Rancher relationship layer
Producer goals, contact history, permissions, trusted relationships, peer mentors and next actions.
ARIDON AG · Rancher Network Proposal
PROPOSAL FOR DISCUSSION · THE NATURE CONSERVANCY RGL
Give rancher networks an operating layer without taking the rancher out of the center.
Aridon proposes a 90-day pilot of the Rancher Network OS to help regenerative grazing teams coordinate producer relationships, peer networks, water and drought resilience, funding, agreements, field outcomes and grant reporting across regions.
WHY THIS IS ALIGNED
Build around TNC’s stated rancher-network strategy, not around our product menu.
TNC publicly says its North America Regenerative Grazing Lands strategy aims by 2030 to protect and improve 240 million acres of grazing lands, protect 57 million at-risk acres from conversion and avoid or sequester 7.3 million metric tons of CO₂ per year. It also says a core action is strengthening, connecting and activating local and regional rancher-led networks while helping producers access technical expertise, financial resources and technology. That is the exact workflow this pilot is designed around.
WHAT WE WOULD DEMONSTRATE
Eight connected layers, one producer-centered record.
Grazing + land layer
Plans, rest periods, infrastructure, field observations and program-specific outcome indicators.
Water + drought layer
Wells, tanks, troughs, shortages, drought triggers, water projects and resilience priorities.
Funding layer
Public grants, cost share, conservation finance, sponsor programs and capital planning.
Agreement + grant layer
Deliverables, match requirements, deadlines, evidence, invoices, reporting and ownership.
Network intelligence layer
Aggregate learning across regions without exposing private producer data.
Governance layer
Permissioned sharing, data retention, Tribal data-sovereignty requirements and auditability.
Landscape layer
Regional initiatives, Sentinel Landscapes / REPI-compatible work, habitat and compatible land-use programs.
90-DAY PILOT
Start small enough to learn, large enough to matter.
1
Week 0–2
Co-designMap the current rancher-network workflow, regions, partner handoffs, grant obligations, data permissions and the minimum information field staff actually need.
2
Week 2–4
ConfigureSet up producer intake, network circles, action queue, water/drought profile, funding tracker, grant-compliance milestones and leadership reporting.
3
Week 5–10
RunOnboard a 25–50 rancher pilot cohort with selected TNC staff and partners. Track use, friction, relationship follow-up and program actions.
4
Week 11–13
EvaluateCompare baseline vs. pilot workflow: follow-up speed, reporting burden, producer engagement, funding opportunities surfaced and grant-evidence completeness.
PROPOSED PILOT SCOPE
25–50 ranchers · 2–3 priority regions · 90 days
- 6–12 TNC / partner staff users
- Producer intake and permission framework
- Rancher network / peer-circle workflow
- Water and drought resilience profile
- Funding and agreement tracker
- Grant deliverables and evidence queue
- Leadership dashboard and closeout report
COMMERCIAL PROPOSAL
$50,000 fixed-fee pilot
Planning price for the defined 90-day pilot, including configuration, onboarding, staff training, cohort support, workflow refinement, dashboard and final evaluation. Travel, third-party data, field hardware or custom integrations would be separately approved before expense.
Scale decision: if the pilot earns expansion, price the multi-state enterprise program from actual usage and support requirements rather than guessing today.
SUCCESS SCORECARD
Judge us on whether the network gets easier to run.
Producer engagement
Percent of participating ranchers with a current action plan and agreed next step
Follow-up speed
Median time from producer conversation to assigned action / partner handoff
Network activation
Peer introductions, technical-assistance matches and completed partner connections
Funding conversion
Eligible opportunities surfaced, applications started and awards where measurable
Grant compliance
Deliverables on time, evidence completeness and overdue action reduction
Water resilience
Ranches with baseline water risks documented and prioritized resilience actions
Staff efficiency
Administrative/reporting time reduced or redirected to producer-facing work
Trust + usefulness
Producer and field-staff willingness to continue using the workflow
NON-NEGOTIABLE
Ranchers control their information.
Private ranch-level data should remain permissioned. Public or leadership reporting defaults to aggregate information unless the producer has approved attribution. Tribal participants require governance aligned with the participating Nation’s data-sovereignty requirements.
THE STRATEGIC UPSIDE
The network becomes institutional memory.
Staff turnover no longer erases relationship history. A rancher does not have to retell the entire story every time a program changes. Leaders can see where networks are thriving, where grants are slipping and where producers need help, without flattening local judgment.
HOW TO PRESENT IT
Do not lead with “AI.” Lead with the job they are already trying to do.
1. Open with their mission
“Your rancher-network strategy depends on trusted local relationships, multi-state coordination, funding and measurable outcomes. We built an operating layer around that work.”
2. Show the live rancher journey
Use one fictional ranch from intake → water risk → peer match → funding → project → grant evidence. Make the workflow visible in under five minutes.
3. Show the manager view
Switch to the action queue and show how overdue deliverables, producer follow-ups, funding matches and regional risks surface automatically.
4. Make a small ask
Do not ask for national deployment. Ask for a 90-day, 25–50 rancher pilot in two or three priority regions with a jointly agreed scorecard.
5. End on trust
Say explicitly that Aridon does not replace ranchers, field staff, science or local knowledge. It keeps those relationships from being buried under administrative work.
THE ASK
Give us 30 minutes to show the workflow and choose a pilot region together.
The first conversation should be with Regenerative Grazing Lands strategy leadership and the rancher-network / collaborative-conservation team. If the workflow resonates, bring in grants, data/governance and one or two state or initiative-area staff to co-design the pilot.
Open the live networkConcept for discussion only. This page does not imply endorsement, partnership or procurement by The Nature Conservancy, the Department of Defense, Sentinel Landscapes, REPI or any rancher organization. The $50,000 pilot figure is an Aridon planning offer subject to final scope and contracting.