It's not often you come across a company that grows out of love for each other, the planet, and high-endurance sports. But for Katie Forrest and Taylor Collins that's exactly what led to the founding of EPIC, the first-ever 100 percent grass-fed meat, fruit, and nut bar, back in 2013. Prior to EPIC, Katie, a vegan at the time, noticed an extreme drop in energy, and she had serious stomach issues and knee inflammation. It wasn't until she met with a holistic doctor who encouraged her to reincorporate grass-fed meat into her diet that she started feeling better. EPIC was born out of their want to have an easy way to consume meat on the go (or at mile 95 of a 100-mile bike ride). In this episode of the mbg podcast, I chat with Katie and Taylor about why regenerative agriculture is essential for the future of our planet (and one of my favorite mbg wellness trends of 2019) and a driving force behind their decision to partner with General Mills. EPIC is leading the movement in regenerative agriculture by launching their own products with a new seal called Ecological Outcome Verification, that engages farmers in a bottom-up approach, providing tangible outcome measurements and feedback. We talk about why they chose to include animals on their packaging, their life-changing realization about the connection between healthy animals, soil, and humans, and how living on a ranch fuels their innate passion for changing the planet from the soil up. Katie and Taylor embody our mission of You. We. All. and will inspire you to challenge the status quo in the new year. To contact Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please email podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please email sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast email newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices