Pasture and Range

Building Your Grazing Community

Find like-minded farmers and ranchers to support your regenerative grazing goals.

Ranching works best with a strong network of peers. While independence is important, collaboration and shared knowledge help ranchers make informed decisions and solve challenges effectively. At Noble Research Institute, we believe that having and maintaining a strong network of fellow ranchers is an invaluable part of the journey.

producers on a ranch tour

A Guide You Can Trust

When it’s time to put your plans into action on your ranch, you don’t have to do it alone. Through Noble’s courses, for example, you gain access to a community of support that includes both fellow ranchers and trusted advisors. This network can provide valuable perspectives, practical advice and encouragement as you implement new strategies.

Noble courses provide access to Rancher-to-Rancher sessions and the Noble Learning Center, where you can engage in discussions, ask questions and share insights with a community of like-minded ranchers.

Whether you’re looking for solutions to grazing challenges, seeking advice on forage planning or wanting to refine your regenerative practices, the support and shared knowledge from Noble’s peer network and advisory services can make a meaningful difference. Learn more about these opportunities at noble.org/find-a-course.

ranchers talking in a group session

Industry Coalitions and Associations

Even a cursory online search for regenerative grazing information will land folks on the website of the National Grazing Lands Coalition. The organization hosts 22 state coalitions along with the Indigenous Grazing Lands Coalition. Found mostly through the Great Plains, Corn Belt, and a few coastal states, these state grazing coalitions offer a state coordinator as a point of contact and unique information for each state.

Likewise, producers in six New England states – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont – can connect with state and regional resources through the New England Grazing Network. Farmers and ranchers in Wisconsin can connect with county-level grazing networks through GrassWorks Inc. They offer in-person events and one-on-one mentorship through an annual membership.

In a new program, the American Farmland Trust leads a Grazing Mentor Network for producers in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. Currently, AFT limits membership to beef producers, and invites historically underserved producers to join their network to find a local mentor.

Producers already involved in other industry groups, such as The Society for Range Management, a state or regional cattlemen’s or cattlewomen’s group, or a stockgrowers association may find regenerative-minded farmers and ranchers there. If a formal program for regenerative ranchers doesn’t exist in an organization, ask if one can be started. Similarly, local and state conservation districts or National Resources Conservation Service offices may host regenerative grazing field days, in-person workshops or online communities for producers in their service areas.

ranchers participating in educational course

Educational Institutions and Extension

Several land-grant universities and agricultural colleges offer resources, support and ways to connect with your peers around regenerative ranching. California State University, Chico is home to the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems, for example. The facility partners with more than a dozen regenerative mentor farmers across the state.

In Texas, the Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management  is a resource for information and connection with people who want to safeguard the ecologic and economic resiliency of grazing land resources and ranching operations. In Missouri, the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at University of Missouri provides a collaborative home for those researching and hoping to build soil health, increase biodiversity and incorporate practices like silvopasture.

rancher on computer

Online Networks

If in-person networking and mentorship doesn’t exist in your area, or just isn’t your preferred community format, online networking is available to any farmer or rancher with an internet connection.

A good place to start, if you already have a Facebook account, is Facebook Groups. Simply type “regenerative agriculture” and add your state or region into the search bar on the homepage to find relevant groups. While these groups won’t be fact-checked and may offer more conjecture and anecdote than fact and tried-and-true methods, they still offer a like-minded, supportive community.

Your favorite podcast or publication may also have a Facebook group or other online forum where ranchers can connect. At Noble, every course attendee gets access to our learning management system, which includes a virtual forum for regenerative ranchers to connect and discuss challenges and solutions, as well as information about our interactive Rancher-to-Rancher webinar with a Noble ranching advisor.

Ranching can be a tough lifestyle. In some parts of the country, it can be tougher when your management doesn’t match how your neighbors think. That’s when finding a community of like-minded farmers and ranchers can help. When ranchers can rely on and learn from each other along with experts in the fields of grazing, soil health and land management, the benefits and rewards of regenerative ranching increase.

Do you know of a great regenerative ranching or grazing community that isn’t mentioned in this article? Let us know, and we’ll add it to our list of resources for farmers and ranchers. Send the details to [email protected].

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