GROWTH, GRIT, AND A STRONG, SATISFYING FEELING OF MOMENTUM
As we close out 2025, we find ourselves reflecting not just on what was built, processed, or launched this year, but on what grew. Our team grew. Our partnerships grew. Our capacity grew. And most importantly, the number of households, producers, and communities choosing ostrich and regional processing as part of their food future grew—in a big way.
This was a year defined not by pivots or course corrections, but by steady progress: calculated decisions, careful refinements, and long-term investments that will shape our impact for years to come.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO
“ 2025 has been a year of meaningful advancement for American Ostrich Farms. We strengthened our fully integrated model with targeted improvements to livestock production, resulting in dramatically higher yields from egg to harvest. Demand accelerated across all channels, and we made substantial brand investments across our grocery, pet, and skincare lines to better reflect our values, product quality, and the magnitude of our mission.” — Alex McCoy, Founder & CEO
This year also brought a special milestone: Alex was named a 2025 CEO of Influence by the Idaho Business Review, a nod to the leadership, vision, and resilience required to build something new in an industry rooted in strong tradition.
BETTER SYSTEMS, NOT JUST ALTERNATIVE ONES
Demand continued to grow across retail, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer channels this year, and while expansion is exciting, scaling thoughtfully matters even more. Much of our energy in 2025 went toward strengthening operational infrastructure, refining workflows, and investing in long-term efficiencies.
A highlight was the remarkable improvement in water stewardship: even with significantly increased processing throughput, our Sustainable Meats USDA processing facility used 42% less water year-over-year, supported by upgraded systems and creative process improvements.
Ostrich production also continued to demonstrate strong resource efficiency. Based on a United Nations report, compared to raising the same amount of conventional beef, ostrich production used approximately 67% less water, resulted in roughly 89% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and required about 99% fewer distribution miles before processing.
These efficiencies don’t diminish the role or importance of beef in American agriculture. Instead, they give consumers and producers another option as they think about the future of livestock food systems: a red meat that offers a smaller resource footprint while still delivering the eating experience people love.
EXPANDING PROCESSING CAPACITY AND REGIONAL IMPACT
For Sustainable Meats, 2025 was transformational. Construction wrapped on a major facility expansion, nearly doubling our former 5,500 sqft footprint, with additional cold storage and production space scheduled to come online in early 2026 to meet the increasing demand for growth in overall throughput as well as our new USDA value-added processing services.
Our 2025 capital improvements included new processing and packaging equipment, a state-of-the-art commercial smokehouse, and the infrastructure needed to support a rapid throughput increase of ready-to-eat, fully cooked meat products such as snack sticks and jerkies. What began as a service for a small circle of regional ranchers now supports a much broader network of independent producers, helping them build brands, diversify income streams, and compete in higher-margin markets.
This growth was supported in part by the completion of the USDA Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) grant, which played a key role in increasing capacity and streamlining value-added processing workflows.
INNOVATION THROUGH GRANTS & NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
American Ostrich Farms also completed a second major grant in 2025: the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG), which supported the strategic development and commercialization for our new Ostrich Meat Sticks.
This product has been years in the making. Throughout 2025, the team focused on flavor refinement, packaging selection, regulatory review, shelf-life testing, and consumer feedback. In 2026, our meat sticks will enable consumers to try ostrich for the first time at a small fraction of the cost compared to ordering an entire package of frozen meat. Beyond the obvious benefit of being able to enjoy ostrich on the go in a ready-to-eat, fully cooked state, we know the reduced friction to initial trial will dramatically lower barriers to large scale consumer trial.
Other sales-related initiatives remain in progress as well, including updates to our loyalty program and subscription experiences. Rather than racing them to launch, we’re building them intentionally — shaped by real consumer behavior from our many loyal online customers, industry trends, and feedback from our community. The goal isn’t short-lived novelty; it’s long-term value.
A YEAR OF PEOPLE, COMMUNITY, AND CONNECTION
While the numbers matter, the people behind them matter more.
Both American Ostrich Farms and Sustainable Meats expanded their teams this year — more than in any year prior. At AOF, we celebrated another record breaking year for livestock production, while Sustainable Meats supported a rapidly growing roster of customers and an impressive list of value-added product capabilities.
Outside of the plant and the pasture, 2025 was also a year of gathering. We returned as sponsors of the Boulder Mountain Tour and the Boise River Marathon, where we met athletes at the finish line with complimentary ostrich bites to refuel them after a tough race.
One of our favorite traditions also returned this year: the Annual Harvest Party. Our team, families, business partners, and friends came together at the ranch for a shared meal, live music, and autumn cheer. It was an evening full of conversation, laughter, and the kind of dry fall air that makes you remember why you love where you live and work.
And as the holidays approached, the Sustainable Meats crew and their families proudly joined the Kuna Christmas Parade, walking alongside neighbors and community members to cap off a busy and rewarding year.
LOOKING FORWARD
As we step into 2026, our focus is clear: strengthen what works, improve what can be better, and continue to grow with intention.
The systems we are building — raising birds, processing locally, supporting regional livestock producers, and creating consumer-ready value-added products — represent long-term commitments. They take time. They take patience. They take resilience.
They are working.
With expanded capacity at Sustainable Meats, new products on the horizon at American Ostrich Farms, and a growing team behind both brands, we feel a strong sense of momentum for the year ahead.
WITH GRATITUDE
To everyone who cooked with our products, shared our story, ordered again, visited us at events, partnered with us, or simply cheered us on from afar — thank you.
Your support makes it possible for us to keep building a more resilient, forward-looking food system rooted in the places we call home.
Here’s to another year of growth, connection, and meaningful progress.
