Our Mission
Our mission is simple: Honest, healthy, sustainable, humane, and deliciously mouthwatering. We help balance modern & traditional values by producing glatt kosher meat that is environmentally and ethically sound.
Company History
KOL Foods formed in 2007 with a groundbreaking effort to produce the first glatt kosher, organically raised, local, grass-fed meat. Our founder, Devora, established a three-pronged partnership with a synagogue in Washington, DC, a slaughterhouse and a local farmer to produce the meat. Dozens of conscientious kosher consumers, who until then could only buy kosher meat raised in confinement with no regard for the environment or animal welfare, jumped at the chance to finally enjoy ethically sourced kosher meat.
Since then, our vision became focused not only on doing "less bad," but "more good" - in particular concerning animal agriculture's role in climate change. Climate change is the biggest issue facing our lives and every one of us needs to work on its mitigation. KOL Foods focuses on partnering with ranchers and farmers who use regenerative farming practices in order to rebuild soils and improve the environment.
Today, KOL Foods ships to the entire continental United States and is proud to produce the only regenerative, 100% grass-fed, kosher beef and the only heritage kosher chicken in the United States - so you don't have to choose between eating according to your values and keeping kosher.
Our Ecological Footprint
KOL Foods is committed to being a constructive part of changing agriculture's paradigm. Not only do we strive to work with our farmers to improve our regenerative grazing practices and through our products, to create financial incentives to help change agriculture, we also donate to organizations such as the Savory Institute which provides ranchers with training in regenerative practices.
Beyond our support of regenerative grazing, KOL Foods works hard to keep our footprint to a minimum at every level of our operation. We work in a LEED (Green) Certified Building that utilizes ground source heating and cooling, a green roof, and wind power for our electricity needs. KOL Foods delivers our products directly to your door using only eco-friendly, compostable coolers made of recycled plant fibers. One of our slaughterhouses converts its waste to biodiesel to power its trucking needs. Even the bank we use, TD Bank, is carbon neutral!
Social Responsibility
KOL Foods also strives to keep social responsibility in mind in our business model. We are committed to fair wages and practices for our farmers and employees. In addition to the personal causes of our team, KOL Foods supports a variety of institutions committed to environmental sustainability and food security, including Green Bronx Machine and Difference Makers. When making decisions about how we conduct our business, we strive to be conscientious participants in our communities.
KOL Foods is the only source for glatt-kosher,
100% grass-fed regenerative domestic beef
and heritage poultry.
Our Staff
Interested in joining our team? Check out our job opportunities here!
Devora Kimelman-Block, Founder and CIO
Devora, her husband Jason, and four children are founding members of Eastern Village Cohousing, an award-winning LEED-certified green building in downtown Silver Spring, MD. In the summer, Devora and her family enjoy working and living on our partner farms that raise KOL Foods meat. Devora's passion is in working synergistically with humans, nature, and animals to build a food system that sustains us, the animals, and the earth.
Gidon van Emden, CEO
Born and raised in Amsterdam, Gidon has a long history of eating meat. "I love to cook dishes that remind me of my family, but I also experiment a lot." His resume also includes stints as a cook and mashgiach (kashrut supervisor). Outgoing and extroverted, Gidon loves talking to KOL Foods customers, extolling the virtues of KOL Foods's products, and eating KOL Foods meat.
Taylor Bagen, Customer Happiness Specialist
Taylor has been passionate about animals and the environment for as long as she can remember. After receiving her Bachelor's degree in Animal Science and Sustainability, Taylor decided to dedicate her profession to supporting regenerative animal agriculture. Most recently, Taylor spent two years on a diversified livestock farm, learning the opportunities and challenges of running a sustainable farm firsthand. Now, Taylor is excited to be a part of the KOL Foods team and help make it easy for KOL Foods customers to eat better meat.