WESTERN SUSTAINABILITY EXCHANGE

REGENERATIVE RANCHER NETWORK: WSE PROMOTED REGENERATIVE RANCHING PRACTICES THROUGH WEBINARS, WORKSHOPS, AND FIELD TOURS HIGHLIGHTING SPECIFIC PRACTICES AND WORKING ONE-ON-ONE WITH RANCHERS TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES ON THEIR LAND. WE ORGANIZED AND CO-SPONSORED FIVE WORKSHOPS AND FIELD DAYS. WE ALSO CREATED THREE WEBINARS ON HEALTHY SOILS AND IMPROVED GRAZING PRACTICES. IN 2024, 973 LANDOWNERS PARTICIPATED IN WORKSHOPS AND FIELD DAYS OF WHICH WE PARTICIPATED AS ORGANIZERS OR SPEAKERS. TO HELP RANCHERS MAINTAIN PROGRESS, WE ORGANIZED MONTHLY "BULL SESSIONS" AS A PEER-TO-PEER ZOOM-BASED MEETING SPACE FOR THEM TO SHARE HOW REGENERATIVE PRACTICES WORK IN MONTANA. OVER 200 RANCHERS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS PEER NETWORK. WE ALSO ISSUE A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER, FOR WHICH WE HAVE OVER 700 SUBSCRIBERS, OF WHICH NEARLY HALF ARE RANCHERS AND/OR LANDOWNERS. TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPREHENSIVE NATURE OF REGENERATIVE MANAGEMENT AND HOW TO MEASURE THEIR PROGRESS, WSE IS CREATING TWO TOOLS FOR LANDOWNERS TO USE TO ASSESS THE CURRENT STATE OF THEIR OPERATION AND TRACK PROGRESS OVER TIME: A REGENERATIVE RANCH GUIDE AND A LAND HEALTH DASHBOARD. THE REGENERATIVE RANCH GUIDE IS AN ONLINE ASSESSMENT TOOL THAT OUTLINES THE EIGHT FOCUS AREAS OF REGENERATIVE MANAGEMENT (SOIL, WATER, LAND, LIVESTOCK, GRAZING, ECONOMICS, BIODIVERSITY, AND PEOPLE). THE GUIDE HELPS THE USER BETTER UNDERSTAND REGENERATIVE PRINCIPLES AND PROVIDES A BASELINE VALUATION FOR THEIR OPERATION IN EACH AREA. RANCHERS RECEIVE A REPORT AT THE END WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. THE LAND HEALTH DASHBOARD IS BEING DESIGNED TO DISPLAY INFORMATION ON VARIOUS ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS RANCHERS CAN USE TO INFORM THEIR MANAGEMENT DECISIONS, SUCH AS WEATHER CONDITIONS, CHANGES TO THE PERCENT OF BARE GROUND, SNOWPACK LEVELS, SOIL MOISTURE AND OTHER RELEVANT DATA. MONTANA GRASSLAND CARBON PROGRAM: TO ECONOMICALLY INCENTIVIZE RANCHERS TO SWITCH TO REGENERATIVE METHODS, WSE ORGANIZES RANCHER PARTICIPATION IN THE GROWING VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKET THROUGH OUR MONTANA GRASSLANDS CARBON INITIATIVE. THE PROGRAM PROTECTS MONTANA'S REMARKABLE NATURAL RESOURCE HERITAGE, CAPTURES DANGEROUS CARBON DIOXIDE OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE, BOLSTERS THE PROFITABILITY OF FAMILY RANCHES BY REDUCING OPERATING COSTS AND INCREASING LAND PRODUCTIVITY, AND PROVIDES ADDITIONAL INCOME THROUGH CARBON OFFSET PAYMENTS. IN 2024, WSE RECRUITED SIX RANCHES (TOTALING 125,000 ACRES) TO CONTRACTUALLY COMMIT TO USING REGENERATIVE GRAZING PRACTICES FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS. TO ENSURE THE MODEL AND OUR PROGRAM WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT CARBON CAPTURE, THE PROGRAM WAS SCRUTINIZED BY THE VERRA STANDARDS REGISTRY AND RECEIVED VALIDATION STATUS IN 2023. WE ARE THE FIRST GRASSLAND CARON CAPTURE PROGRAM TO RECEIVE THIS INDEPENDENT VALIDATION. THE RESULTING CARBON ASSETS ARE NOW REGISTERED ON THE VERRA CARBON EXCHANGE, AND TRADABLE CARBON CREDITS ARE BEING SOLD ON THE VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKET. THIS PROGRAM IS THE LARGEST GRASSLAND CARBON CAPTURE PROJECT IN THE U.S. AND THE SECOND LARGEST WORLDWIDE. LIVINGSTON FARMERS MARKET: IN ADDITION TO THE MANY ACTIVITIES WITHIN THESE PRIMARY WORK AREAS, WSE OPERATES THE LIVINGSTON FARMERS MARKET. OUR FARMERS MARKET PROVIDES AN OUTLET FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS TO PROVIDE LOCAL SOURCES OF FOOD FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS AND LOW INCOME SENIOR CITIZENS AND FAMILIES. IN 2024, WE OFFERED 230 VENDORS WITH THIS MARKETING OPPORTUNITY FOR SIXTEEN WEEKS DURING THE SUMMER. OUR "SPECIAL DAYS" PROGRAMMING FEATURED MANY OF THE SERVICES PARK COUNTY AGENCIES AND NONPROFITS OFFER OUR CITIZENS TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THESE SERVICES, BUILD AWARENESS AND SUPPORT FOR OUR MANY LOCAL NONPROFITS, AND ATTRACT A BROADER CROSS-SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY TO THE MARKET. WSE PROVIDED 48 VOUCHERS TO LOW INCOME SENIOR CITIZENS THROUGH THE SENIOR FARMERS MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM. THIS STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE LOW INCOME SENIORS WITH ACCESS TO LOCALLY GROWN FRUITS, VEGETABLES, HONEY AND HERBS. IN 2024, WSE PROVIDED 99 SENIORS WITH VOUCHERS TO BUY FOOD FROM OUR VENDORS. WSE ALSO ORGANIZED VOLUNTEER PROXY SHOPPERS TO SHOP FOR SENIORS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE MARKET. THE LFRC HEALTHY-FAMILIES FARMERS MARKET TENT, IN COLLABORATION WITH WSE, WAS CREATED IN 2021 TO INCREASE ACCESS TO LOCAL PRODUCE FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES AND PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THOSE IN NEED. IN 2024, THAT PROGRAM SERVED 653 HOUSEHOLDS, DISTRIBUTING 6,252 FOR LOCAL PRODUCE TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AGED FIVE AND YOUNGER AND PREGNANT WOMEN TO BUY FRESH PRODUCE FROM LOCAL FARMERS AT THE MARKET. NOT ONLY DOES THIS ENCOURAGE BETTER NUTRITION IN THE HOME, IT ENGAGES FAMILIES IN A COMMUNITY EVENT THAT THEY OFTEN FEEL EXCLUDED FROM WHILE SUPPORTING THE VITAL WORK OF OUR MONTANA FARMERS. THE HEALTHY FAMILIES TENT IS ALSO WHERE THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) RECIPIENTS CAN REDEEM THEIR BENEFITS TO BUY FRESH EGGS, PRODUCE AND MEAT. THE STATE MATCHES EVERY SNAP DOLLAR REDEEMED WITH A DOUBLE SNAP "DOLLAR" UP TO 20 PER WEEK, WHICH CAN BE USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR FRESH PRODUCE. THE SNAP & DOUBLE SNAP PROGRAMS SAW A COMBINED USE OF 472. WHILE THAT NUMBER SEEMS LOW, THE LIVINGSTON FARMERS MARKET IS CURRENTLY ONE OF ONLY TWO FAMERS MARKETS IN PARK, GALLATIN, AND SWEET GRASS COUNTIES WITH THESE PROGRAMS, AND WE EXPECT THE NUMBER TO INCREASE AS PEOPLE DISCOVER THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM. THE LIVINGSTON FARMERS MARKET HAS WON BEST FARMERS MARKET IN MONTANA THROUGH A NATIONAL COMPETITION SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL FARMERS COALITION AND AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS IN A ROW.