Niche Products

#111 – Berklee Welsh & Christina Skonberg @ Simple Mills – Why Contribution Matters More Than Attribution

August 21, 2025

On this episode, we’re joined by Berklee Welsh and Christina Skonberg from Simple Mills — the number one cracker, cookie, and baking mix brand in the natural channel today.

We unpack how Simple Mills is focused on contribution over attribution, working with more than 4,000 farmers on 70,000 acres to build a regenerative supply that doesn’t necessarily translate into product-specific claims.

We talk about product innovation, how underutilized crops like buckwheat and red beans are making their way into cookies and crackers, and why designing for soil health starts with good product design.

You’ll hear how their ingredient-specific regen programs started with a few sunflower growers in the Midwest and have now expanded to almonds, cocoa, and coconut sugar — and how those programs are grounded in listening to farmers, not prescribing to them.

Berklee and Christina unpack how Simple Mills’ regenerative programs drive supply resilience, employee morale, product differentiation, and even ingredient quality — making the case for why Simple Mills invests in this work, even without on-pack claims.

This one is packed with quality insights from two top-notch sustainability pros.

Episode Highlights:

📢 Why regen at Simple Mills is about contribution > attribution

🌾 Agriculture makes up over half of Simple Mills’ carbon footprint

🚜 Farmers need brands to help de-risk regenerative transitions

💰 Paying regen bonuses to sunflower farmers in the Midwest

📦 Their regen programs now span 4 ingredients and 70,000+ acres

🔬 Designing regen into product innovation from day one

📲 Leveraging regen efforts in marketing and what is resonating with consumers

💸 The non-consumer-focused business case for regen investments

🤝 Why scaling regen = more meetings

🎯 How all flourishing is mutual