Kay Cornelius, rancher and seasoned natural meats leader, has been named the new general manager of Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats. She will be an essential leader as Panorama, the nation’s largest Organic Grass-Fed beef brand, moves on a nationwide growth plan to support more U.S. ranchers and increase the availability of organic U.S. grass-fed and finished beef.
The announcement was made by Jeff Tripician, president of Perdue Premium Meat Co.
Panorama’s network includes ranches in eight states representing one million acres of organic land. Through organic ranching, the U.S. program restores and regenerates the land, water, soil and wildlife critical to building a more livable Earth and preserving a legacy founded by ranchers for ranchers, giving animals a life that nature intended. Panorama, an authentic claims-based brand is third-party USDA Certified Organic, non-GMO, Global Animal Partnership Animal Welfare step 4, Paleo and Whole 30 Approved.
“I’m thrilled to work with a team of people who are solely dedicated to authentic U.S. open range ranching that is third-party verified and helps ranchers earn a living doing what they love. Through our shared values we are nourishing people, caring for the animals, restoring the planet and supporting communities,” Cornelius said. “This is a highlight of my career. It is my passion to preserve ranching for the next generation of ranchers.”
Her background includes 17 years with Colorado-based Coleman Natural and Niman Ranch, most recently as VP of sales at Niman Ranch, where the pioneering brand doubled its customer base and sales under her leadership. Cornelius started her career in a packing plant, moved on to distribution sales, then managed national accounts. She spent time at Monfort/ConAgra Beef (now JBS) prior to her tenure in the premium meats and specialty market.
Cornelius grew up on a diversified farm in South Dakota and has deep roots in agriculture and livestock. She has spent her adult life working with her husband and son on a multigenerational Hereford ranch in Colorado. She and her family are cornerstone Hereford breeders, winning numerous national awards including the prestigious National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado, and the Western National in Reno, Nevada. They have bred two of the top 10 registered bulls in the breed.
Cornelius is also an experienced horsewoman who sits on two stock horse association boards and has won many honors in ranch horse events.
“As a fourth-generation rancher with a lifetime of experience in agriculture, Kay is uniquely qualified to combine her business excellence, compassion for animals, knowledge of land stewardship and great customer service skills to build a vibrant growth program for Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats,” said Tripician. “Kay will expand this important brand that preserves the land and supports the growing grass-fed market that includes health-conscious diets like Keto, Paleo and Whole30. Kay has been a trusted ally and the biggest proponent there is for the U.S. family farmer and rancher, and I’m excited for Panorama’s next chapter with Kay’s leadership.”
Under her leadership, Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats will leverage her success and learnings from her tenure at Niman Ranch to help make a difference for American ranchers.
“My goal is to create demand for Panorama that goes coast to coast, with trusted products consumers want. We will provide organic, grass-fed beef, born and raised in the U.S. that tastes terrific in a way that is approachable, not only for current grass-fed enthusiasts but also those who haven’t been converted. We can do that through expanding nationwide in retail and growing our availability on e-commerce. We’re building the infrastructure and the network to make it easy to try grass-fed for the first time. My hope is that consumers will find that the nutrient-dense powerhouse of Panorama’s grass-fed meat is not only good for them but also tastes great,” Cornelius said.
As a U.S. rancher, she is particularly passionate about building and growing opportunities for American grass-fed ranchers. According to a recent report from Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, 75-80 percent of grass-fed beef sold in the U.S. comes from abroad. Surprising to most consumers, if further processed in the U.S., this foreign-raised beef can legally be labelled as a “Product of U.S.A.”
“I am a rancher myself and if there’s something important that’s been forgotten, it’s that farmers and ranchers are the ones keeping an eye on the most important aspects of our food system. They are my inspiration for being in this business. If I can help give them a way to earn a living doing what they love, I accept the challenge,” Cornelius said.
Founded in 2002 by ranchers for ranchers, Panorama raises cattle on pastures of grasses, legumes and range forage by nearly 50 family ranchers throughout the United States, representing more than 1 million acres of USDA Certified Organic land. Panorama cattle are never administered hormones or antibiotics and never fed animal by-products. Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Beef can be found throughout the United States at Whole Foods Market, independent retailers, restaurants, food service distributors and purchased direct online at Perduefarms.com.
