115 | Turning Byproducts Into Heirlooms: The Story of Cate Havstad-Casad

In Today’s Episode:

Today’s guest is Cate Havstad-Casad, hat maker, leather goods founder, regenerative rancher, and creative force of nature. Cate’s journey is anything but conventional, and that’s exactly what makes it so compelling. What started in a horse barn wash stall with a vision and a few tools has grown into a multi-faceted career rooted in craftsmanship, sustainability, and deep respect for the land. As the founder of Havstad Hat Co. and Range Revolution, Cate is reimagining how products are made and where they come from.

In the episode, Cate Shares:

• The realities of starting a mission-driven brand
• The challenges (and wins) of building a regenerative supply chain from scratch
• How she balances entrepreneurship with motherhood
• How slowing down, building the right team, and staying rooted in purpose have shaped her vision for the future of her multiple businesses. 

Resources & Links:

• Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered by E.F. Schumacher
• Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson Podcast
• Subscribe to Of The West’s Newsletters

Connect with Cate:

• Follow on Instagram @rangerevolution @havstadhatco @casadfamilyfarms
• Visit her websites Range Revolution Havstad Hat Company Casad Family Farms
• Email her at info@casadfamilyfarms.com

Connect with Jessie:

• Follow on Instagram @ofthewest.co and @mrsjjarv
• Follow on Facebook @jobsofthewest
• Check out the Of The West website

More About Cate

Cate Havstad-Casad is a designer, entrepreneur, and first-generation regenerative rancher. She founded her first company, Havstad Hat Company, in 2014, and has evolved as a designer and a land steward in tandem.

Cate and her husband, Chris Casad, also manage Casad Family Farms, a diversified organic farm, which they have scaled from a 3-acre market farm into an over 1400-acre, regeneratively managed operation, verified with Ecological Outcomes monitoring.

In 2021, Cate founded Range Revolution, a luxury leather goods brand using 100% American, regeneratively sourced hides, as an endeavor to connect her purpose in design and agriculture and find artful ways to inspire people to find their place in the natural world.

Cate is a systems-thinker and thought leader in agriculture, design and entrepreneurship, speaking at the Future Fabrics Expo in London, the Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum, and SXSW.

More About Leaders Of The West

Leaders Of The West is a podcast for innovators and change-makers in the ag and western industries. Hosted by Jessie Jarvis, the Founder of Of The West, our mission with Leaders Of The West is to foster a community of pioneers, innovators, and leaders who want to be at the forefront of what’s next. 

Whether it’s a guest episode where we’re digging into the blueprints behind our favorite industry businesses, discussing the innovation and strategies that have allowed family farming and ranching operations to continue on for another generation, to episodes with honest conversations from entrepreneurs who have risked it all on their dreams, or leaders detailing how to create a company culture so strong that you couldn’t pay your employees to leave. 

These conversations are meant to encourage the leaders of today and inspire the next generation of trailblazers. 

In addition to bringing in guests, you’ll also find some solo episodes, where Jessie shares the lessons she’s learned throughout her journey as a rancher, entrepreneur, wife, and mother. 

Whether you’re a farmer, a rancher, an equine lover, someone headed up the leadership ladder, an ag business owner, a western sports athlete, an entrepreneur, or someone who just loves the western way of life—this is the place for you.

You’ll find new episodes every week. Don’t forget to subscribe, so you never miss a show!