AFT’s Beef Grazing Network

A Producer-Led Mentorship & Marketing Network

American Farmland Trust’s Beef Producer Economic Resilience Initiative, a $42-million project, with $30 million provided by NRCS, is now part of USDA’s Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) program. The project uses a producer-led network approach to transition 700 beef cattle producers across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions to more economically and environmentally resilient operations by increasing the use of sustainable grazing management systems, while also building better market opportunities through producer led mentorship and marketing groups.

• GRANTS: $19.5M in Brighter Future Fund grants will support practices, marketing, mentoring, and network engagement for 700 producers. 

• SYSTEM FUNCTION & SOIL HEALTH: Better grazing can improve forage production, use, and quality; reduce operating costs; and increase cattle gains and carrying capacity. Estimated soil health benefits are about $60 per acre, varying by production system, soils, weather, and management. 

• MARKET ACCESS: Marketing collaboration may yield $30–$60 per head in standard premiums and $20–$100 per head in sustainability-linked premiums. Additionally, groups of producers alongside AFT can more easily access corporate discounts for supplies, equipment, and other needs. 

Partnering with U.S. beef producers to create lasting sustainable beef cattle markets. 

The initiative will: 

• Invest $19.5M directly in 700 producers to adopt better grazing management practices, improve soil health, help reduce risk, and increase returns. 

• Equip producers with tools and training to ensure the ongoing success of their practices.  

• Connect producers with agribusinesses that provide fence, seed, feed, watering, animal health and processing equipment and services needed to transition to sustainable grazing systems. 

• Build beef producer capacity to collaborate on accessing premiums from buyers seeking sustainably grazed beef by aggregating the supply of more consistent beef cattle.  

• Enable creation and implementation of producer-led standards. 

• Strengthen rural economies and supply chain resilience, while improving soil health and all its co-benefits across the landscape.  

• Build upon AFT’s existing and highly successful pilot efforts incorporating technical assistance into peer-to-peer farmer networks through mentorship programs.  

• Support the production of sustainably grazed beef for all levels of markets, from direct sales through local farmers’ markets to regional distribution channels and national and global consumer-facing food companies.  

Projected Impact 

Sustainable grazing and producer-led marketing will strengthen farmers’ and ranchers’ long-term economic and environmental resilience by: 

• Increasing cattle productivity and efficiency 

• Reducing forage and feed costs and risks 

• Adding value in existing markets through cooperative Beef Grazing Network marketing 

• Lowering costs through network purchasing power 

• Accessing new markets for sustainably grazed beef 

• Building healthy soils while reducing erosion, nutrient loss, and water-quality impacts 

• Improving water infiltration, storage, and drainage to increase drought resilience 

• Improving pasture and range productivity through better forage growth and quality 

• Promoting grazing systems with national adoption potential 

Our Methods 

Our project leverages the nationally applicable NRCS Soil Health Management Systems (SHMS), which address 4 soil health principles, as adapted to grazing systems, including minimizing soil disturbance and maximizing soil cover, presence of living roots, and biodiversity (plants and appropriate livestock grazing integration) within the context of each producer.  

In addition, we will facilitate producers in building a self-sustaining producer-led mentorship and marketing network that improves practice adoption, data capture, and market readiness beyond the project period.