Barriers For Farmers & Ranchers To Adopt Regenerative Ag Practices In The US Identifying Key Levers and Opportunities A Roadmap For Funders and Stakeholders Author: Jennifer O’Connor Sponsor: Patagonia August 2020 Guidelight Strategies TABLE OF CONTENTS Regenerative Supply Chains Acknowledgments: 82 Contributors, Collaborators, and Strategic Champions 01 Communications 112 A Note From the Editor 06 Research and Science 128 Readers Guide 09 Policy Reform 141 Introduction and Other Notable Issues 162 Background: Regenerative Long Term Funding Agriculture, Approaches 167 Regenerating Our Land and Our Communities 11 Endnotes 174 Equity, Justice, and Regenerative Other Key Resources 176 Agriculture 19 Appendix A: Overview Roadmap Visual: of Organizations Barriers to Adoption Mentioned in the Report 179 of Regenerative Agriculture in the US 24 Farmer Profles Can Be Found On Pages Behavior and Cultural Change 25 22-23 109-11 31-33 125-127 Land Access 34 42-45 139-140 Trusted Technical Assistance 46 57-59 160-161 Financial Capital and 79-81 Incentives 60 Guidelight Strategies ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: CONTRIBUTORS, COLLABORATORS, AND CHAMPIONS his report would not have been possible without the countless hours of time given and ideas and Tthoughts shared over video chats, phone calls, meals, and walks across the land. Te true “authors” of this report are the farmers, ranchers, scientists, activists, funders, community organizers, policy makers, experts, processors, retailers, brands, and beyond. So, my deepest gratitude goes out to every single person below and the countless others not named here who sat with me in circles, town hall meetings, on the phone or across the dinner table. I hope to do your voices and the time we shared justice, especially all the farmers and ranchers. May you, once again, be the hero of the story, not just in this report, but from every dining room to every boardroom and everywhere in between. I also want to thank the core Patagonia team who supported my time and work on this project. Tank you for trusting me with this work and for being willing to go on this journey with me, prioritizing the time and resources necessary to truly understand the barriers and challenges in our food and agricultural systems. I am deeply grateful for the willingness of the Patagonia Environmental Grants team and the Patagonia leadership team to pursue more informed and systems focused strategies, share these fndings broadly, and give me the opportunity to do this work alongside them. Deepest thanks to this core team: • Sarah Ebe, Environmental Grants Associate Patagonia • Lisa Myers, Environmental Grants Program Ofcer • Lisa Pike Sheehy, Vice President of Environmental Activism As well as the following Patagonia team members who ofered their time and feedback along the way: • Alex Kremer, Tinshed Ventures • Elissa Foster, Senior Manager of Product Responsibility Patagonia • Steph Karba, Environmental Researcher, Product Responsibility Patagonia • Elena Egorova, Environmental Researcher, Product Responsibility Patagonia • Sarah Hayes, Director of Materials Development Patagonia • Birgit Cameron, Patagonia Provisions • Kai Hinson, Patagonia Provisions • Anna Meyer, Patagonia Provisions • Christie Biddle, Patagonia Provisions • Cara Chacon, Vice President of Social & Environmental Responsibility at Patagonia • Wendy Savage, Director of Social Responsibility & Tracing at Patagonia • Rachel Kepnes, Manager of Supply Chain Social Responsibility, Farms & Special Programs Patagonia • Alison Huyett, Manager of Environmental Campaigns and Advocacy Patagonia • Avi Garbow, Environmental Advocate, Patagonia Secondly, I want to thank Sarah Kelley and Greg Horner, without whom I would not have been able to conduct all of the interviews for this report. Sarah and Greg, as a crucial part of Guidelight’s team, both worked to support the initial interview process and provide critical analysis and feedback along the way. Guidelight Strategies 1 INTERVIEWEES • Onika Abraham, Farm School NYC and • Angela McKee, Brown Edible Schoolyard Black Farmers Fund Project • Malou Anderson-RamirezAnderson, Pope • Gabe Brown, Soil Health Academy and Ranch Browns Ranch • Sara Andrews, Bumbleroot Foods • Traci Bruckner, SAFSF • Zachary Angelini, Timberland • Rebecca Burgess, Fibershed • Steve Apfelbaum, Applied Ecological • Sallie Calhoun, No Regrets Initiative Services • Sarah Carlson, Practical Farmers of Iowa • Rafael Aponte, Rocky Acres Farms New • Cory Carmen, Carmen Ranch Oregon York • Caitlin Caspersen, Te Builders Initiative • Caesare Assad, FS6 • Anthony Chang, Kitchen Table Advisors • Jen Astone, Integrated Capital Investing • Steve Charter, Charter Ranch Montana • Erin Axelrod, LIFT Economy • Aimee Christensen, Sun Valley Institute • Casey Bailey, Clearlake Organic Farm Montana • Graham Christensen, Regenerate Nebraska, GCResolve • Jon Bakehouse, Maple Edge Farm Iowa • Avery Cohn, Climateworks • Liz Barbour, Cinch Buckle Ranch Montana • Russ Conser, Standard Soil • Phillip Barker, Operation SpringPlant • Dara Cooper, National Black Food and • Todd Barker, Meridian Institute Farm Justice Alliance • Jim Barnham, USDA • Dr. Dorn Cox, OpenTEAM and Wolfe’s • Marshall Bartlett, Homeplace Pastures Neck Center • Pete Bauman, SDSU Extension • Anna-Jones Crabtree, Vilicus Farms and • Kevin Bayuk, LIFT Economy Training Institute • Maren Beard, Luna Valley Farm Iowa • Doub Crabtree, Vilicus Farms and Training Institute • Tom Beard, Luna Valley Farm Iowa • Tim Crosby, Tread Fund • Dwayne Beck, Dakota Lakes Research Farm • Harley Cross, Land Core • Sam Bennett, Bennett Farms Iowa • Scott Cullen, Grace Communications • Jef Biggers, Climate Narrative Project Foundation • Alexis Bonogofsky, Quivira Coalition • Charley Cummings, Walden Local Meat • Kevin Boyer, Regenerative Agriculture • Dr. Cynthia Daley, California State Foundation University at Chico • Renata Brillinger, CalCAN • Jamie Dean, Te Schmidt Family • A-Dae Briones, First Nations Development Foundation Institute • Noah Deich, Carbon 180 • Lena Brook, NRDC • Dennis Derryck, Corbin Hill Food Project Guidelight Strategies 2 • Damon DeSutter, DeSutter Farms Inc. & • Andrew Gunther, A Greener World Hoosier Grassfed Beef Indiana • Will Harris, White Oak Pastures • Seleyn DeYarus, At the Epicenter • Clayton Harvey, Te People’s Farm in • Leonard Diggs, Shone Farms and Castanea White Mountain Apache lands Fellow • Jennifer Hashley, New Entry Sustainable • Helen Dombalis, National Farm to School Farming Project Network • Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Regenerative • Diana Donlon, Soil Centric Agriculture Alliance • Niaz Dorry, National Family Farm • Dave Haynes, RePlant Capital Coalition • Taylor Herren, Kiss the Ground • Zach Ducheneaux, Intertribal Ag Council • Ferd Hoefner, NSAC • Erin Eisenberg, Funders for Regenerative • Dr. Joshua Humphreys, Croatan Institute Agriculture • Nina Ichikawa, Berkeley Food Institute • Honor Eldridge, Sustainable Food Trust • Roger and Betsy Indreland, Indreland • Lill Erickson, Western Sustainability Ranch Montana Exchange • Kevin Miles Irby, Treadspan • Debra Eschmeyer, Original Strategies • Eric Jackson, Pipeline Foods • Angélica Estrada-Bugarín, Kitchen Table Advisors • Frank James, South Dakota Rural Action Network • Torri Estrada-Bugarín, Carbon Cycle Institute • Paul Jasa, University of Nebraska • Sarah Fitzgerald, 45North • Judge Jessop, South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts • Sue Fitzgerald, NRCS • Mary Johnson, Green America • Mara Flanagan, Stone Barns Center For Food & Agriculture • Tamara Jones, SAAFON • Mara Fleishman, Chef Ann Foundation • Tim Josephs, Grassfed Alliance and Founder of Maple Hill Creamery • Becca Frucht, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation • Arani Kajenthira, Walton Enterprises • Gail Fuller, G&L Whole Foods Kansas • Jeremy Kaufmann, Propagate Ventures • Philip Giampietro, Walden Local Meat • Keefe Keeley, Savanna Institute • Kat Gilje, Ceres Trust • Noah Kellerman, Alprilla Farm Massachusetts • Bobby Gill, Savory Institute • Chris Kerston, Savory Institute • Maggie Gordon, Northern Plains Resource Council • Navina Khanna, HEAL Food Alliance • Alisa Gravitz, Green America • Kendra Kimbirauskas, State Innovation Exchange • Christine Gulbranson, Bia-Echo Foundation • Rosalie Kissel, Armonia LLC • Dana Gunders, ReFed • Jim Kleinschmit, Other Half Processing Guidelight Strategies 3 • Mark Kleinschmit, Other Half Processing • Bill Milton, Milton Ranch Montana • Jann Knappage, Fox & Hen Farm Kentucky • Dr. David Montgomery, University of • Reggie Knox, California FarmLink Washington • Larry Kopald, Carbon Underground • Emily Moose, A Greener World • Amy Kull, Marin Restorative • Mark Muller, Regenerative Agriculture Communications Foundation • Lauren Langworthy, MOSES • Anthony Myint, Zero Foodprint and Restore CA • Meagan Lannan, Barney Creek Livestock Montana • Dr. Rupa Myra, UCSF School of Medicine • Pete Lannan, Barney Creek Livestock • Melissa Nelson, Te Cultural Conservancy Montana • Jack Neubauer, Pure Land Organic Texas • Anna Lappe, Panta Rhea Foundation • Megan Neubauer, Pure Land Organic Texas • Jered Lawson, Pie Ranch California • Jessica Newman, Anheuser-Busch InBev • Karen Leibowitz, Te Perennial Farming • Mai Nguyen, National Young Farmers Initiative and Restore CA Coalition and Minnow • Dr. David Lezaks, Croatan Institute • Laura Nowlin, Winnett ACES • Brad Liebov, Earthshare • Robyn O’Brien, RePlant Capital • Aaron Lowden, Ancestral Lands and Farmer • Kevin Ogorzalek, Barry Callebaut in Acoma Pueblo New Mexico • Nick Ohde, Practical