Cate Havstad-Casad of Range Revolution on building a leather supply chain that centers traceability and regenerative practices for the land, people & community

In Episode 333, Kestrel welcomes Cate Havstad-Casad, a designer, entrepreneur, and first-generation regenerative rancher, to the show. Cate’s work as a designer and land steward has evolved a great deal since she founded Havstad Hat Company in 2014. Today she manages Casad Family Farms with her husband, while building Range Revolution, a luxury leather goods brand focused on using 100% American, regeneratively sourced hides.

“I love the idea of having things forever. I love the idea of a great leather boot being resoled again and again. My work in hats, I'm like the anti-growth capitalist. I'm like, you should have two hats, maybe three and that should be it for your whole life and you send it back to me and I will re-block it and clean it up and reshape it for you. That is the world of craft that I come from and so I bring that ethos to this work with Range Revolution and leathers.” -Cate

AUGUST THEME —
WELCOMING THE IN-BETWEENS IN LIFE, SUSTAINABILITY & FASHION

This week’s episode touches on a discourse that often fuels a lot of really intense reactions. I remember moderating a panel discussion about it in Berlin during fashion week that got very heated, and even recently, I hosted an Earth Day event in San Francisco, where the conversation suddenly got intense when this topic arose. 

If you guessed it – I’m talking about the oh-so-familiar LEATHER debate. 

There’s a recurring dispute in the sustainability and fashion space that pins animal-based leather against vegan leather. It’s often very this vs that oriented, and focuses on claiming which is quote unquote more “sustainable” than the other. 

A lot of the time, things get heated because leather is intrinsically linked to peoples’ belief systems and values, which can leave very little space for the in-between. And I totally get where that passion stems from.

At the same time, if you’ve been listening to Conscious Chatter over the years, you know there are no simple answers when it comes to the complexities of making products. And I don’t think there is ever only one solution – we need to discover multifaceted approaches, considering the challenges we face with the climate crisis. 

From her lens as a craftsperson, designer and regenerative rancher, this week’s guest is dedicated to rethinking waste in the animal agriculture space. One significant stat we learn from her is that – almost 5 million hides are wasted or thrown away annually in the United States alone. *source: Agriculture Utilization Research Institute

With a mindset that “the most radical fibers are the ones that already exist” – she is pushing to disrupt the leather industry. For her, it’s all about centering traceability, rethinking waste, and expanding the meaning of regenerative to not only include the land health, but also the health and wellbeing of the surrounding community. 

• “We don’t have regenerative outcomes on land if the people working within the systems. whether it be the land stewards or the people within the community that support those land stewards — if the community dynamics, if the economic dynamics are not also regenerative.” (15:40)

• Range Revolution Website

• Follow Cate on Instagram

• Follow Range Revolution on Instagram

This week’s episode is brought to you by Range Revolution. Enjoy 15% off at RangeRevolution.com with code CHATTER.