How does a Special Forces Green Beret, trained for the complexities of global conflict, pivot to tackling one of the most pressing issues at home: the integrity of our food system?
In this eye-opening episode of the JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Show, host Justin Bizzarro sits down with Patrick Samuels, the founder of Kentucky-based Sunnyside Egg Company. This is a powerful conversation about transitioning from a life in the military to a new mission on the farm, driven by a deep commitment to stewardship, transparency, and building a truly regenerative food future.
Patrick shares his remarkable journey from West Point to the elite ranks of the Green Berets, a path that took him on deployments around the world. He reveals how the global shutdown during COVID sparked a deep dive into the American food system, exposing him and his wife—also a military veteran—to the stark contrast between industrial agriculture and the principles of regenerative farming championed by pioneers like Joel Salatin. This discovery ignited a new purpose: to leave the military and build a small homestead that would one day become a force for change.
This episode is a must-listen for any consumer who has ever been confused by labels at the grocery store. Patrick pulls back the curtain on the egg industry, delivering a stunning exposé on how misleading terms like "pasture-raised" are legally used by large corporations. He reveals the industry standard: a shocking 85% or more of chickens in so-called "pasture-raised" systems may never actually go outside.
Discover how Sunnyside Egg Company is challenging this deceptive status quo. Patrick details his innovative and truly regenerative practices, including mobile chicken coops and multi-species rotational grazing, where his flocks follow cattle or sheep to naturally fertilize the soil and express their innate behaviors. He explains how this commitment to stewardship results not only in healthier land and happier animals but in a demonstrably more nutritious egg.
This is a story about building a business—and a movement—from the ground up. It’s a testament to the power of applying the discipline, strategic vision, and leadership skills honed in the military to the immense challenges of creating a new, more honest food system. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that will change the way you think about the food on your plate and empower you to support the farmers who are truly regenerating our world.
IG: @sunnysideeggco
Address: https://sunnysideeggco.com/
Entrepreneur interested in being on the show: https://calendly.com/justin-bizzarro/podcast
Hosted By: Justin Ryan Bizzarro (IG: @justinbizzarro and LinkedIn: FOLLOW ME )
Who is Justin Ryan Bizzarro? – Justin Bizzarro is a serial food, restaurant, technology, media and marketing entrepreneur, who helped build a 24-year-old group of food and restaurant related businesses, he created with his father and business partners out of his family’s basement, in 1998. He is a highly desired business management, personal and athlete growth, free market, food diversity, and entrepreneurial leadership speaker. Justin’s expertise are in human growth, motivation, leadership and management development, health foods and beverages, global lean manufacturing facilities, vertically integrating businesses, food marketing and advertising, supply chain creation and management, direct to consumer fulfillment, transportation and distribution, personal brand building, restaurant development and construction, and entrepreneur acceleration. Justin received his BA in International Business and Management from Dickinson College, in 2002, and his MBA from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, in 2014. He is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity in Leadership from Denver Seminary. His leadership and entrepreneur podcasts have positively impacted millions of people across the globe.
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