Ryan Pierson
Climate designer and strategist creating products, brands & experiences for a more sustainable future
I have spent the past 5 years using design to empower regenerative and sustainable farming practices, working directly with farmers, food hubs and sustainable farming networks on product design, UX, branding, marketing and packaging projects.
Projects
Headwater Food Hub
Headwater Food Hub is a B-Corporation dedicated to connecting the dots in local, sustainable food.
During my time there, I helped to model their current business activities, rebrand for clarity and recognition, build awareness through online marketing and events and create consistency around the warehouse with better signage, packaging, work aids, and process guidelines.
I also helped the direct to consumer brand, The Good Food Collective, adapt to a changing market by redesigning their program model and user experience.
Our climate impact could be measured in lbs of organic produce delivered to restaurants, institutions, schools and individuals (over 100 tons in 2018), reduced miles travelled (average of <150 instead of 1,500), or number of farmers using regenerative farming techniques (over 50), as well as the number of individuals in our community we inspired to take further action, and our numerous partnerships with other sustainability focused companies working on composting, solar, and other related initiatives.
Case Study »
Retelling the Story of Lard
Lard has a complicated history in America. From WW2 rationing to low fat diets, this cooking oil has gone from prized to vilified several times over.
When made from pasture raised pigs, it is a delicious and sustainable cooking oil.
Small, organic farms across the country are missing out on a growing market for artisanal value added products. Meanwhile, markets in specialty foods, including a variety of different fats and oils, are growing rapidly.
We worked with Grey Rock Farm in Cazenovia, NY, to retell the story of lard, creating a brand, product and packaging system that could be replicated at hundreds of like-minded farms.
The climate impacts of eating less meat, raising the animals we do eat in a regenerative system, and utilizing every component of each animal are incredible. We found that as people were reintroduced to cooking with pastured lard, they reduced their meat consumption, appreciated the source of their meat more, and were more open to eating so called “off-cuts.”