Everything But the Cluck: Building a Regenerative Loop with Simmons Foods

When you think of a company that processes over 4 million chickens a week, “sustainability” might not be the first word that comes to mind. But for Todd Simmons, CEO of Simmons Foods and grandson of its founder M.H. “Bill” Simmons, sustainability isn’t a buzzword—it’s a legacy. It’s also a future-forward mission rooted in stewardship, innovation, and respect for the people and animals that make up the backbone of American food production.

ABOVE: Simmons Foods Benton County Production Facility
BELOW: Simmons Foods Founder M.H. “Bill” Simmons (left), Simmons Foods CEO Todd Simmons (right)

Nestled in the Ozark foothills of northwest Arkansas, Siloam Springs is a town known for its natural beauty—fed by clear creeks and surrounded by dense woodlands. It’s also home to Simmons Foods, a family-owned business that has grown into one of the country’s largest poultry and pet food producers. With operations spanning multiple states and a workforce of more than 10,000, Simmons Foods supplies value-added poultry products to major restaurant chains and retailers, as well as ingredients and finished goods in the pet food space.

Yet behind the scenes of this $3 billion enterprise is a multi-generational commitment to conservation and community. “I always wanted to work in the family business,” Todd shared. “Growing up, I saw how hard people worked at Simmons, and I felt a sense of pride. Being able to grow into that—it was a dream.”

That dream now includes one of the most ambitious regenerative infrastructure investments in the poultry industry: a $75 million biodigestion system that Simmons Foods is building to reduce emissions, manage waste more sustainably, and create a closed-loop system for nutrients. That means taking what would typically be considered waste and putting it back to work—turning byproducts from water treatment into energy, fertilizer, and even tools for refrigeration.

The system is designed to process biosolids from water treatment, capture methane to power operations with renewable natural gas, and reclaim CO₂ for freezing chicken—removing it from the atmosphere instead of releasing it. What’s left is a concentrated fertilizer planned for use in the Kansas cornfields that grow feed for Simmons’ chickens, completing a regenerative cycle from farm to bird and back to field.

The poultry industry plays a major role in feeding our growing population. With around 280 million turkeys and over 9 billion broiler chickens produced in the U.S. each year, poultry is one of the country’s largest agricultural sectors. But meeting that demand at scale requires massive infrastructure—and systems like biodigesters are one way to make sure that growth doesn't come at the cost of environmental health.

This isn’t merely a pilot idea— Simmons Foods is making it a reality.

It’s a fitting next step for a company that has practiced whole-bird utilization for decades, the practice of using every part of the chicken in both human food and pet food production. “Everything but the cluck,” as Todd puts it, started with his grandfather’s early efforts to turn poultry byproducts into pet nutrition. Now, this mindset has evolved into a comprehensive approach to conservation and sustainability—one that addresses water use, nutrient runoff, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions alike.

Regenerative practices aren't limited to processing - in fact, this mindset can be applied throughout the supply chain. Simmons Foods partners with around 300 farm families across Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas, and Todd is quick to credit the farmers - after all, the entire cycle begins and ends with them. “It’s a testament to our farm families that we’ve avoided major issues,” he says. “They’re investing in high-quality assets, working closely with our technicians, and constantly learning about bird health and environmental management.”

ABOVE: Mark Simmons, Charlie Simmons, and Todd Simmons (left), Todd and Mark Simmons at the 75th Anniversary Block Party holding the Senate Citation recognizing the company's anniversary and commitments to Arkansas Agriculture and the Arkansas economy (right)

Many of these farmers are also trying out new practices—some have installed solar panels (check out RIPE’s renewable energy research), others experiment with litter curing methods to improve phosphorus retention in soil. Simmons Foods also operates company-owned farms where different technologies and practices are tested in an effort to make conservation more accessible and economically viable for growers. This is aligned with RIPE’s approach to scaling regenerative agriculture - empowering producers by leveraging farm policy and market access.

Todd sees sustainability not just as an environmental responsibility, but as a business philosophy rooted in people. His approach to running Simmons Foods is about honoring the culture built over 76 years—respecting the people who came before and building on that foundation with purpose. “We still feel like a startup,” he said. “We’re growing fast, but we don’t want to lose sight of the people. Strong relationships, trust, and communication—those are what keep a company sustainable in the long run.”

This mindset mirrors the mission of RIPE: to promote voluntary stewardship by ensuring producers are compensated for the ecosystem services they provide. RIPE advocates for regenerative agriculture as the norm—not the exception—on American soil. Simmons Foods proves that with the right leadership, large-scale agriculture can adopt regenerative practices that benefit both business and the environment.

Whether it’s improving water quality, reducing emissions, or restoring soil health, the work being done at Simmons Foods is part of a larger story—one where farmers, processors, and communities come together to rethink what sustainable agriculture can look like.

“We’re all beneficiaries of the work that farmers do,” Todd says. “And we’re too far removed from our food. We need to do a better job of telling that story.” 

RIPE agrees with Todd’s sentiments and aligns with Simmons Foods’ greater mission to make conservation practices more accessible for producers. We know that food is more than a product—it’s a relationship. Telling that story, through farmers and food leaders like Todd Simmons, is one way we move closer to a system that values people, planet, and the future they’re building together.

For more information about our work to scale regenerative agriculture The RIPE Way, visit our Approach Page. Learn more about Simmons Foods on their website. Interested in telling your story too? Contact us today!