RIPE Coalition:
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access Committee

The IDEA Committee was formed through discussions with RIPE stakeholders and staff to ensure that farmers and ranchers who have historically been under-served by USDA programs are central in designing and implementing RIPE’s approach.

It is focused on raising up historically under-served producers and their perspectives when approaching climate-smart agriculture and addressing equity issues in agriculture as it relates to RIPE. 

The committee is dedicated to developing a shared understanding, suggesting changes to RIPE’s work, and creating avenues of equity within RIPE’s approach to scaling regenerative ag.

The IDEA Committee exists to achieve the following:

  • Increase grasstops IDEA farmer leadership through constructive dialogue and supportive actions.

  • Understand and decipher impact of USDA regulations, environmental regulations, and related policy on IDEA farmers.

  • Integrate equity and inclusion principles in leadership, program & policy.

  • Refine policy to broaden IDEA support and educate policymakers to identify equity opportunities in policy development.

  • Integrate IDEA elements within RIPE’s organizational best practices.

  • Outline policies and practices that promote mechanisms for producers to actively create a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.

An elderly woman with orange hair wearing sunglasses and a blue shirt, standing in a large field of green flowering plants, possibly sweet potatoes.

Amplifying the voices of historically under-served producers.

  • A man wearing a beige baseball cap and a light-colored polo shirt outdoors with trees and a house in the background.

    “I decided to participate in the IDEA Committee so that I can be a part of the decision-making process that includes minority equity and insight. Participating in RIPE’s work also allows me to funnel information that supports the advancement of current and future minority farmers in agriculture back to those producers.”

    Rick Brown | Brown Family Farms (NC)

  • A woman with long brown hair wearing a denim jacket standing outdoors in a sunflower field.

    “I have seen programs that do not benefit early adopters. One of the things I like about RIPE is support for those early adopters. I also see the benefit personally from some of the climate-friendly practices and think the incentive to continue those practices will be beneficial for many producers.”

    Jenni Carr, KS

  • Portrait of a man wearing a baseball cap and a blue jacket, standing outdoors with cloudy sky in the background.

    “I believe the work that RIPE is doing important for the future of agriculture. I also believe it’s important to have an advocacy organization that is farmer-focused and keeps conservation a priority.”

    Davon Goodwin | Off The Land (OTL) Farms (NC)

Additional Leadership & Advisory Committees

RIPE is governed by a board of directors that is a majority agricultural producers. We also have multiple groups in addition to the IDEA Committee that advise the organization and inform the policy, including our Steering Committee and Producer Leader Advisory Network (PLAN).