Community engagement and collaboration, Working lands
Rancher to Rancher: Building a Community for Conservation in Montana
Case Study by Conservation and Adaptation Resources Toolbox and the Drought Learning Network
Status
Ongoing

Location

States

Montana

Ecosystem

Prairie, Rural

Subject

Grasslands
Grazing
Outreach
Partnerships
Soil management
Working lands

Introduction

People in a meeting room listening to a presenter
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Adoption of conservation behaviors often relies on trusted sources of information and positive examples within the community, such as friends or family. Creating a network of trusted individuals can hasten the transfer of important information and adoption of desired practices, while providing social support that leads to rancher well-being. In eastern Montana, ranchers are often hours from their ranching neighbors. In response, a support group was created for ranchers to meet regularly, share experiences, and promote mentorship among new and experienced regenerative grazing adopters. Email and telephone were used to invite ranchers who demonstrated interest in these practices in conversation at other local events. 

The concept of regenerative agriculture includes a suite of practices aimed to leverage ecosystem processes to improve soil functions. By partaking in a systems approach that fosters soil carbon sequestration, improved soil retention, and increased soil biology, ranchers create optimal conditions for forage growth without added inputs like fertilizers, water, or purchased hay. In suitable environments, ranchers use strategic planned grazing which involves moving livestock frequently to allow adequate rest and recovery of land.

While regenerative grazing is promoted for its ability to improve soil health, it may increase flexibility in land use and forage utilization as well as optimize production (beef lbs/acre) and cost savings. Regenerative grazing strategies are a relatively new and sparsely used practice in eastern Montana. As with any land management practice, the underlying ecosystem characteristics dictate the ultimate viability and success of a proposed practice, and what works in one area may be inappropriate in another. Local knowledge exchange is important to the success of applied management practices.

Key Issues Addressed

There is a significant need in eastern Montana to organize a community around healthy range management to support people who are interested in, or actively practicing, regenerative grazing. Sharing experiential knowledge and success stories through conversation and ranch visits can promote a sense of community when embarking in new ranch operations. This sense of community can engender more confidence in new adopters and create a space where important learning from, and among, those already implementing the practice can take place. 

Transforming grazing practices from business-as-usual can be a daunting task and requires navigating much uncertainty for ranchers. Regenerative agriculture is relatively new to eastern Montana, making those who adopt it unique among the ranching community. Embarking on contemporary ranching practices can be isolating, especially in eastern Montana where the population is sparse. Intermittent workshops hosted by NRCS and other service providers (e.g., Cooperative Extension) frequently bring ranchers together for education and technical support in topics like product quality assurance and conservation opportunities. However, the nature of these events don’t always foster the consistency in follow-up or devoted focus to social support from which the community might benefit. This factor makes the group an important complement to existing programs. 

Project Goals

  • The motivation to establish this group was to create a setting for ranchers to meet in person on a regular basis. While agencies and agricultural service providers offer extensive support and resources, this group’s focus is specific to regenerative practices. Moreover, this group is more than educational in purpose, but aims to foster social support for regenerative practice adopters. Consistency in meeting and communication can maintain momentum for enthusiasm and growth, as well as a reliable source for encouragement, consolation, and fun. 
  • The leaders of the group aim to facilitate mentorship and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange within, and beyond, the group of ranchers. Half of the initial participants were people already practicing regenerative grazing of some kind, and the other half were people who were still “on the fence” about the practice. 
  • The group intends to increase the number of ranchers using regenerative practices. Regenerative practices contribute to environmental, social, and economic well-being and will fortify systems against challenges posed by drought or climate change climate change
    Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.

    Learn more about climate change     . 

Project Highlights

  • Meetings to Date: Group leadership has hosted two 4-hour meetings. Roughly thirty people attended each  meeting and a leadership committee was formed. A third meeting was in its planning stage but had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • Ranch Tours: In addition to regular meetings, the group organizes visits to local ranches that practice regenerative grazing to visualize on-the-ground results, like forage growth and diversity.
  • Investing in Facilitator Training: Moderators who garnered some form of facilitator training prior to the meetings felt more confident in their ability to manage the discussion and navigate conflict. Moderators established meeting rules for the respectful exchange of ideas. For instance, the phrase “that won’t work here” was not allowed during meetings. Limiting that phrase would hopefully increase dialogue and experimentation of regenerative practices, rather than dismiss opportunities outright. 
  • Transparency in Goals and Objectives: Providing a detailed agenda and introductory discussion prompts prior to the meeting demonstrated respect for participants’ time, structured the meeting, and reinforced the meeting goals and objectives. Invitations to the meetings were transparent in the group’s focus on regenerative practices. This transparency ensured that those attending would bring positivity and open-minds to the meetings. 
  • Making the Time Spent Meaningful: The meeting structure structure
    Something temporarily or permanently constructed, built, or placed; and constructed of natural or manufactured parts including, but not limited to, a building, shed, cabin, porch, bridge, walkway, stair steps, sign, landing, platform, dock, rack, fence, telecommunication device, antennae, fish cleaning table, satellite dish/mount, or well head.

    Learn more about structure     follows an effective 4-hour agenda. The first two hours are an introductory period for attendees to orient themselves to one another through conversation around a regenerative practice-related topic. This conversation is guided by discussion prompts, called “challenge questions,” sent to individuals prior to the meeting for reflection. The second half of the meeting includes more formal presentations by local producers who actively practice regenerative agriculture.

Lessons Learned

A rangeland covered in grasses and small shrubby plants
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  • The size of the group and the layout of the meeting room influences the style of conversation and involvement among participants. Smaller groups might be necessary for initial meetings to ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute in conversation. Thirty participants for the first few meetings proved successful. Participants were encouraged to sit by people they did not know to maximize connection and network growth. Round tables or circular seating, as opposed to long or rectangular tables, created a space for open dialogue. 
  • Participants preferred to lower the cost of attendance by opting for a “potluck”-style menu rather than catering. Committee members worked with local businesses who support regenerative agriculture to help fund other expenses, such as the venue. The first meeting was held in a rented space. Subsequent meetings moved to a free meeting room in a USDA building.
  • The work needed for organizing and running this group was surprisingly minimal. Once it got off the ground, the momentum was driven by invested members who volunteered their time to present, host tours, and serve on the committee. Leadership is also seeing an increase in people interested in joining. 
  • Members within the group felt and demonstrated an abundance of support. Members were thrilled to learn, share similar experiences, and help each other. Despite the majority of the group being strangers to one another prior to joining, many have guided others both inside and outside of meetings, sometimes divulging what some would call “trade secrets” without expectation of reward or fear of advancing their competitors. 

Next Steps

  • As proposed at the second meeting, participants supported the development of a mission statement. Participants and the committee will work together to establish a mission statement for the group. 
  • The group will solidify a new name that reflects their regenerative practice-centric mission. Rancher to Rancher proved too broad and ran the risk of advertising to a wider audience not interested in the goals of the group. Currently, the group is testing the name Eastern Montana Regenerative Ranching. 
  • The group will continue to expand reach and influence by gradually increasing the invitation list. After two meetings with around thirty people in attendance, the committee feels confident in both their ability to facilitate a larger meeting and implementing the practices needed to influence connection and constructive conversation. They hope expanding the group size will meet the growing interest in membership across eastern Montana. 
  • The group will advance regenerative agriculture skills and knowledge as meetings and events continue. For instance, a consultant may be hired to teach marketing to the group. This area of expertise is lacking among group members but can be especially influential to ranching enterprises. The group will decide how to fund this opportunity, but strategies could include applying for grants or requesting a fundraising fee from participants. 

Resources

Contacts

  • Sue FitzGerald, Supervisory District Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service: sue.fitzgerald@usda.gov.
  • Ann Fischer, District Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service: ann.fischer@usda.gov. 

CART Lead Author

Maude Dinan, Program Specialist, USDA Southwest Climate Hub: mdinan@nmsu.edu

The DLN is a peer-to-peer knowledge exchange between climate service providers and resource managers, created to gather and share lessons learned from drought events to prepare for future events. The DLN partners with CART to develop Case Studies, with funding from the National Drought Mitigation Center for interns and coordination support from the USDA Southwest Climate Hub.

Suggested Citation

Dinan, M., E. (2020). “Rancher to Rancher: Building a Community for Conservation in Montana.” CART. Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/project/building-community-conservation.

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