Meet Blaine Streisand, New Chapter, Inc. CEO, Swiftie, and advocate for regenerative farming.
As the leader of a supplement brand, committed to using clean ingredients that promote human and environmental health, Streisand recognizes the power of regenerative practices and ingredients.
In a crowded industry that often promotes engineered and artificial ingredients, New Chapter is committing to doing things the right way with nature as their guide.
As a three-year-old living in New York City, my earliest memories of nature were of the snowy white forests of Northern Massachusetts. Going back and forth from the city, my parents gave me no choice but to ski. Although my memories are cold, I also remember the peaceful calmness and natural pace of my time in the snow.
I grew up in Manhattan until I was 11, and then lived on Long Island. I was drawn back to New York City for 15 years after college and eventually moved out to Connecticut to raise my family in a less hectic environment.
At New Chapter, we are a company rooted in nature, so we are always looking for the most naturally grown, nutrient-dense ingredients. At first, we pioneered in the vitamin and supplement space using non-GMO and organic ingredients. I then learned about regenerative from a conversation with a colleague about how to move forward for the environment. From that conversation, I did more research and learned the importance of regenerative agriculture and its benefits for the climate, and how farming nutritional ingredients is vital for our business and future.
New Chapter began 40+ years ago, grounded in the idea that nature can help make someone healthy. The supplement industry was reliant on synthetic ingredients to reenact nutrients our bodies need. We believe that nature has healing wisdom and our mission fully leans on this understanding. From the beginning, we have created supplements using nature’s finest ingredients.
Our health is dictated by the nutrition in what we eat and drink. Foods grown in rich soil are ideal to fuel us. Fulfilling our nutritional needs with our food is hard with busy lives and it can be impossible to do everything your body needs to be well. Supplements come in to help fill the gap and enhance key areas of wellness.
New Chapter has trail-blazed a “series of firsts” in the supplement industry. Before the non GMO project was around, we were non GMO, using the finest ingredients on Earth. We were the first supplement company to produce multivitamins with certified organic ingredients and one of the first to become a Certified B Corporation.
The DNA of our company is rooted in our responsibility to pioneer and focus on doing things the right way. We are protective of our discipline – not disrupting our company DNA and guidelines from nature. Our responsibility now is to take it even further forward past organic and non GMO, investing in regenerative agriculture.
Our Holy Basil Powder is in its purest form and helps nourish the soil during its cultivation. I use it to make smoothies for me and my wife. It’s easy to add fruits or veggies (I sneak kale and spinach in it), and it makes me feel relaxed.
We’ve actually been using some regeneratively farmed ingredients for years, but this Holy Basil powder was our first fully Regenerative Organic Certified product and it was a real passion project for New Chapter. We are currently working towards getting more ingredients Regenerative Organic Certified in new and existing products.
Embracing regenerative agriculture feels like going out on a limb and betting on a movement that not many people understand. Many people don’t know what regenerative is, don’t understand its benefits on climate and wellness, and don’t know why they should support the movement. Although it is a challenge, we aim to keep educating people on how unique regenerative agriculture is and its importance to our future.
The other challenge is that regulations and certifications around regenerative are expensive. While we are in a transformation period, the more regenerative is embraced, the more affordable it will become.
Ten years ago we didn’t have the knowledge and common choice to buy organic strawberries like we do today. As awareness evolves, nutrient filled foods should be normal choice.
“Now, we have a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between climate and nutrient density with regenerative as the answer. I hope that in 10 years, we will see the same change we have seen with organic, and the choice to buy regenerative strawberries will be an easy one.”
I always wanted to work for Nike because of my love for sports. In college, I interned for the New York Mets and wanted to be the general manager of a sports team. Although my direction changed, I feel passionate and gratified with what I am doing.
If I was hosting this dinner, I would be thinking about bringing the regenerative conversation to different perspectives. I would choose citizens of humanity committed to making the world a better place to help us overcome the challenges both of our teams are working through.
Barack Obama – a powerful leader who knows how to get things going. He is inspirational to many people and has forward-thinking energy.
Bill Gates – help with funding, committed to giving back to the world, and help form broader awareness when it comes to solving climate issues.
Al Gore – started to move climate conversation to a new level at a critical time, building momentum for the movement.
Written by: Luli Harrison
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