Constance Wilson MACP, MSN, NP-C works as a nurse practitioner, minister, counselor, farmer and mom in pursuit of what is real and renewing in life. She seeks to help others cultivate both a practical and nourishing experience of what it means to engage one’s deep passions and values while tending to one’s deep needs. She’s collaborated with RMFU and AgWell to provide training in empathetic listening, mindfulness and wellbeing.

Roundtable Facilitator

‘How are you, really?”: Supporting rancher wellbeing for one another

As a trained soil scientist and agronomist, Patrick O’Neill advocates for soil health education and practice implementation as a consultant to farmers and ranchers and through volunteer efforts with the conservation districts in his watershed. He is the principle at Soil Health Services and is skilled in Soil Health and Soil Fertility Development, Pest Control, Environmental Awareness, Agronomy, Water Resource Management, and Plant Nutrition. Patrick has a Master of Science (MS) degree in Soil Science from Washington State University, and has served as a supervisor for the Mosca-Hooper Conservation District in Alamosa County, within the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Patrick advises row crop farmers growing potatoes, cereals and forages, to help them accomplish their goals of improved soil health. This work involves assisting in cover crop selection, seed mix ratios, utilization timing, integration of livestock grazing and microbial inoculant selection and on-farm development. He also works to identify ways to add to the farm’s resilience, specifically to carefully manage production costs through soil health principle applications. This work to create healthier soils rose from an aversion to toxins in food production along with a dedication to developing healthier farming systems for the farmers and their customers.

Roundtable Facilitator

Creative Solutions to Addressing Labor Challenges in Agriculture

As co-owner of Hoaganie Farm Products, a cattle and grass farming operation just outside of College Station, TX, P. Wade Ross is a fourth generation farmer, on land that has been in his been in his family since the 1800’s.
P. Wade’s parents, W. Wade & Anita Ross, established the Texas Small Farmers & Ranchers Community-Based Organization in 1998. Previously serving as the organization’s Education Director, P. Wade accepted the role of Chief Executive the wake of the pandemic shut down, to help keep the mission of serving Black Farmers moving forward into the “connected age”.
Recognized around the state of Texas as a voice and change agent for small farmers of color, Mr. Ross serves on numerous boards, coalitions, and collaboratives throughout the South. This includes recently being selected to serve East Texas in the newly formulated Delta Regional Food Business Center.
In the past year, P. Wade has been featured in articles by CNN, The Dallas Morning News, Wall Street Journal, and The Austin Chronicle around the important subject of racial equity and social justice.
From their massive past efforts, Texas Small Farmers & Ranchers/ CBO is credited by many for the large number of census responses from black farmers–it is said to be unprecedented in the history of census of Texas. In 2012, his father and organization founder W. Wade Ross, received USDA’s Secretary’s Honor Award “for forging partnerships and other entities leading to changes that promote sustainability”.

Plenary Speaker

A Rising Tide Raises All Boats

In this brief presentation, P. Wade Ross will share his family journeys since acquisition of their family land in the late 1800’s, their families, separation and return to the land, recent struggles and conflict within their family farm and within their organization around the topic of regenerative ag and adopting climate smart practices, the state of Black Farmers, and solutions to move the economic needle to benefit all.

Carrie Balkcom Is the Executive Director of the American Grassfed Association. AGA is the National, multispecies entity organized to protect and promote Grassfed and pasture-based farmers and ranchers.
AGA has standards for ruminants, dairy, pork and poultry.
AGA is the leader in pasture-based production and the oldest grassfed certification in the United States. AGA certifies ruminants, pork and dairy. AGA is the only USA only grassfed certification.
Carrie grew up on a Florida cattle ranch and has stayed connected to the agriculture and livestock industry. She has spoken, presented or coordinated for the past 25 years numerous regional and national conferences; and is well known in agricultural, culinary and sustainable agricultural circles.
AGA has been advocating for a change to the policy of allowing offshore beef to be labeled product of the USA, and through the hard work of allot of folks including AGA, this egregious mislabeling has been changed by the USDA. The rules go into effect at the end of 2025. AGA also works on federal food policy that affects pasture based American Family Farmers.

Roundtable Facilitator

Challenges and Solutions to Navigating Animal Health

Don owns and operates Grassfed Livestock Alliance, LLC (GLA), a
coalition of Grassfed producers. GLA was formed in 2006 to provide a
fair and sustainable market for family farms and ranches that put their
care, labor, and reputation into the quality of meats they raise. GLA
currently supplies local Grassfed beef to Whole Foods Market locations
in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Don grew up in Austin, Texas and currently ranches in the Texas Hill
Country with his wife, Debbie, where they raise conservation heritage
Texas Longhorn cattle. Don is a past president of American Grassfed
Association and is currently on its Board of directors and chairs its
Standards/Certification Committee.

Roundtable Facilitator

American Grassfed Association Standards Updates

Kathy is the food advocacy manager at TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation. The ranch exists to practice and promote regenerative agriculture, inspire and catalyze action to transform five million acres to regenerative land management, and to shift five million eaters to purchase food raised from regenerative farms. Growing up in California, Kathy studied nutrition/dietetics at CSU Chico State and is passionate about food and farming. She has been with the ranch since 2007 and, in 2008, helped launch the ranch’s grassfed beef business, LeftCoast GrassFed. Kathy is on on the board of American Grassfed Association and is the vice president. At TomKat Ranch, she works on various projects, including Beef2Institution, improving the quality of school food, overcoming processing issues for ranchers, certification adherence and implementation, and building consumer demand for regenerative agriculture.

Roundtable Facilitator

American Grassfed Association Standards Updates