Doc and Connie Hatfield and their Country Natural Beef cooperative have long been one of our models for what our region’s businesses should look like. We’re saddened to hear of Doc’s death Tuesday night from pancreatic cancer at age 74 but heartened by the knowledge that his legacy lives on. With Country Natural Beef’s 100 ranch families currently managing nearly 6.3 million acres in 13 states, Doc and Connie have reshaped the idea of ranching, on the premise of healthy land, healthy food, healthy animals and healthy communities.
Edible Portland, published by Ecotrust, sat down with Doc and Connie two years ago to reflect on the landmark cooperative they started and to talk about their hopes for the future of agriculture. Read the conversation here on page 26.