Common Ground Coalition Launches Nationwide Push with Reno Kickoff

April 21, 2026

The Common Ground Coalition is taking its message on the road, launching a series of regional meetings this week in Reno, Nevada, as it builds on momentum from a historic gathering held one year ago in Denver, Colorado.

The goal of these meetings is simple: bring livestock producers together from across the country to focus on shared challenges and work toward practical, producer-driven solutions.

Montana cattle producer and auction market owner Joe Goggins, one of the participants in Reno, says the conversation is starting with one of the biggest concerns facing the industry: the future of the next generation.

“How do we create easier access to land? How do we create easier access to capital? How do we create easier access to labor?” Goggins asked, pointing to the core challenges facing new and beginning producers.

In addition to those hurdles, Goggins says risk management tools like Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) and Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance are also part of the discussion—giving producers more confidence as they navigate today’s volatile markets.

But beyond economics, Goggins says the conversation carries much broader implications for rural communities and the country as a whole.

“If you have producers on the land then you have kids in schools, you have rural America Main Street thriving… and that helps preserve this nation’s food independence,” he said.

In fact, Goggins calls food security one of the most critical issues facing the nation today.

“I really believe if we lose our food independence in this country, the United States will no longer be a superpower,” he emphasized.

Another major theme emerging from the meeting is the need for unity within the livestock industry. Goggins says producers often spend too much time focused on their differences rather than the common ground they share.

“We’re throwing arrows over about 4 or 5 percent of issues when we agree on 95 percent of the things,” he said.

Organizers stress that the Common Ground Coalition is not intended to become another traditional industry organization. Instead, Goggins describes it as a grassroots-driven “think tank” focused on practical, policy-oriented solutions.

“This is a think tank to create policy that will make a difference to rural America and preserve this nation’s food independence,” he said.

The coalition plans to continue its regional meetings in the coming months, with stops scheduled in Omaha, Nebraska in May, followed by Nashville, Tennessee, and Fort Worth, Texas in August.

As the effort moves forward, organizers say the goal remains clear: unify producers, strengthen rural America, and secure the future of U.S. agriculture.

For more information about the Common Ground Coalition and the upcoming regional meetings, click here.

Source: Western Ag Network