Breaking the Beef Monopoly with Cole Mannix of Old Salt Co-Op

05/21/25 • 59 min

What do we lose when our food comes from nowhere in particular?

For Cole Mannix, that question is at the heart of his work. He’s part of Old Salt Co-op, a group of ranchers outside Helena, Montana working to unseat Big Beef—not with billion-dollar backing or slick marketing, but with community, collaboration, and a commitment to place.

In today’s episode, we talk about what it means to break out of the commodity system, the power of cooperation in an industry dominated by consolidation, and how reconnecting food production to place might just be the key to restoring rural and small town life.

This is a story about beef—but really, it’s about belonging.

In this episode, we dive into:

How Old Salt Co-op is using a cooperative model to rebuild local meat economies.
Why the beef you buy at the store often has no traceable connection to where—or how—it was raised.
What we lose when we prioritize cheap, consistent food over community and ecology.
The hidden costs of a commodity system that favors efficiency over stewardship.
What it takes to rebuild local processing, distribution, and marketing from the ground up.
The creative mix of restaurants, festivals, and direct-to-consumer sales that make Old Salt’s model work.
Why betting on local food systems might be the least risky path forward.

More about Cole and Old Salt Co-Op:

Cole is part of an extended family that has ranched together since 1882 near Helmville, MT. He did an undergrad in biology, then another in philosophy at Carroll College, then a masters in theology at Boston College. From ‘12-’16 he worked for a valiant startup called Salt of the Earth Ranchers Cooperative. From ’17-’20 he worked for Western Landowners Alliance to advance policies and practices that sustain working lands, connected landscapes, and native species. As a co-founder of Old Salt Co-op, he is helping to build a regenerative economy for damn fine Montana meat. He was part of Helena’s 20 under 40 class of ''22 and in '23 was named Montana Ambassadors Entrepreneur of the Year. He and spouse Eileen Brennan live in Helena with two sons, Finn and Charlie.

Agrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller, who also wrote our theme song. This episode was edited by Drew O’Doherty.

What do we lose when our food comes from nowhere in particular?

This is a story about beef—but really, it’s about belonging.

In this episode, we dive into:

How Old Salt Co-op is using a cooperative model to rebuild local meat economies.
Why the beef you buy at the store often has no traceable connection to where—or how—it was raised.
What we lose when we prioritize cheap, consistent food over community and ecology.
The hidden costs of a commodity system that favors efficiency over stewardship.
What it takes to rebuild local processing, distribution, and marketing from the ground up.
The creative mix of restaurants, festivals, and direct-to-consumer sales that make Old Salt’s model work.
Why betting on local food systems might be the least risky path forward.

More about Cole and Old Salt Co-Op:

Agrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller, who also wrote our theme song. This episode was edited by Drew O’Doherty.

Previous Episode

Lessons Learned Roadtripping Through a Divided America with Anthony James

It’s no secret our world is in upheaval right now—climate disasters, political unrest, economic uncertainty. But in the midst of it all, there are also stories of resilience, adaptation, and new ways forward.

That’s a theme Anthony James, host of The Regen Narration Podcast, has explored deeply. From an extended road trip across the U.S., interviewing community leaders navigating climate adaptation, to studying how people respond to upheaval, Anthony has seen firsthand how crisis can be a catalyst for transformation.

In this episode, we dive into:

Why witnessing and pitching in during disaster—rather than looking away—is essential to change.
Lessons from his travels across the U.S., meeting communities in the midst of transformation.
A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit, and how joy and transcendence can emerge from catastrophe.
Real-world examples of people coming together across political and cultural divides to build something new.
What modern society can learn from Indigenous worldviews that see nature as kin and resilience as a collective effort.
Do we focus on building centralized movements, or do we nurture local seeds of change and trust in their transformative power?
And much more...

More about Anthony and The Regen Narration Podcast:

The RegenNarration podcast features the stories of a generation that is changing the story, enabling the regeneration of life on this planet. It’s independent media, ad-free, freely available and entirely listener-supported.

Created and hosted by Anthony James, a fifth generation Australian man living on ancient lands among the oldest continuous cultures on earth. He is a Prime Ministerial award-winner for service to the international community, sought after MC, widely published writer, facilitator and educator, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia, and Warm Data Lab Host Certified by the International Bateson Institute.

Agrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller, who also wrote our theme song. This episode was edited by Drew O’Doherty.