A Chain That Pigs Would Die For
Can food be fast—and fastidious? Chipotle Mexican Grill insists on humanely raised meat.
By Anna Kuchment

Russ Kremer still chuckles when he remembers the day Steve Ells, CEO of the fast-food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, called to ask if he could land his corporate jet at the Frankenstein, Mo., "airport." Kremer's hometown, a picturesque farming village in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, has a population of 30, and more rolling hills, creeks and pastures than paved roads. "You couldn't find a level spot bigger than a dining-room table," he says.

Less than one week later, Ells and a small entourage of Chipotle executives touched down in nearby Jefferson City and drove to Kremer's 150-acre farm. They had come to ask about buying naturally raised pork from Kremer and a group of local farmers who had banded together to form a cooperative. Under the Heritage Acres label, the farmers dedicated themselves to raising hogs humanely, layering the floors of their pens with hay, giving them access to fresh air and eschewing such practices as clipping their tails and plying them with antibiotics. The co-op's approach jibed with what Ells was trying to do at Chipotle: in 2000 the classically trained chef and company founder committed to serving humanely raised, sustainably grown food at his restaurants, including meat and dairy products that are free of antibiotics and hormones. A few days later, Chipotle handed Heritage Acres its first major contract, for 5,000 pounds of pork per week, which it has since raised to 10,000 pounds —about 7 percent of Chipotle's total take. "They ensured our survivability," says Kremer, who's since been able to add 15 new farms to his co-op.

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