Mad Agriculture

Our partners & friends at Mad Agriculture recently launched a project dedicated to showcasing the critical role of USDA conservation programs through a blend of data & stories from farmers and ranchers. First, why do USDA Conservation programs matter? USDA conservation programs are critical for advancing regenerative agriculture across the U.S. These programs support practices like no-till farming, biodiversity conservation, & water management, these programs help farmers protect natural resources while enhancing the long-term resilience of their land. 🌱 But...the demand for conservation funding exceeds availability, with only 30-35% of farmer applications being accepted. It’s clear—there is a need to protect & expand these essential programs in the upcoming #FarmBill. Learn more about the farmers who have been impacted by conservation funding at: https://lnkd.in/g2_aYbdx

Join us for a Mad! Roundtable: Monitoring & Marketing Livestock. Thursday Dec. 5 in Greeley, CO, Mad Agriculture is partnering with SnapLands and Grama Grass And Livestock to bring farmers and ranchers an opportunity to get into the details of monitoring & marketing livestock. Dinner is on us with your RSVP! What’s on the Agenda? 💡 Monitoring: Learn how to create and monitor grazing plans to align your management with land resources. 💡 Marketing: Learn how a local farm has used unique story telling and team work to help grow the access to larger markets by selling their products directly to consumers. 💡 Certification Standards: Demystify certifications like AGA and USDA Organic and explore how they build trust with buyers and partners. Meet Our Panelists: 🌾 Clark Harshbarger, Mad Agriculture 🌾 Ryan White, Snaplands 🌾 Brandon Dalton, Snaplands 🌾 Emily Gallagher, Grama Grass & Livestock When: December 5, 2024, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Where: Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, Greeley, CO While this event was created as a way to rap up the West Greeley Conservation District Ag Symposium, all are welcome and this is hosted separate from the Symposium. This event is in partnership with Snaplands and OCIA-TOPP. https://lnkd.in/g_qMBp67

Why USDA Conservation Programs Matter 🌱 (from our friends at Mad Agriculture). USDA conservation programs are critical for advancing regenerative agriculture across the U.S. By supporting practices like no-till farming, pollinator habitats, and water management, these programs help farmers protect natural resources while enhancing the long-term resilience of their land. However, the demand for conservation funding exceeds availability, with only 30-35% of farmer applications being accepted. It’s clear—there is a need to protect and expand these essential programs in the upcoming #FarmBill. Learn more about the farmers who have been impacted by conservation funding across the country. These nine stories produced by Mad Agriculture along with key data visualizations show the impact of USDA programs and how they’re shaping the future of regenerative farming ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2_aYbdx #FarmBill #CultivatingConservation

“Taking this to conventional lenders felt frustrating,” Barsness said. “I was a novice, without a decades-long track record. And traditional lenders usually don’t understand the switch to regenerative — I might as well have been growing bananas and oranges instead of corn and soy. They were skeptical of yields and profitability even once I went organic.” Farmers like Andrew inspire everyone on the Mad Capital team to keep going. We roll up our sleeves and do the nitty-gritty work it takes to build a platform capable of supporting farmers making this transition. From $0 to over $50mm raised in 4 years, we're just getting started. It feels like we're finally hitting an inflection point at Mad as we move closer to making financing regenerative and transitioning farmers the norm.

🌾 Boulder Area Friends – Mark Your Calendars! 🌾 Mad Agriculture is thrilled to invite you to a unique culinary experience on November 16 at Lyons Farmette. This isn’t just any event – it’s an opportunity to explore and enjoy crops from regenerative farm systems that many of us may not even know how to cook with…yet! Farmers only grow what they can sell, so we want to start spotlighting crops that are key to regenerative systems, like perennial grains (think Kernza), nitrogen-fixing crops (chickpeas, lentils), and ancient grains (millet, emmer, farro). These ingredients are not only packed with nutrition but also critical to regenerative farming practices. Our goal? To make these foods accessible, exciting, and fun for everyone. Join us for a one-of-a-kind grits cook-off featuring Colorado’s top chefs, headlined by my son, Chef Cody Candelario – Food Network star and champion of Cutthroat Kitchen, Chopped, and a finalist on Hell’s Kitchen. They’ll compete to create the ultimate dish using Nexty award winning Gruff Ancient Grain Grits (from Regenerative Organic Alliance certified heritage farro grown on the historic Prairie Grass Ranch in Montana’s Golden Triangle). Our esteemed judges include Gruff founder Crystal Manuel, New Hope Network's Carlotta Mast, author Sophie Egan, and Mad's own board chair Robbie Vitrano. 🎟 Use the code MAD at checkout to bring your ticket to $75. Hope to see you there for a night of fun, flavor, and food education!

Our Mad! Giving campaign has begun! 2024 has been a transformative year—one where we’ve deepened our work alongside farmers, expanded regenerative practices, and shared stories of resilience that underscore the strength of our land and communities. Every acre restored, every partnership built, and every story shared brings us closer to a regenerative revolution in agriculture. In the coming weeks we will share more about the impact of this work, so stay tuned. This year, we’re inviting our LinkedIn community to support us in a simple yet powerful way: by signing up for our newsletter. Through this, you’ll stay connected with our mission, gain insights into our work, and discover opportunities to engage with the movement. Together, we can make 2025 our most impactful year yet! https://lnkd.in/gNJWfGxA For those interested in donating, head to madagriculture.org/donate

🌾 Boulder Area Friends – Mark Your Calendars! 🌾 Saturday November 16 at Lyon's Farmette! For some heartwarming news (and we all need some of that right now): Mad Agriculture is hosting a GriTogether cooking competition featuring Mad! farmers Jody and Crystal Manuel, and the ancient grain farro, and staring my darling son and chef extraordinaire Cody Candelario. This isn’t just any event – it’s an opportunity to explore and enjoy a crop from regenerative farm system that many of us may not even know how to cook with…yet! Farmers only grow what they can sell, so we want to start spotlighting crops that are key to regenerative systems, like perennial grains (think Kernza), nitrogen-fixing crops (chickpeas, lentils), and ancient grains (millet, emmer, farro). These ingredients are not only packed with nutrition but also critical to regenerative farming practices. Our goal? To make these foods accessible, exciting, and fun for everyone. Join us for this one-of-a-kind grits cook-off featuring Colorado’s top chefs, and headlined by Cody – Food Network star and champion of Cutthroat Kitchen, Chopped, and a finalist on Hell’s Kitchen. They’ll compete to create the ultimate dish using Nexty award winning Gruff Ancient Grain Grits, from Regenerative Organic Alliance certified heritage farro grown on the historic Prairie Grass Ranch in Montana’s Golden Triangle. https://lnkd.in/eX4HZf2x

Looking for a winter film bash with delicious food to celebrate the coming holidays? We've got just the thing for you! Join us at 7PM on December 10th at the Patagonia Store in Boulder, CO, for a night of films, food, and conversation with local filmmakers and photographers. We'll have a run of four short films, with special guests Micheli Oliver,  Brendan Davis, Bryan Dayton, and Lilah Ann Kohlman. Our lineup of films brings together stories from all over the map—from newlywed cattle ranchers in South Dakota to a seaweed farmer in Kodiak, Alaska, a bison farmer in Canada, and a family in Northern Colorado hoping to heal their relationship with the natural world. After the screening, join us for a thoughtful conversation with the creatives behind these stories and dishes being shared. Together, this panel will discuss the power of community, the importance of food sovereignty, the wisdom of the land, and paths toward a more regenerative future. We will serve small bites prepared by Chef Samuel McCandless of Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality featuring CCC Beef, Gruff Grains, and Patagonia Provisions sardines and crackers. Chef Samuel will prepare regenerative beef meatballs and grits, which will be served alongside Maker's Mark Old Fashioneds and Patagonia Kernza beer. Admission is free, and comes with the chance to win some Mad! swag in a raffle. RSVP to reserve your spot! https://lnkd.in/g4zyY6-c

I'm excited to share a spotlight from Mad Agriculture on a collaborative project transforming a once-abandoned farm in Longmont, CO. DAR is led the regenerative design of this land, incorporating agroforestry to establish a resilient orchard in a region historically challenging for fruit production. Our approach integrates holistic design principles—contour swales for flood irrigation, shelterbelts for wind protection, and intercropped late-blooming varieties of apple, pear, plum, apricot, and cherry trees. These innovations not only restore ecological balance but also revitalize the Front Range’s orchard history. Dive into how we’re demonstrating the future of regenerative orcharding and the role of agroforestry in overcoming regional challenges. Learn more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/ezcN43Pf. Special thanks to Land Stewards Vance Jacobs and Lauren Menschel, to Sophia Piña-McMahon for writing and to Clark Harshbarger for coordinating and coming to get your hands dirty planting trees in the rain. #RegenerativeOrcharding #Agroforestry #LongmontCO #DrylandsAgroecologyResearch #NickDiDomenico #EcologicalRestoration #ClimateAdaptation

🌾 Boulder Area Friends – Mark Your Calendars! 🌾 Mad Agriculture is thrilled to invite you to a unique culinary experience on November 16 at Lyons Farmette. This isn’t just any event – it’s an opportunity to explore and enjoy crops from regenerative farm systems that many of us may not even know how to cook with…yet! Farmers only grow what they can sell, so we want to start spotlighting crops that are key to regenerative systems, like perennial grains (think Kernza), nitrogen-fixing crops (chickpeas, lentils), and ancient grains (millet, emmer, farro). These ingredients are not only packed with nutrition but also critical to regenerative farming practices. Our goal? To make these foods accessible, exciting, and fun for everyone. Join us for a one-of-a-kind grits cook-off featuring Colorado’s top chefs, headlined by my son, Chef Cody Candelario – Food Network star and champion of Cutthroat Kitchen, Chopped, and a finalist on Hell’s Kitchen. They’ll compete to create the ultimate dish using Nexty award winning Gruff Ancient Grain Grits (from Regenerative Organic Alliance certified heritage farro grown on the historic Prairie Grass Ranch in Montana’s Golden Triangle). Our esteemed judges include Gruff founder Crystal Manuel, New Hope Network's Carlotta Mast, author Sophie Egan, and Mad's own board chair Robbie Vitrano. 🎟 Use the code MAD at checkout to bring your ticket to $75. Hope to see you there for a night of fun, flavor, and food education!