Who We Are

Growing GRASS is a cross-sector collaboration led by the American Sustainable Business Institute / Network and Other Half Processing, in partnership with a team of agricultural, research, community, and industry leaders.

The breadth and depth of our team’s expertise ensures we can reach and collaborate with farmers and ranchers, processors, brands, and experts.

Together, we aim to advance the GRASS standard as a regenerative and climate-smart verification-based market. Our goal in this work is to increase the value of beef and bison byproduct supply chains.

American Sustainable Business Institute / Network

Our lead grantee, the American Sustainable Business Network / Institute, offers the project deep economic and policy expertise. 

Other Half Processing

Our other lead organization, Other Half Processing (OHP) is spearheading efforts across the country to increase byproduct collection from regenerative beef and bison.

OHP specializes in sourcing identity-preserved, high-attribute byproducts from regenerative, organic, and sustainably raised livestock.

OHP was founded by Jim & Mark Kleinschmit, brothers raised on a farm in Nebraska by early sustainable and regenerative family farm leaders.

OHP works directly with producers, slaughterhouses, and processors to identify opportunities to build collection, traceability, and verification capacity. Companies searching for verified and traceable materials can purchase through OHP’s sourcing networks with confidence in the integrity of these products.

As a Minnesota Specific Benefit Corporation (SBC), it is OHP’s mission to promote the growth of regenerative agriculture and supply chains, operating in a way that respects animals and benefits the people who raise them.

Growing GRASS Network

A growing network of organizations and individuals support, inform, and give real-world meaning to this work.

Their insights, connections, and dedication to community-led supply chains empower and inspire us every day.

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Growing GRASS Administrative Team

  • Jim Kleinschmit

    Project Administrator

  • David Levine

    Organizational Facilitator and ASBI Lead

  • Anna Claussen

    Director of Strategic Partnerships & Communications

  • Anna Straus

    Deputy Director

  • Tara Ritter

    Director of Finance and Administration

  • D Laninga

    Communications Manager

  • Gwen Steel

    Systems Manager

We’d love to work with you.

Building the relationships needed to support byproduct supply chains takes us all over the country. We regularly attend conferences to connect with producers, visit partners at slaughterhouses and processors, and meet with brand partners.

If there’s an event or opportunity to connect near you, reach out! Our team monitors our info@ggrass.org email address daily.

A map of where our work took us in 2024.