Coleman Natural history

Coleman--and later, Coleman Certified Ranchers--practiced sustainable agricultural methods, including rotational grazing, a rangeland management system that Coleman Ranch had utilized since 1960.

In 1979, Mel Coleman, Sr., founded Coleman Natural Meat after his daughter-in-law complained that she couldn't find any hormone- and stimulant-free beef in Boulder, Colorado's health food stores.

Some conventional grocery stores also carried Coleman's products, contributing to its profits of $620,000 on sales of about $43 million in fiscal 1995.

By 1996, Coleman Natural Meats was distributing its meats through the nation's largest natural food supermarkets, such as Whole Foods Markets, Wild Oats, and Alfalfa's stores, benefiting from the growth of the natural foods industry and increased demand for "natural" products.

By 1999, Coleman processed all of its own meats at its at own slaughtering facility in Limon, Colorado where lactic acid washes were used to help eliminate bacteria.

Then in 2001, the federal government passed into law its revised regulations government organic farming and food production.

By 2002, Coleman Ranches owned or leased more than 200,000 acres of certified organic rangeland, accounting for almost one-half of the nation's total inventory of organic pasture.