Kate Farms was founded by parents determined to save their daughter’s life after being diagnosed with “failure to thrive,” a condition in which children do not gain weight at the expected rate. Kate Laver was born with cerebral palsy and used a feeding tube to feed, but couldn’t tolerate the existing formulas made from synthetic ingredients high in corn syrup and common allergens. At the age of five, she weighed only 15 pounds. Kate’s parents Richard and Michelle wondered why there was nothing in the market that reflected the fresh produce they found at the farmers market and set about working to find a solution for Kate. When the formula they developed helped their daughter gain weight, they founded the company in 2012 to bring their products to a wider audience.
“What we eat matters,” said Brett Matthews, Kate Farms’ chairman and CEO since 2016. “Bad food can make you sick, and good food can even help you on your way to health. We want Kate Farms to provide the food they need most while building a great company that really does good for people. ”Kate Farms has grown into a leading provider of plant-based nutrition formulas. His innovative approach helped the company earn a spot on Fast Company’s list of brands that matter this year.
SAFE AND EFFECTIVE
The company makes nutritional shakes that are safe and effective for tube feeding as well. They all use USDA organic, non-GMO certified herbal ingredients, including pea proteins and phytonutrients, while omitting common allergens commonly found in traditional formulas. “The published study shows that Kate Farms works and is well tolerated,” says Matthews, “that’s one of the reasons people are switching and choosing other options.”
The company offers special formulas for adults and children to help people with nutritional needs, including food allergies, eating disorders, malnutrition, gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, aging, and oncological treatments. Kate Farms’ clinical and product development teams work directly with healthcare professionals and food scientists to expand their product portfolio.
FOCUSED ON HEALTHY RESULTS
“We focus on helping people live their best lives through good nutrition,” says Matthews. “And that means constantly innovating, working together and finding ways to get Kate Farms into the hands of people who need or want something better for themselves.”
Kate Farms sells its products online or by prescription and is available in more than 500 hospitals and healthcare facilities. To make its herbal formulas available to everyone, the company needed to help create new categories within hospital systems to ensure insurance cover costs while maintaining Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance coverage. Kate Farms’ care team offers a concierge service to help customers, caregivers and healthcare providers with reimbursement and find the right product.
While the company is focused on making a positive impact on customers and employees, its lobbying extends well beyond its headquarters in Santa Barbara, California. During the pandemic, the company, in partnership with The Campaign Against Hunger, Meals on Wheels and Support + Feed, donated 300,000 meal replacement shakes to address food insecurity issues exacerbated by COVID-19.
“Our company brings people with passion and expertise together to make a positive social impact,” says Matthews. “Good nutrition can help people improve their lives, and we are prepared for that.”
