HMI Welcomes Newest Whole Farm/Ranch Trainers
- 41 minutes ago
- 3 min read
HMI is excited to announce our new cohort of Whole Farm/Ranch Trainers that have just graduated from HMI's Educator Program. Each of these trainers has gone through practitioner level training before applying to the HMI's Educator Program. The Whole Farm/Ranch Trainer Program is a one-year program. In addition, these trainees were mentored by a number of our educators individually and as teaching assistants in our online courses. Thanks to Linda Pechin-Long, Preston Sullivan, Elizabeth Marks, and Bluesette Campbell for their help in mentoring.
Alyssa Cain is a 4th generation cotton farmer who dabbles in cattle ranching, chicken raising, and direct market meat sales at a community level. Altogether she manages 1600 acres, working to regenerate the land by improving the resiliency and productivity of the soil, and changing the biological community that depends on it by shifting the landscape from brush encroachment to productive grasslands and croplands.
Her goal is to bridge the gap between conventional agriculture and the regenerative movement, helping families see how the values of each family and the need for livelihood can be achieved through sustainable agricultural practices. She has learned that by improving the soil ecology and resiliency of the land and with good family communication and careful financial planning, agriculture can be profitable and enjoyable again.
As co-owner of Hoaganie Farm Products, a cattle and grass farming operation just outside of College Station, TX, P. Wade Ross is a fourth-generation farmer, on land that has been in his been in his family since the 1800’s.
P. Wade’s parents, W. Wade & Anita Ross, established the Texas Small Farmers & Ranchers Community-Based Organization in 1998. Previously serving as the organization’s Education Director, P. Wade accepted the role of Chief Executive in the wake of the pandemic shut down, to help keep the mission of serving Black Farmers moving forward into the “connected age”.Recognized around the state of Texas as a voice and change agent for small farmers of color, Mr. Ross serves on numerous boards, coalitions, and collaboratives throughout the South. This includes recently being selected to serve East Texas in the newly formulated Delta Regional Food Business Center.
In the past year, P. Wade has been featured in articles by CNN, The Dallas Morning News, Wall Street Journal, and The Austin Chronicle around the important subject of racial equity and social justice. He also was a plenary speaker at the 2024 REGENERATE Conference.
From their massive past efforts, Texas Small Farmers & Ranchers/ CBO is credited by many for the large number of census responses from black farmers–it is said to be unprecedented in the history of census of Texas. In 2012, his father and organization founder W. Wade Ross, received USDA’s Secretary’s Honor Award “for forging partnerships and other entities leading to changes that promote sustainability”.
Anne Phillips and her husband Jim milk 135 crossbred cows on their 315 acre farm in Marathon, NY. They have been operating as a seasonal dairy for almost 30 years; certified organic since 2007; 100% grass-fed certified since 2014 and in 2025 became a certified Regenerative dairy.
The Phillips ship their 100% A2 milk to the Origin Nutrition company. Anne and Jim also raise 50 Dorset sheep for meat sales, mainly targeting the Easter market. Anne would like to diversify more—get back into producing beef and pork for direct market channels, and possibly even open a farm-store, but for now, she is too busy with furthering her education in the areas of Permaculture and Regenerative Soils along with her consulting and involvement with HMI as a Holistic Management Educator.
Congratulations to all our new Whole Farm/Ranch Trainers as they join the ranks of regenerative agriculture professionals!
