The Common Ground Coalition held its Midwest Regional Summit in late May in Omaha, NE, the second stop in a four-region tour to strengthen the livestock industry and build consensus on practical solutions that support rural communities and secure the U.S. food supply.
Doug Shepperd, a cattle producer and feeder from Nebraska, said the goal is to ensure livestock producers’ long-term success.
“It’s all about finding a path that allows producers, especially at the cow-calf level, to enter into and continue to grow in this business so we can preserve this industry for the future,” he said.
During the summit, attendees identified key priorities aimed at protecting the future of the livestock industry by expanding access to land and capital, supporting emerging producers, building the workforce pipeline, and improving risk management tools.
They agreed the following solutions would positively impact the industry:
• Expanding access to capital through improvements to Farm Service Agency lending programs, increased flexibility in financing and reforms to address the timelines for when producers can be defined as “young,” “beginning” or “emerging.”
• Exploring innovative funding approaches that leverage existing revenue streams and investor-backed mechanisms to expand access to affordable capital for livestock producers, particularly those entering or growing within the industry.
• Enhancing risk management opportunities by expanding Livestock Risk Protection coverage to include beef stock cows and beef cull cows, while improving affordability and increasing adoption through producer and lender education.
• Developing mentorship, succession and land transition pathways to help people enter the industry, grow their operations and connect with established producers through lease-to-own arrangements, partnerships and succession planning tools.
• Improving the livestock workforce pipeline through expanded internships, apprenticeships, career development opportunities and partnerships with high schools, vocational programs, colleges and agricultural education organizations.
• Advancing targeted H-2A guest worker reforms by reducing or eliminating seasonality restrictions to better reflect year-round livestock operations. Expanding program eligibility to include livestock auction markets, feedyards and dairies and streamlining the renewal process to improve workforce stability.
• Improving access to affordable healthcare and benefits to support workforce retention in rural communities.
• Advancing tax policy improvements, including Section 179 enhancements, capital gains modifications and 2032A revisions, to support reinvestment and land transfer for agricultural use.
• Improving access to land by expanding grazing opportunities on public lands, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres and other underutilized resources, while reforming CRP to allow more flexible and timely grazing, especially in advance of and during drought conditions.
• Enhancing Environmental Quality Incentives Program and cost-share programs to better reflect current input costs and improve program usability.
Reflecting on the outcomes, Wyoming rancher Andrew Wasserburger said there was strong alignment in the room around what’s making it harder for livestock producers and operators to stay in or grow in this business—and what needs to change.
“As participants, we were challenged to look beyond our individual operations and focus on solutions that could deliver lasting, generational impact—ensuring livestock producers, especially ranching families, have the opportunity to grow and remain on the land for years to come,” he said.
Attendees for the Midwest Region Summit were selected through a process that began with the coalition’s original supporters from the Denver 2025 summit and expanded through nominations and outreach to producers across the country.
“There are thousands of people we could invite,” said founding coalition member and summit moderator Jake Parnell. “But, to make these conversations most effective, we bring together a smaller group of people who represent different perspectives and can take these ideas back to their communities.”
Attendees included:
• Alabama: Eric Smith.
• California: Jake Parnell.
• Iowa: Doug Schroeder.
• Kansas: David Clawson, Barb Downey, Coffman Liggett, Caleb Mattix, Joe Morgan, Jay Rezac, Dr. Corbin Stevens and Shane Tiffany.
• Minnesota: Joe Wagner.
• Missouri: Ethan Stenger.
• Montana: Joe Goggins.
• Nebraska: Chase Albers, Jerry Connealy, Sara Cover, Jason Hoffman, Jared Krause, Tim Meyer, Dr. Todd Milton, Dustin Rippe, Paul Schadegg, Jake Scott, Doug Shepperd and Brock Terrell.
• North Dakota: Chad Ellingson, Gene Harris and Jamie Hauge.
• South Dakota: Pat Maher and David Uhrig.
• Texas: Warren White.
• Wisconsin: Brian McCulloh.
• Wyoming: Andrew Wasserburger.
To learn more or to sign on to the Common Ground Coalition, visit commongroundcoalition.net. — Common Ground Coalition
