Common ground found among
Different People and Viewpoints
The goal of our founders was to expand an emerging common ground among ranchers, conservationists, scientists, and public land managers by focusing on progressive cattle management, collaboration, riparian and upland restoration, and improved land health. We called this common ground found among very different people and viewpoints the Radical Center. We described it as a movement rooted in the principle that the natural processes that sustain wildlife habitat, biological diversity, and functioning watersheds are the same processes that make land productive for livestock.
Quivira has sparked ideas across the West that grew over time into small bonfires of change. Through our work, ranchers have adopted conservation practices, environmentalists have come to value ranching, agencies are more open to innovation, scientists are more involved, and the public more supportive of all of the above.
The only constant is change, and we have come to see that that applies to the Radical Center as well. What was radical at our beginning, is not as radical twenty-five years later. We continue to find the topics that challenge agricultural communities and beyond and create a space where we can bring everyone to the table. This time in history is marked by undeniable climate change. At Quivira, we believe ecological and economic resilience of communities and landscapes are necessary to address the challenges ahead. Additionally, agriculture cannot be regenerative without racial equity. Agriculture in this country and around the world was built on and continues to benefit from slavery, land theft, and the exploitation of Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. Further, the effects of climate change, inequitable food distribution, and food insecurity disproportionately impact communities of color. For agriculture to be truly regenerative, this must change.
Utilizing the Radical Center as a guiding principle of collaboration, adaptability, and inclusive progress, community members bring a unique perspective and set of values to the table, contributing to a broader, more holistic vision of agricultural and environmental resilience. Cross-disciplinary exchanges ensure that science, experience and historical knowledge inform one another, creating an adaptive and responsive approach to climate challenges. We look forward to meeting you at the Radical Center.