KANSAS CITY, MO – The 2025 Field to Market Annual Meeting took place this week with strong momentum as leaders from across the agricultural value chain gathered to advance sustainable and regenerative agriculture. With a full agenda of field tours, breakout sessions, innovation showcases, and sector dialogue, this year’s meeting reflects a collective drive toward measurable, scalable conservation efforts rooted in farmer success.
The event kicked off with a welcome and keynote by Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Scott Edwards, and concluded with a keynote address by USDA NRCS Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt, whose priorities for the agency closely align with the field-to-market philosophy. As chief of NRCS, Bettencourt is leading efforts to modernize conservation delivery, integrating digital farming tools, automation, and real-time data sharing. She emphasized that NRCS must enable farmers to “get from pilot to scale” with affordable, farmer-first solutions.
“We must provide farmers with measurable benefits for their conservation efforts—benefits they can use in both regulatory environments and the marketplace,” Bettencourt said. “That means putting NRCS staff back in the field where they belong, supported by technology that removes friction and puts producers at the center.”
USA Rice is an active member of
Field to Market and continues to ensure the rice industry’s needs are represented in national sustainability discussions. As more producers and stakeholders work to align conservation with market opportunities, partnerships between groups like Field to Market and NRCS remain critical to scaling success.