Creating a

producer-led

food system.

The ag industry is 

BROKEN

The agricultural system is broken — and no one knows it better than producers. Farmers and ranchers shoulder the greatest risk in our food system yet receive only a small share of the food dollar. Rising costs, volatile markets, and corporate consolidation continue to squeeze margins, strip away producer control, and drain value from rural communities, while deteriorating soils threaten the long-term future of American agriculture.

  • Share of the Food dollar

    Out of every $1 spent on food, farmers and ranchers make only 9.1 cents.

  • Rancher vs retail Price

    The gap between what ranchers receive versus the retail price of beef continues to grow larger.

  • Market Consolidation

    In 1975, the “Big Four” controlled just 28% of beef processing. Today, they dominate 85%, leaving ranchers with far less control over the market.

  • INput Prices vs Crop Prices

    The price of inputs is outpacing the price of crops.

  • off-Farm Income

    Farm income used to provide a majority of the income for farm households. Now, about 80% of the average farm household’s income comes from off-farm jobs.

ROOTWARD IS OUT TO CHANGE THIS. WE ARE REBUILDING THE FOOD SYSTEM FROM THE GROUND UP.

We’re building a new, local, and resilient food system — one that puts control back in the hands of farmers and ranchers, and strength back into rural communities. We help producers restore their soil, pay premium prices for what they grow, process their goods, and sell them directly to consumers. Then we share the profits from those sales with the folks who raised the food. The result is a food system where the land and the people who work it can thrive together. It’s the way agriculture ought to be: fair, local, and resilient.

WHAT WE DO 

DIFFERENTLY

  • By selling goods to Rootward, producers will gain equity in the cooperative. The cooperative has a majority of Rootward’s voting rights, meaning that farmers and ranchers have real ownership and control over their futures.

  • Producers own the cooperative that controls Rootward, earning equity in the co-op through the goods they sell, not just cash they invest.

  • We are going to construct regional crop processing infrastructure and partner with local meat processors. This will allow us to aggregate, process, package, and distribute all of the meat, crops, and other goods from our producers.

  • We will work with our cooperative members to come up with stewardship standards that reflect the realities of local farms and ranches.

  • We will be selling our goods directly to consumers as much as possible to maximize profitability for our members.

  • Our contracts to buy goods will have 3-year terms and fixed prices that are far above commodity prices. This will provide our producers with certainty for a rolling 3-year time period.

“WHAT I STAND FOR

IS WHAT I STAND ON.”

Wendell Berry

HOW TO JOIN THE CO-OP

  • If you’re interested in joining or learning more, please reach out to us using the button below, email us at info@rootward.com, or give us a call at (970) 425-3073. We look forward to hearing from you!

  • We will ask you to sign a non-binding letter of interest. These letters demonstrate genuine interest to investors and allow us to begin formal negotiations with potential partners. You are not locked in until a final contract is signed.

  • We will be hosting monthly meetings starting in February 2026. We will meet in-person in Sterling, but will also offer options to join virtually or obtain recordings of the meetings.

Contact Us

JOIN US AS WE REBUILD THE FOOD SYSTEM

If you’re interested in learning more about the co-op, investing, or just have some ideas or thoughts you would like to share, we would love to hear from you!

(970) 425-3073 | info@rootward.com