Boots in the Dirt: RIPE on the Ground in June 2025

Summer 2025 is off to a great start with a busy month of June under our belts. We had our Boots in the Dirt in Nebraska, Missouri, and Washington State, and have more trips and outreach events on the horizon before the season ends. Forging new connections with producers and ag professionals, as well as engaging existing relationships, are vital parts of RIPE’s work that ensure our impact is as timely, relevant and far-reaching as possible. RIPE’s coalition exists to unify and amplify the voices of producers and promote regenerative agriculture practices. Read more about each coalition group below.

We are actively recruiting new members to join our Farmer Advisory Network. RIPE’s Farmer Advisory Network (FAN) is a group of motivated producer-leaders from around the country that is working to help develop policy recommendations and priorities for RIPE. Additionally, members serve as advocates for RIPE and get the word out about our platform and resources within their communities. If you are interested in becoming a FAN of RIPE, get in touch!

Check out details about our June meetings and events below. Do you have an event that RIPE should attend? Contact us with more information and we’ll be in touch.

GREEN COVER NEXUS FIELD DAY | BLADEN, NE

In the first week of the month, RIPE’s Coalition & Outreach Program Manager Morgan Wrich attended ‘Nexus in the Field with Green Cover’ near Bladen, NE. Green Cover is a cover crop seed company that provides custom seed mixes to fit any cover crop situation in any area of the country with the use of high-quality seed and vital educational content. This was a hands-on workshop with Nicole Masters of Integrity Soils that explored how improving soil health can directly increase farm profitability. It was a great learning experience that allowed Morgan to network with farmers from across the country who are interested in conservation, sustainability, and regenerative practices. 

FIELD TO MARKET MEMBER EVENT | KANSAS CITY, MO

Also in the first week of June, RIPE Director Brandon Hunnicutt attended the Field to Market Member Event in Kansas City, MO (read more about RIPE’s Board of Directors). At this event, Field to Market released their Regenerative Agriculture Guidance Framework, a resource that helps ensure a shared understanding of regenerative agriculture across the agricultural value chain and promotes collaboration toward common goals. 

At this event, the new NRCS Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt gave her first in-person remarks and shared her perspective as someone who not only has worked her whole life in and for agriculture, but also as someone who has dealt with the challenges farmers face at NRCS. With these insights, she hypothesized how to streamline and improve processes and procedures for producers, which is one of RIPE’s key policy principles. In addition to the normal order of events at the annual Field to Market business meeting, there was a forum for all five workgroups to come together and talk about each of their challenges, what they need to do to work together, and the importance of remembering that farmers are the ones that make all this work. Ultimately it was a productive event for RIPE’s leadership to participate in, and provided new insights for improving the lives and livelihoods of producers and the rural communities in which they live and operate.

NATIONAL GRAZING LANDS COALITION PACIFIC PASTURES TOUR | RICHLAND, WA

During the week of June 10, Morgan attended the National Grazing Lands Coalition Pacific Pastures Tour based out of Richland, WA. This tour included visits to four different ranches and the Wild Horse Wind Farm. Some key takeaways include insights into how each ranch manages their operations and practice thoughtful stewardship of the land they are entrusted with. Many farmers and ranchers in the state of Washington work with federal and state agencies, including DNR, Fisheries and Wildlife, and BLM to manage grazing on the land. The part of the state in which the tour took place receives little rainfall during the growing season, so irrigation is very important there (read more about regenerative agriculture and water conservation from RIPE). Producers in Washington must be excellent stewards of their dryland pastures to ensure they are not depleting the available soil nutrients. 

Aside from the educational aspects of the tour, visiting the beautiful, biodiverse state of Washington was a treat in and of itself. Having fresh cherries right from the tree was the cherry on top. Washington is home to a wide spectrum of ecosystems and has a lot of diverse agriculture including cherries, apples, hemp, sheep, cattle, potatoes, dry peas, field corn, sweet corn, and wheat.  

AMERICA’S GRASSLANDS CONFERENCE | KEARNEY, NE

For the second summer in a row, RIPE had the pleasure of visiting Kearney, NE, this time to attend the America’s Grasslands Conference. Hundreds of producers, conservationists, and agricultural professionals convened in Kearney from all over the country. This year’s theme for the conference was Grasslands Across Generations, with a focus on the modification of grasslands over time and the progression of grassland conservation. The event consisted of several informative sessions, and RIPE attended discussions focused on conservation funding opportunities, innovative partnerships, and federal grazing land opportunities. We also attended a panel discussion of ranchers from across the country who discussed what the transition of grasslands looks like for their operations. All in all, it was an event that was as educational as it was inspiring.

Thank you to the event organizers and fellow event attendees for helping to make our month of June as engaging, enjoyable and educational as possible. We look forward to continuing to put our Boots in the Dirt across the country as the summer unfolds. To stay up-to-date on RIPE’s mission and outreach success, subscribe to our newsletter or check us out on social media (we are on Facebook and LinkedIn). Check out future meetings and events on RIPE’s horizon on our Events page, and learn more about how you can get involved with RIPE.