Commentary
From April 23 to April 27, we welcomed more than 1,100 people to the ranch for Confluence, followed immediately by American Regeneration. We then hosted 250 farmers who came here to understand what is possible for the future of farming without chemicals. By week’s end, my voice was nearly gone and my body was asking for rest, but there was no time to pay attention to that.
On Thursday, April 30, we received final confirmation that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., would be coming to Sovereignty Ranch.
For my brother, Ryland Engelhart, this was a pinnacle moment in a life spent trying to raise awareness around regenerative agriculture. He founded Kiss the Ground, the nonprofit, produced the films, and has spent years working to move this conversation from the margins into the mainstream. More recently, he has shifted his energy toward American Regeneration, lobbying on behalf of people against agrochemicals and working to bring real solutions into policy conversations. The co-founders of American Regeneration, Rick Clark and Kelly Ryerson, were both here on the ranch alongside him, adding their voices and leadership to this moment. On Saturday, May 2, Kennedy walked this land and heard from farmers, inventors, and people who are actually doing the work.
Of course, people on the internet are angry.
Some are disappointed in this administration’s position on chemicals. Some are angry about glyphosate. Some keep accusing us of platforming Kennedy, which is a funny thing to say. I may have 100,000 followers between accounts and a small, dedicated readership at The Epoch Times, but Kennedy has a platform much larger than mine.
I am not platforming Kennedy.
I am platforming farmers.
I am creating a container where farmers and inventors can have the secretary’s ear. What could be more important than that?
Are we so committed to fighting with each other that we cannot recognize when a door opens? Are we so trapped in our political teams that we would rather scream online than see the value in bringing a federal secretary to a regenerative farm to hear real solutions from real people?
Those of you who read me regularly know I have little to no faith in government to fix our problems. I believe the future will be built by families, farmers, builders, entrepreneurs, churches, communities, and people willing to do the hard work with their own hands.
But anytime we can get this conversation out of the echo chamber and into the real world, that is a good thing.
Multiple news channels were here. The Epoch Times had reporters and film crews here for days prior to Kennedy’s arrival. Every bit of attention we can capture for regenerative farming matters. These farmers deserve to be seen. These inventors deserve to be heard. These solutions deserve more than a niche audience.
For those in the movement who are disappointed with Trump’s stance on glyphosate, I understand that disappointment, but we cannot throw out the baby with the bathwater. In this case, we cannot throw out the secretary with the president.
Kennedy showed up on a small regenerative farm not just to make a speech, but to listen. He came to hear from people on the ground who are building solutions that rarely get enough attention.
In the days before his visit, the anticipation on the ranch is was palpable. Nobody knew exactly how it would go. There were food orders, schedules, sheriffs, marshals, green room requirements, metal detectors, and layers of logistics I had never dealt with before.
I will share how it all unfolded in the days ahead.
