Diestel Family Ranch - What Real, Responsible Food Really Looks Like

The Story of a Brand

Ramon Vela

Business, Entrepreneurship

5 • 145 Ratings

🗓️ 25 July 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What does it mean to steward a family legacy while completely rethinking how food is raised?

In this episode, I sat down with Heidi Diestel of Diestel Family Ranch, a fourth-generation turkey farmer who's not afraid to ask hard questions about the food system and make bold changes. Heidi brings a rare mix of tradition, transparency, and a challenger mindset to an industry that often resists change.

We talked about everything from regenerative agriculture to redefining what “better” means in the turkey category. Heidi shares how her family is holding to their values while also pushing boundaries, such as eliminating antibiotics long before it was popular and investing in their USDA-certified plant to ensure quality and animal welfare. It’s a masterclass in integrity, evolution, and sticking to your “why.”

Key highlights from this episode:

* Why the “status quo” in farming was never good enough for Diestel.

* How a values-first approach led to long-term decisions, such as adopting regenerative practices and owning their own plant.

* The moment Heidi realized the brand needed to challenge the category narrative.

* What it means to build trust with consumers when competing against big agriculture?

* How Diestel balances legacy and innovation in a 4th-gen family business.

Join me, Ramon Vela, as I listen to this thoughtful, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to raise food with care, conviction, and courage. Whether you’re in CPG, AG, or just a conscious consumer, this one will leave you inspired.

For more on Diestel Family Ranch, visit: https://diestelturkey.com/

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Transcript

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0:20.8	There's a lot of things we have to care about today. There's a lot of things that are competing for our attention span and there's a lot of supplements, right, that you could be taking when you look at your own health and wellness journey. And I think a lot of that starts with food. And I would just, you know, put a PSA out there, a poultry service announcement. But, you know, like, know your farmer. Take a minute and do you know where your produce is coming from? Do you know where your meat is coming from? And maybe, you know, make a goal to know your farmer because I think that's
0:26.1	the source of where, you know, your vitality starts is in your food.
0:46.2	Hey, everyone. Hey everyone, this is Ramon Vela, and this is another episode of the story of a brand.
0:49.9	Like always, we have an amazing guest and brand that we're going to feature on today's show.
0:56.5	But before we do, if you're a better for you CPG brand thinking about Amazon, let me ask you something.
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2:07.3	Revive, built by founders for founders.
2:09.1	Welcome back, everyone.
	...

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