Creating an alternative marketplace that reconnects producers, consumers, and landscapes across the American West.
In this milestone 50th episode of The Wild Idea, Bill and Anders sit down in Helena, Montana, at The Union restaurant with rancher and entrepreneur Cole Mannix to explore the intersection of land stewardship, regenerative agriculture, and food system reform. Cole is a founding member of the rancher-owned Old Salt Co-op, an ambitious effort to create an alternative marketplace that reconnects producers, consumers, and landscapes across the American West.
The conversation moves from federal grazing leases and grizzly bear coexistence in the Gravelly Mountains to the structural consolidation of the American food system. Cole explains why less than two percent of the meat consumed in Montana is both raised and processed in-state, and how centralized processing, global supply chains, and economic consolidation have reshaped rural communities. Rather than simply marketing a different product, Old Salt aims to rebuild the shelf itself, redistributing economic value upstream to ranchers and land stewards.
They also discuss the Old Salt Festival, a growing annual gathering in the Blackfoot Valley that blends music, food, conservation dialogue, and working lands culture. At its core, this episode asks: What would a food system look like if it truly supported stewardship? How do we balance wild lands and working lands? And how can everyday choices help build a more resilient, place-based economy?
In this episode:
- Old Salt Co-op and building an alternative marketplace
How a rancher-owned cooperative is working to redirect economic value back to producers and land stewards instead of concentrating power downstream. - The consolidation of the American food system
Why large-scale processing and distribution networks create efficiency but also fragility, and what that means for rural communities and food security. - Montana beef and local processing gaps
The surprising statistic that less than two percent of meat consumed in Montana is raised and processed in-state, despite livestock outnumbering people. - Federal land grazing and stewardship
How ranchers manage Forest Service and BLM leases, including rest rotations, recovery periods, and adapting grazing strategies to different elevations and ecosystems. - Grizzly bear coexistence in the Gravelly Mountains
A case study of changing herd structure, shortening grazing seasons, and using virtual fencing to reduce wildlife conflict on public lands. - Human presence on the land
Why stewardship requires active management, observation, and care, and why the absence of people can sometimes create new ecological challenges. - Economic resilience and distributed opportunity
The argument for smaller, more numerous processing facilities to create redundancy and strengthen long-term food security. - The Old Salt Festival in the Blackfoot Valley
How a multi-day gathering blends live-fire cooking, conservation panels, music, and working lands culture to build connection and awareness. - Reimagining economic health
A broader conversation about well-being economics, questioning GDP as a measure of success, and aligning business with ecological care.
Links & Resources
Connect with Cole and Old Salt Co-op:
Media & Books:
- Eat Like a Human by Bill Schindler
A book referenced in connection with festival programming about the role of fire and food processing in human evolution. - The Green and the Brown by Frank Uekötter
A book mentioned in discussion of how geopolitical forces have shaped modern food and environmental systems.
Organizations & Initiatives:
- Blackfoot Challenge
A partnership of landowners, agencies, nonprofits, and residents collaborating on the future of the Blackfoot watershed. - Western Landowners Alliance
A membership organization of ranchers and conservationists where Cole previously worked. - Greater Yellowstone Coalition
An organization referenced in partnership efforts related to wildlife and grazing management. - National Wildlife Federation
An organization referenced in collaborative efforts around reducing wildlife conflict on public lands. - Property and Environment Research Center (PERC)
An organization mentioned in the context of working on market-based approaches related to land stewardship.
Places & Landmarks:
- The Gravelly Mountains, Montana
A public land grazing area discussed in relation to grizzly bear presence and adaptive ranch management. - The Blackfoot Valley, Montana
The landscape where the Old Salt Festival takes place and where long-term conservation collaboration has occurred. - Helena, Montana
The location of The Union restaurant and other Old Salt Co-op businesses.
Government & Policy:
- U.S. Forest Service Grazing Leases
Federal permits that allow seasonal livestock grazing on national forest lands. - Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Grazing Leases
Federal grazing allotments that support many Western ranching operations.
People Mentioned
- Andrew Anderson and Hillary Anderson
Ranch managers who adjusted herd structure and grazing practices in the Gravelly Mountains to reduce grizzly bear conflict. - Meriwether Hardy
A descendant of Meriwether Lewis participating in festival conversations about the future of Western landscapes. - Terry Tempest Williams
An author announced as an upcoming guest on the podcast.
Connect with Today's Guest
Cole Mannix grew up on a ranch that’s been run by his family since 1882 near Helmville, MT. Today, his parents, aunts & uncles, siblings and cousins run the ranch together. Cole lives about 60 miles east of the ranch in Helena, where he serves as President of Old Salt Co-op (of which his family’s ranch is a founding member).
Old Salt is a regenerative marketplace for American Meat, owned and governed by the ranch members that supply it. Cole is married to Eileen Brennan and they have two young sons, Finn and Charlie. He enjoys good food and live music in small venues.
Photo credit: Anthony Pavkovich
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