The IDEA Committee was formed through discussions with RIPE stakeholders and staff to ensure that farmers and ranchers who have historically been underserved by USDA programs are central in designing the RIPE100 program.
It is focused on raising up historically underserved producers and their perspectives to 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 the RIPE100 policy proposal.
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.
IDEA Committee Members
Hannah Breckbill, land advocacy fellow, National Young Farmers Coalition
Antonio Carter, Georgia producer
Asuad Frazier, Alabama producer
Fred Gainous, Ph.D., Florida A&M University
Dexter Gilbert, producer; board member, National Black Growers Council
Trinece Holden, Georgia producer
Brandon Hunnicutt, Corn Board, National Corn Growers Association (ally)
Mackenzie Martinez, Intertribal Agriculture Council
Antoine Mordican, CEO, Native Black Farm
Ashton Norwood, Mississippi State Association of Cooperatives
Hazell Reed, Ph.D., executive director, National Black Growers Council
Somula “Sam” Schwoeppe, American Dairy Coalition
Zachary Sisson, Georgia producer
Jeff Webb, member, National Black Farmers Association
Otis Wright, farmer resources coordinator, Rural Advancement Foundation
Jackie Kennedy, Texas cattle producer
Jennifer Carr, Kansas sheep producer