Marin Sun Farms
Marin Sun Farms is a vertically integrated California meat producer operating the last remaining USDA-inspected slaughterhouse in the San Francisco Bay Area, supplying grass-fed beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and specialty meats to wholesale accounts, retail butcher shops, and individual consumers in California.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersPoint Reyes Station, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Marin Sun Farms does
Marin Sun Farms (legal entity MSF, Inc.) is a vertically integrated, privately held meat company founded in 1999 by David Evans and headquartered in Point Reyes Station, California. It operates the last remaining USDA-inspected slaughterhouse in the San Francisco Bay Area, located in Petaluma and certified Organic (by Marin Organic Certified Agriculture) and Animal Welfare Approved. The company sources grass-fed, pasture-raised cattle, lamb, goat, heritage non-GMO pork, veal, poultry, and specialty meats (duck, rabbit, ham, bacon, hot dogs) from California family farms and processes them through a whole-animal butchery model with no antibiotics or hormones.
The business operates across four revenue streams: (1) wholesale distribution of branded meat and eggs to restaurants and retailers in the Bay Area and Los Angeles via a company-owned white-van fleet with a dedicated sales team; (2) direct-to-consumer retail through company-owned butcher shop locations at Oakland's Rockridge Market Hall; (3) an Animal Share Program enabling consumers to purchase whole, half, or quarter animals with custom butchery; and (4) fee-for-service USDA slaughter, cut-and-wrap, and distribution provided to third-party ranchers and livestock producers. Customers span wholesale foodservice and retail buyers, health-conscious individual consumers, and California livestock producers needing certified processing. In February 2017, Mindful Meats merged into the company with founder Claire Herminjard becoming Co-Executive Officer alongside Evans. The firm employs 101-250 people across Petaluma, Point Reyes Station, and Oakland, and operates with no disclosed institutional investment or parent company.
Marin Sun Farms firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Marin Sun Farms
- Legal name
- MSF, Inc.
- Website
- https://marinsunfarms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Marin Sun Farms is a vertically integrated California meat producer operating the last remaining USDA-inspected slaughterhouse in the San Francisco Bay Area, supplying grass-fed beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and specialty meats to wholesale accounts, retail butcher shops, and individual consumers in California.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Marin Sun Farms industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Grass-fed Meat Production and Processing
- NAICS
- Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering (311611), Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116)
- SIC
- Meat Packing Plants (2011), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Game & Specialty Meats Wholesale (Venison, Bison, etc.) (AFAIADAG)
Keywords
Where Marin Sun Farms is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Point Reyes Station
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Marin Sun Farms business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Meat and Egg Wholesale Distribution: Direct distribution of branded beef, pork, lamb, goat, poultry and eggs to wholesale customers including restaurants and retailers in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
- Retail Butcher Shop Sales: Direct retail sales of grass fed, pasture raised meats through company-owned butcher shop locations in Oakland, CA.
- Processing Services for Livestock Producers: Slaughter and cut-and-wrap services provided to other ranchers and livestock producers, including USDA-inspected processing and organic certification.
- Animal Share Program: Customers purchase whole, half, or quarter animals to be butchered to specification, providing direct revenue from individual consumers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Animal Share - Whole/Half/Quarter Animal Purchase |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Marin Sun Farms product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Marin Sun Farms is a vertically integrated meat producer that raises, slaughters, butchers, and distributes grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, lamb, goat, pork, veal, poultry, and specialty meats sourced exclusively from California family farms. The company operates the last remaining USDA-inspected slaughterhouse in the San Francisco Bay Area and sells through wholesale distribution to restaurants and retailers, a retail butcher shop in Oakland, and an Animal Share Program for direct consumer purchases of whole or partial animals.
Product overview
Marin Sun Farms operates as a vertically integrated meat company offering grass-fed, pasture-raised California local meats. The product portfolio includes beef, lamb, goat, pork, veal, poultry, and specialty meats (duck, rabbit, ham, bacon, hot dogs), all sourced from local family farms and processed at the company's USDA-certified facility. The company provides end-to-end services including slaughter (the last remaining USDA facility in the San Francisco Bay Area), USDA cut-and-wrap butchery services, and direct distribution to wholesale customers. Retail customers can purchase through the Oakland Butcher Shop or the Animal Share program for whole/half/quarter animal purchases. The company also acquired Mindful Meats in 2017, expanding its grass-fed cattle operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Grass-Fed Beef
Companies that use Marin Sun Farms
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Marin Sun Farms technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Marin Sun Farms partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Marin Sun Farms competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Strauss Brands: Strauss Brands produces grass-fed and organic veal, beef, and lamb for retail and foodservice. Comparable premium, sustainably certified meat manufacturer competing for similar wholesale and consumer accounts.
- Belcampo Meat Co. Belcampo operates an integrated grass-fed meat business with company-owned ranches, processing, butcher shops, and restaurants. Closely analogous vertically integrated, pasture-raised model with retail butchery.
- Country Natural Beef: Cooperative of family ranchers producing grass-fed beef marketed as a natural alternative to commodity beef. Directly comparable in rancher-aggregation, sustainable sourcing, and wholesale distribution model.
- Niman Ranch: Niman Ranch is a leading premium meat brand specializing in humanely raised, antibiotic-free beef, pork, and lamb, selling through wholesale and direct channels. Highly comparable as a vertically positioned, sustainability-led alternative-meat competitor.
Broad incumbents
- ButcherBox: Subscription-based DTC meat company offering 100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and heritage pork. A scaled, well-capitalized competitor in the same premium-meat consumer segment nationally.
- Applegate Farms: National organic and natural meats brand (owned by Hormel) selling antibiotic-free deli meats, bacon, and hot dogs through grocery. Competes in similar premium-natural protein category at scale across broader retail channels.
Emerging players
- Crowd Cow: Online marketplace delivering craft meat directly from independent farms to consumers. Directly comparable to Marin Sun Farms' Animal Share program in offering whole-animal and cut purchases with farm-level transparency.
- Tendergrass Farms: Online retailer of grass-fed, pasture-raised, and heritage-breed meats delivered nationwide. Comparable small-footprint DTC operator with overlapping Animal Share style cuts and premium positioning.
- US Wellness Meats: Online direct-to-consumer seller of grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry, and wild-caught seafood. Competes for the same premium, traceable-meat consumer via e-commerce and subscription.
- Primal Pastures: Pasture-raised, direct-to-consumer meat company in Southern California offering Animal Share style purchases and home delivery. Comparable grassroots, online-first pasture-raised model targeting similar ethical-consumer segments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Marin Sun Farms social profiles
Digital presenceMarin Sun Farms compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Marin Sun Farms financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Marin Sun Farms leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Marin Sun Farms funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Marin Sun Farms M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Marin Sun Farms
What does Marin Sun Farms do?
Marin Sun Farms is a vertically integrated meat producer that raises, slaughters, butchers, and distributes grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, lamb, goat, pork, veal, poultry, and specialty meats sourced exclusively from California family farms. The company operates the last remaining USDA-inspected slaughterhouse in the San Francisco Bay Area and sells through wholesale distribution to restaurants and retailers, a retail butcher shop in Oakland, and an Animal Share Program for direct consumer purchases of whole or partial animals.
Is Marin Sun Farms a public or private company?
Marin Sun Farms is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Marin Sun Farms founded?
Marin Sun Farms was founded in 1999. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Marin Sun Farms based?
Marin Sun Farms is headquartered in Point Reyes Station, United States, in the North America region.
How does Marin Sun Farms make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Meat and Egg Wholesale Distribution is the primary driver. The others are retail Butcher Shop Sales, processing Services for Livestock Producers and animal Share Program.
Who are Marin Sun Farms's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Strauss Brands, Belcampo Meat Co., Country Natural Beef and Niman Ranch. Broad incumbents are ButcherBox and Applegate Farms. Emerging players are Crowd Cow, Tendergrass Farms, US Wellness Meats and Primal Pastures.
Does Marin Sun Farms have an API?
No public API is recorded for Marin Sun Farms.
What industry is Marin Sun Farms in?
Marin Sun Farms's product category is Grass-fed Meat Production and Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIADAG, Game & Specialty Meats Wholesale (Venison, Bison, etc.). Its NAICS code is 311611 and its SIC code is 2011.