How Once Upon a Farm Redefined Kids’ Food
October 28, 2025
In this episode, we’re joined by Hayden Coussens, Director of Category Management & Insights at Once Upon a Farm — the organic, cold-pressed baby and kids’ food brand known for elevating food standards for the next generation.
Hayden shares how the brand went from being a challenger in the baby food aisle to becoming a category creator in refrigerated baby snacks. We discuss their approach to category management, building brand trust with both kids and parents, how they use data and AI to make retail decisions, and why mission-first innovation is at the heart of their growth.
From being WIC/SNAP accessible to launching the best-selling Tractor Wheels, this episode explores how Once Upon a Farm balances taste, pricing, and purpose to win over retailers and parents alike.
🎯 Key Topics Discussed:
1. Why taste and mission are non-negotiables for kids’ food
2. How Once Upon a Farm uses data to drive category strategy
3. What makes a product launch successful (and redeemable!)
4. Building for WIC/SNAP without compromising quality
5. Why dry baby snacks became their breakout product line
6. How retailers respond to new SKUs & innovation timelines
7. The role of AI in category insights and product forecasting
8. Redefining category norms: from refrigerated baby food to snack bars
🎙️ Welcome to Episode 02 of ShelfLife — the CPG podcast by Phyllo, where we uncover the untold stories behind the world’s most iconic brands and the people who build them.
👀 See what you can build with Phyllo: https://www.getphyllo.com/?utm_source...
In this episode, we’re joined by Hayden Coussens, Director of Category Management & Insights at Once Upon a Farm — the organic, cold-pressed baby and kids’ food brand known for elevating food standards for the next generation.
Hayden shares how the brand went from being a challenger in the baby food aisle to becoming a category creator in refrigerated baby snacks. We discuss their approach to category management, building brand trust with both kids and parents, how they use data and AI to make retail decisions, and why mission-first innovation is at the heart of their growth.
From being WIC/SNAP accessible to launching the best-selling Tractor Wheels, this episode explores how Once Upon a Farm balances taste, pricing, and purpose to win over retailers and parents alike.
🎯 Key Topics Discussed:
1. Why taste and mission are non-negotiables for kids’ food
2. How Once Upon a Farm uses data to drive category strategy
3. What makes a product launch successful (and redeemable!)
4. Building for WIC/SNAP without compromising quality
5. Why dry baby snacks became their breakout product line
6. How retailers respond to new SKUs & innovation timelines
7. The role of AI in category insights and product forecasting
8. Redefining category norms: from refrigerated baby food to snack bars
🔗 Learn more about Once Upon a Firm: https://onceuponafarmorganics.com
📢 Learn more about Phyllo:
🌐 Website: https://getphyllo.com
📩 Email: contact@getphyllo.com
📱 Beacons: https://beacons.ai/getphyllo
👀 See what you can build with Phyllo: https://www.getphyllo.com/?utm_source...
In this episode, we’re joined by Hayden Coussens, Director of Category Management & Insights at Once Upon a Farm — the organic, cold-pressed baby and kids’ food brand known for elevating food standards for the next generation.
Hayden shares how the brand went from being a challenger in the baby food aisle to becoming a category creator in refrigerated baby snacks. We discuss their approach to category management, building brand trust with both kids and parents, how they use data and AI to make retail decisions, and why mission-first innovation is at the heart of their growth.
From being WIC/SNAP accessible to launching the best-selling Tractor Wheels, this episode explores how Once Upon a Farm balances taste, pricing, and purpose to win over retailers and parents alike.
🎯 Key Topics Discussed:
1. Why taste and mission are non-negotiables for kids’ food
2. How Once Upon a Farm uses data to drive category strategy
3. What makes a product launch successful (and redeemable!)
4. Building for WIC/SNAP without compromising quality
5. Why dry baby snacks became their breakout product line
6. How retailers respond to new SKUs & innovation timelines
7. The role of AI in category insights and product forecasting
8. Redefining category norms: from refrigerated baby food to snack bars
🔗 Learn more about Once Upon a Firm: https://onceuponafarmorganics.com
📢 Learn more about Phyllo:
🌐 Website: https://getphyllo.com
📩 Email: contact@getphyllo.com
📱 Beacons: https://beacons.ai/getphyllo