BRINGING THE FARM(ER) INTO THE ROOM

Trade shows are fascinating places.

Put enough people in a convention center and eventually every challenge facing humanity will be discussed over coffee, a folding table, and an aggressively optimistic PowerPoint presentation.

The INFRA Tabletop Buying Show was no exception.

In fairness, this is probably preferable to discussing humanity’s greatest challenges over no coffee at all, which history has repeatedly shown to be a dangerous proposition.

Over the course of the week, I spoke with retailers, distributors, brand leaders, certifiers, advocates, and a healthy collection of people who could explain consumer purchasing behavior with the confidence of someone reading tea leaves. There were conversations about regenerative agriculture. Conversations about merchandising. Conversations about certification, storytelling, retailer education, consumer education, pricing, packaging, supply chains, and what the future of food might look like. As someone representing the Regenerative Organic Alliance, it was genuinely encouraging to hear how many people want Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) to succeed. Retailers told me they’re hearing more questions about regenerative agriculture than ever before. Brands shared stories of investments they’ve made, transitions they’ve supported, and commitments they’ve doubled down on. Industry partners spoke about opportunities to bring regenerative products to more consumers and more shelves.

In short, there was no shortage of people talking about the future of regenerative organic agriculture.

Yet, somewhere around the second day, I took note of something; I hadn’t spoken with a farmer.

Well, almost.

I did have the pleasure of connecting with Brooks Miller, CEO and farmer behind Earth Fed Muscle. Earth Fed Muscle isn’t a ROC™ brand (yet, but we’re comin’ for you!), but Brooks brought something to the conversation that immediately stood out: the perspective of someone who is both building a business and actively working the land. In a week filled with conversations about agriculture, it was a welcome reminder that there is simply no substitute for hearing directly from the people closest to the work itself.

It also served as confirmation that farmers tend to possess a level of practical wisdom that can only be acquired by making a living from weather patterns, soil biology, and machinery specifically engineered to break down at the least convenient moment possible.

Still, the observation stayed with me.

Because when you spend several days surrounded by conversations about food, you eventually notice when the people responsible for growing it aren’t standing beside you.

The Curious Absence

The more I thought about it, the more I realized this wasn’t really a criticism. It was a reminder.

One of the strange realities of modern food systems is that the farther you move down the supply chain, the easier it becomes to spend your time talking about farmers rather than talking with them. The irony, of course, is that farmers were everywhere at INFRA.

Not physically.

But conversationally.

They appeared in discussions about sourcing.

They appeared in conversations about soil health.

They appeared in debates about certification.

They appeared in discussions about consumer education, supply chains, retailer engagement, and regenerative agriculture. In many ways, they were some of the most frequently referenced people in the building. And yet, from my vantage point, they were harder to find. To be fair, I should acknowledge a limitation of my own observation…

The ROA team couldn’t be everywhere at once. We weren’t in every breakout conversation, every networking event, every retailer gathering, and every impromptu discussion that happened throughout the week. For all I know, there may have been more farmers in attendance than I realized, having fantastic conversations while I was busy discussing endcaps, certifications, or searching for my next source of sustenance.

My observation isn’t that farmers weren’t at the show. It’s that I didn’t encounter many of them.

And that realization got me thinking about something potentially larger. Among everyone involved in this movement, farmers may be the most deeply tied to place.

Retailers serve communities, but they can travel. Brands build markets and relationships across states, regions, and continents. Distributors move products all over the place. Consumers move between stores, neighborhoods, and increasingly, online marketplaces.

But farmers remain tethered to something different… the land. A farm is not simply a place of business. It is a place of responsibility. The crops cannot be relocated to a conference center for a few days. The livestock cannot be delegated to a breakout session. The soil continues its work whether anyone is paying attention or not.

As a farmer, staying is often part of the job. As a brand, moving is often part of the job.

One spends their days persuading soil to cooperate, the other spends their days persuading humans to cooperate.

Neither task appears particularly easy.

And hidden within our modern food system is an interesting tension: the people closest to production are often the people least able to leave it behind. At the same time, many of the conversations shaping the future of food happen in places that require movement; industry gatherings, trade shows, retailer meetings, conferences, and boardrooms.

One group is rooted. The others are mobile. Neither is wrong. Both are necessary. But it raises an important question:

How do we keep the most place-based voices connected to conversations that increasingly happen in motion?

After all, this conference was in July.

The farmers are probably busy farming. Crops continue growing with a disregard for conference calendars. Livestock remain unimpressed by keynote speakers. And no amount of networking can convince a weed to postpone its plans for world domination until after the closing reception. Frankly, if I had found hundreds of farmers wandering a convention center in the middle of July, I might have become concerned.

The Story Behind the Product

One of the things I appreciate most about spending time with ROC™ brands is how quickly a conversation about a product becomes a conversation about a producer.

Ask about coffee and you’ll hear about a growing region.

Ask about chocolate and you’ll hear about soil health.

Ask about ingredients and you’ll hear about long-term partnerships, agricultural practices, and the people stewarding the land behind the supply chain.

The product is often just the beginning of the story. As it should be.

Nobody regenerates a landscape from a convention center. No panel discussion has ever planted a cover crop. No keynote presentation has ever rotated livestock… Although I suspect at least one keynote speaker somewhere has tried. The real work happens somewhere else; on farms, ranches, and landscapes most consumers will never see. Yet throughout this past INFRA Conference, I was reminded that many ROC™ brands understand this deeply.

Again and again, conversations that could have been solely about products became conversations about relationships.

Relationships with producers.

Relationships with land.

Relationships that often span years, and in some cases generations.

What stood out wasn’t simply a commitment to regenerative organic agriculture. It was a commitment to keeping producers connected to the larger story.

Carrying the Voice Forward

The longer I reflected on it, the more I began to appreciate one of the less visible roles ROC™ brands play. They are translators.

The farmer stays. The brand travels.

The farmer tends the land. The brand carries the story.

The farmer builds the practice. The brand helps build the audience.

Straightly put; ROC™ brands help connect farms to consumers. They help connect soil health to shopping carts. They help connect agricultural practices to purchasing decisions. They help carry stories across a supply chain that can sometimes feel disconnected from its own beginnings. In many cases, the brands at the INFRA Conference were doing something much bigger than simply peddling their wares… They were bringing farmer perspectives into conversations where those producers couldn’t be physically present.

That may not show up on a package. It may not fit neatly into a merchandising strategy.

But it matters.

Because regenerative organic agriculture has always been built on relationships, not transactions.

Bringing ROC™ to the Shelf

One of the clearest examples of that spirit came from the ROC™ brands that partnered with us at INFRA to help introduce ROC-tober; an initiative designed to make regenerative organic products more visible, discoverable, and approachable for retailers and consumers alike.

For the first time, we brought the campaign to life, in-person, through a fully merchandised ROC™ endcap display. Our goal was simple: help retailers tangibly see whats possible when regenerative organic products are brought together in one place and supported by a shared story. After all, consumers can’t choose what they are unable to discover.

And while I remain optimistic about the future of regenerative organic agriculture, I have yet to witness a consumer enthusiastically purchase a product they never noticed was sitting on the shelf. Human beings continue to be surprisingly committed to this particular habit.

One of the recurring themes I heard throughout the week was that retailers want ROC™ to succeed. They understand the promise of regenerative organic agriculture and they want to support it. What they’re often looking for are practical tools that help connect those values to real-world purchasing decisions.

ROC-tober was created with exactly that challenge in mind.

The campaign aims to provide independent retailers with creative assets, educational resources, merchandising materials, and promotional support to help execute dedicated ROC™ endcaps and in-store displays during the month of October. The goal isn’t simply to showcase products. It’s to make regenerative organic agriculture easier to discover, easier to understand, and easier to shop.

The endcap we showcased at INFRA would not have been possible without the support of an incredible group of ROC™ brands that stepped up to help bring the concept to life.

A special thank you to Lundberg Family Farms, Dr. Bronner’s, Frontier Co Op, Magic Chocolate, Gaia Herbs, Sambazon, Ancient Nutrition, Wild Oats, Simpli, Roaring Fork Mill, Wild Orchard, Steaz, Lil Bucks, Jovial, and Recoup Beverages for contributing products and partnering with us to demonstrate what a fully regenerative organic merchandising experience can look like in-store.

Collectively, their contributions transformed a simple endcap into something far more meaningful. It also transformed our booth into one of the few places at the event where a person could discuss regenerative organic agriculture while simultaneously becoming hungry.

More importantly, these brands showed up. They showed up for the Regenerative Organic Alliance. They showed up for independent retailers. They showed up for the broader movement. And they showed up for the farmers and producers whose work ultimately makes regenerative organic products possible. In an industry where everyone is juggling competing priorities, that kind of participation shouldn’t be taken for granted.

The ROC-tober display wasn’t simply a collection of products on a shelf. It was a demonstration of what collaboration can look like when brands invest not only in their own success, but in the success of a larger movement.

What struck me also wasn’t simply a fantastic collection of products. It was what the display represented. Each package traced back to a farm. Each product represented land being stewarded differently. Each brand represented a commitment to supporting producers working toward a more regenerative future. Standing beside that endcap, I found myself thinking that perhaps this is how movements grow… not through grand declarations, but one shelf, one store, and one conversation at a time.

A Quick Word About the People Behind the Event

Before wrapping up, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge and give high praise to the team at INFRA. From the moment we began planning our presence at the show, the INFRA team was an exceptional partner.

Whether it was helping us think through the ROC-tober activation, answering questions, solving last-minute challenges, or ensuring we had what we needed to succeed, their support always seemed to appear exactly when and where it was needed.

More importantly, every interaction carried the same spirit: collaborative, welcoming, and genuinely invested in helping others succeed. That kind of culture doesn’t happen by accident.

While culture is always a team effort, it was hard not to notice the influence of INFRA CEO Pat Sheridan throughout the week.

Pat delivered a fantastic keynote to kick off the event. But what stood out even more wasn’t the keynote itself; it was his presence. He seemed to be everywhere.

On the show floor.
In conversations.
Answering questions.
Connecting people.
Checking in with members.
Supporting partners.
Attending evening gatherings long after the formal programming had ended.

At several points during the week, I briefly considered the possibility that INFRA had quietly developed a cloning program. It was the only explanation that seemed reasonable.

And somehow each morning, there he was again… fully engaged, welcoming, energized, and ready to do it all over again. He remained friendly and approachable throughout it all. He’s a natural at making himself available. Whether speaking with longtime members, first-time attendees, brand representatives, or industry partners, he consistently created space for conversation. He listened. He offered guidance. He answered questions. He connected people.

There is a certain kind of leadership that comes from a title. There is another kind that comes from showing up. Throughout the week, Pat embodied the latter.

As a staunch supporter of the work being done by the Regenerative Organic Alliance, he also demonstrated something I believe is increasingly important for the broader regenerative movement: the understanding that meaningful change happens through relationships.

The regenerative future many of us talk about won’t be built solely through certifications, business strategies, marketing campaigns, or product innovation. It will be built by leaders who bring people together, create space for collaboration, and remain committed to serving something larger than themselves.

In that regard, Pat serves as a wonderful example, not just for independent retailers, but for the entire regenerative organic community.

I’d also be remiss not to recognize Rachel Comeaux, INFRA’s Sustainability Manager, whose partnership has been instrumental to the development of ROC-tober from the very beginning. Long before the endcap was assembled, before the products arrived, and before retailers began walking through our activation space, Rachel was helping us think through a much more important question:

How do we create something genuinely useful for independent retailers?

As one of our earliest collaborators on the ROC-tober initiative, Rachel helped guide us through the realities of the independent retail landscape, offering valuable perspective on how INFRA members tend to operate, what resources would be most helpful, and how we could position the campaign to best support stores looking to engage consumers around regenerative organic products.

Throughout the planning process, she wasn’t simply a participant in the conversation, she was a truly active partner. Anyone who has worked on a project like this knows there is a world of difference between someone who approves of an idea and someone who helps build it.

Rachel helped build this.

Anyone can attend a meeting. Fewer people volunteer to improve an idea. Fewer still roll up their sleeves and help carry the thing uphill. Just like Pat Sheridan, Rachel belongs firmly in that last category.

And on behalf of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, I’m deeply grateful for her partnership, Pat’s Partnership, and the partnership we continue to build with the whole team at INFRA.

My Biggest Takeaway

I arrived at INFRA expecting to learn about brands and products. I left thinking about connections. Connections between retailers and brands. Between consumers and producers. Between conferences and farms. Between the people who move and the people who stay.

Yes, I found myself wishing I had the opportunity to spend more time speaking directly with farmers. Conversations like the one I had with Brooks Miller reminded me how valuable those perspectives are. But I also left deeply encouraged by the brands that showed up.

Brands willing to invest in regenerative organic agriculture, willing to support independent retailers, willing to partners with organizations like The Regenerative Organic Alliance, willing to help launch initiatives like ROC-tober, And brands willing to tell stories that keep farmers connected to the broader conversations shaping the future of food.

Because while farmers may not always be in the room, the best brands make sure their voices are. Which is fortunate, because asking farmers to leave their fields every time we want to have an important conversation would quickly create a very different, and far less delicious set of problems.

And perhaps that’s the most important reason these stories matter. Not because storytelling is good marketing, but because every ROC™ product represents an entire chain of people making intentional choices. A farmer investing in healthier soil. A producer willing to adopt new practices. A brand committed to supporting those efforts. A retailer creating space on the shelf. And ultimately, a consumer deciding whether that story, and the values behind it, deserve a place in their shopping cart. When consumers understand that connection, regenerative organic agriculture stops being an abstract concept, and it becomes personal, tangible, and something they can actively participate in. That’s why it’s so important that these stories continue to move through the supply chain.

From farm to brand. From brand to retailer. From retailer to consumer.

Because the future of regenerative organic agriculture won’t be built solely on great products. It will be built on understanding, connection, relationships, and on helping people recognize that every purchasing decision has the power to support the people, communities, and landscapes behind the food we eat.

After all, every conversation about the future of food begins in the same place. Not in a conference hall, a boardroom, a spreadsheet, and certainly not in an aggressively optimistic PowerPoint presentation, despite the confidence some presentations continue to place in pie charts while never serving any actual pie.

Every conversation about the future of food begins in the soil.

Interested in Participating in ROC-tober?

One of the themes that surfaced repeatedly throughout my time at this year’s INFRA Conference was a simple question:

How do we help more consumers discover, understand, and support regenerative organic agriculture?

ROC-tober is designed to help answer that question.

Through coordinated retail activations, educational storytelling, in-store merchandising, digital content, and collaborative participation from brands and retailers, ROC-tober transforms the month of October into a shared moment for regenerative organic agriculture, bringing together farmers, brands, retailers, and consumers around a common story, and a common purpose.

At its core, ROC-tober is about helping regenerative organic agriculture become more visible where it matters most: at the point of purchase, where curiosity can become understanding, and understanding can become action. It’s about helping retailers tell a bigger story, helping brands amplify the work happening on farms, and helping consumers better understand the people, practices, and principles behind the products they choose to bring home.

Whether you’re a ROC™ brand interested in participating, a retailer interested in creating a dedicated ROC™ display, or a partner looking to help bring regenerative organic storytelling to life in your community, we’d love to hear from you.

Because the more people who participate, the stronger the movement becomes. There will always be plenty of room at the table for people willing to help carry these stories forward.

Interested in learning more about ROC-tober? Reach out to the Regenerative Organic Alliance. We’d be happy to connect.