Matthew Wadiak is best known as the co-founder of Blue Apron, one of the first and most successful meal kit services in America. There is no denying that this man of ambition has a great business sense, brilliant ideas, and the means to realize his grandiose plans. This time, he has decided to fight climate change and he knows exactly how to make it happen – by growing chickens the right way.
Regenerative Agriculture For A Healthier Environment
Decades of scientific and applied research have shown that if humans managed to return just 1% more carbon to the soil, they could help reverse climate change. This could be achieved through the application of adequate farming principles and practices, that is, regenerative agriculture. The basic idea behind this approach to agriculture is that healthy plants can help us take some of the carbon out of the atmosphere and sequester it in the soil simply by leveraging the power of photosynthesis. This is exactly what Matthew Wadiak aims to do with his new company Cooks Venture, which was officially launched in March 2019.
Cooks Venture
Wadiak’s latest project is the result of his ten-year-long cooperation with scientists and thought leaders. These eminent experts have helped him come up with what seems like the optimal farming methodology, one that can satisfy the needs of the consumers while benefiting the ecosystem.
Upon founding Cooks Venture, Wadiak acquired an 800-acre farm located in Arkansas and the company already has 2 processing facilities in Oklahoma. The plan is to produce slowly grown, heirloom chickens in fields where the company will grow crops that can help absorb the excess carbon.
If everything goes well, Cooks Venture will be the only American company of its size producing nothing but pasture-raised, free-roaming chickens. Its facilities have enormous capacity and it is expected that by the end of 2019, they will be able to process 700,000 chickens per week.
As Americans are becoming increasingly concerned about the source of their food, there is no doubt that projects like Cooks Venture are both necessary and likely to succeed. We love the idea of such a large production of healthy chicken and reversing climate change is a considerable bonus. Add to that Wadiak’s claim that the prices of Cooks Venture chicken will not be higher than the prices of premium chicken in stores and both Americans and the planet have much to look forward to.