather most of their food outside. It also requires farmers to develop a pasture-management plan to support biological diversity, natural resources and soil fertility.

“The American Grassfed Association standard is a leap ahead of anything else out there,” said Gina Asoudegan, Applegate’s vice president of mission and innovation. “The organization’s name focuses on pasture — and these new sausages deliver on that. But AGA also stands for no antibiotics, no genetically modified feed and the highest animal-welfare standards. You’d need five separate logos to replace what AGA does.”

The New Food Collective brand sources its meat from small farms in Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri that use regenerative agricultural practices, which are designed to improve soil, water retention and biodiversity. Applegate is also working with the Savory Institute, a pioneer in regenerative agriculture, to assess farm practices and create proof-of-impact metrics that can be shared with the public.

“At Applegate, we want to change the meat we eat, and this launch propels that mission forward,” said John Ghingo, Applegate president. “We’re making a big bet on regenerative agriculture as one of the paths to show the world that raising animals and eating meat doesn’t have to be problem. Animals can and do play a vital role in a healthy food system.”

The new line will be sold at select Whole Foods stores in the Chicago metropolitan area.

According to the company, what sets The New Food Collective products apart:

“Applegate is committed to investing in scaling up systems and production methods that raise animals right,” said Asoudegan. “Our products are made by food lovers for food lovers. And food lovers know that flavor starts on the farm.”