HRD
HRD

The Impact Platform for Healthy Food, Soil, & Profits

The Impact Platform for Healthy Food, Soil, & ProfitsThe Impact Platform for Healthy Food, Soil, & ProfitsThe Impact Platform for Healthy Food, Soil, & Profits

Regenerative sustainable ranching at its finest

The Impact Platform for Healthy Food, Soil, & Profits

The Impact Platform for Healthy Food, Soil, & ProfitsThe Impact Platform for Healthy Food, Soil, & ProfitsThe Impact Platform for Healthy Food, Soil, & Profits

Regenerative sustainable ranching at its finest

*** Freedom 250 Prairie Restoration ***

Strengthening America's food system

  

HighGround Ranch Developers proposes a bold national initiative: restore the lush prairies and grasslands of the American West to their pre-1776 glory through regenerative ranching. This is our Freedom 250 Moonshot—a powerful demonstration of American exceptionalism driven by citizens, ranchers, veterans, and private investors that will: 


- Rebuild massive herds of herbivores and restore vibrant grasslands across the West.


- Revitalize rural economies.


- Empower hardworking ranchers with tax incentives.


- Strengthen national defense and food sovereignty.


- Honor our veterans through the Veteran Homesteading Act.


On December 10, Secretaries Rollins and Kennedy, along with Administrator Mehmet Oz, expanded the USDA’s Regenerative Ag Pilot Program under the SUSTAINS Act. HRD then crafted a proposal for immediate executive orders and permanent legislation to supercharge regenerative ranching. It rewards excellence, mobilizes private capital, prioritizes veterans and ranchers, and relieves the need for federal government subsidies.


HRD Executive Branch Proposal (pdf)

Download

About HRD

Young green plants growing in rich soil under a bright blue sky.

THE Regenerative Ranching Platform

HighGround Ranch Developers is the platform for scaling regenerative ranching, focusing on enhancing soil health to support sustainable agriculture. We provide three distinct, but interconnected components of land, operations, and AI-driven technology that promote the production of healthy food.

The Tipping Point

A house on cracked, dry land illustrating soil degradation and environmental issues.

The Solution

What

HighGround Ranch Developers (HRD) is building the institutional platform for regenerative ranching — restoring degraded American rangelands while generating market-competitive returns.

How

We acquire and operate ranches that transform depleted landscapes into productive, resilient prairie ecosystems using managed cattle, skilled operators, and auditable data. Profitable operations increase carrying capacity, raise lease value, and drive long-term land appreciation.


The practices we use have been proven for decades, thus HRD needs no proof-of-concept. HRD seeks larger operations for economies of scale. We then link operations with technology to capture more data, further improving profitability. The ranching industry is highly fragmented, and private equity has yet to identify the roll up opportunity. HRD is the low-risk solution.

Stewardship That Shows up on the Bottom Line

Own

Integrate

Operate

HRD executes a value-add strategy, acquiring degraded ranchland and investing in regenerative practices to increase forage productivity, carrying capacity, lease rates, and long-term asset value.

Operate

Integrate

Operate

HRD “No-Fail Ranching” operates institutional-scale ranches designed for consistent supply and strong unit economics, with economies of scale through larger-than average operations and consolidated support and procurement.

Integrate

Integrate

Integrate

In addition to being General Partner on the funds, HRD will generate revenue streams from procurement, carbon credit management, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) data sales, subscriptions, and will wholly own the venture studio.

De-Risk

Integrate

Integrate

HRD's land ownership eliminates tenant risk like other value-add strategies.


80% of HRD's ranch operations are for acquiring cattle - a liquid asset, which trades daily and can be hedged.


Additionally, HRD works with some of the best-known experts in "regen" ranching.

Ranch OS 2.0: The Platform for High-Profit "Regen" Ranching

Academic Foundation

Technology Integration

Technology Integration

Hinterland Institute and university ranch management researchers leverage over 20 years of proven methods to cultivate a pipeline of passionate, bankable, regenerative ranchers dedicated to sustainable agriculture and promoting soil health, all while producing healthy food.

Technology Integration

Technology Integration

Technology Integration

Virtual fencing, AgriWebb and PastureMap management tools, weigh scales and water telemetry, satellite and weather data, along with EarthOptics soil measurement and verification systems, play a crucial role in promoting sustainable agriculture. These technologies not only enhance ranching practices but also contribute to soil health, supporting the production of healthy food through regenerative methods.

Rancher Network

Technology Integration

Unified Platform

Real-time ranch communications, anonymized benchmarking, pooled procurement power, and coordinated offtake agreements foster unprecedented collaboration and efficiency in ranching, contributing to sustainable agriculture and promoting healthy food production while enhancing soil health through regenerative practices.

Unified Platform

Unified Platform

Unified Platform

Single platform management consolidates plans, tasks, herd data, water systems, and compliance evidence in one accessible location, supporting sustainable agriculture practices that promote soil health and enable ranching operations to produce healthy food through regenerative methods.

AI Digital Twin

Unified Platform

AI Digital Twin

Machine learning closes the operational loop—every action automatically improves next week's plan, promoting healthy food production, enhancing ranching practices, and strengthening the evidence package for stakeholders focused on regenerative methods that boost soil health and support sustainable agriculture.

Market Support

Unified Platform

AI Digital Twin

Brand development in ranching involves cattle brokerage and hedging strategies that support sustainable agriculture practices. By focusing on herd shifting and improving soil health, ranchers can contribute to regenerative farming efforts. Additionally, exploring land options for energy development and carbon credits can enhance the viability of healthy food production while addressing Scope 3 emissions.

Why Now?

National Security Mandate:

In 2025, the USDA and DoD designated rangeland as a critical national security asset.

$700MM Federal Catalyst:

Massive federal funding is flowing specifically to regenerative ranching transitions.

The Execution Vehicle:

HRD’s "Freedom 250" is the shovel-ready platform for institutional-scale deployment.

Maximum Arbitrage:

With land supply shrinking and demand soaring, current entry costs offer the highest

potential for appreciation.

Market Demand:

Regeneratively-grown proteins are one of the fastest-growing segments of the food business

The HRD Impact

- Healthier soil, animals, and people

- Stronger rural economies

- Increased water absorption

- Resilient food systems

- National defense

- Market-competitive returns

Picture courtesy of Alejandro Carrillo, Chihuahua, MX.

The Team and Advisors (over thirty in total)

Founding Team

David Cary - Founder

Capital formation specialist with expertise in impact and green finance initiatives, focusing on sustainable agriculture that promotes healthy food production, ranching practices, and regenerative methods to enhance soil health.

Tyler Cook - BizDev

Specialist in strategic investor communications and stakeholder management, focusing on healthy food initiatives, ranching practices, and promoting regenerative methods that enhance soil health for sustainable agriculture.

James Hansen - CFO

Capital formation specialist with expertise in impact and green finance initiatives, focusing on sustainable agriculture that promotes healthy food production, ranching practices, and regenerative methods to enhance soil health.

Strategic Advisors

James Clement III

Rancher / EarthOptics: With 400 years of family ranching experience, we focus on soil health through measurement, reporting, and verification to support sustainable agriculture practices. Our expertise enhances ranch operations, ensuring the production of healthy food while promoting regenerative ranching methods.

Chad Ellis

Texas Agricultural Land Trust: Developing regenerative policies and optimizing land use strategies to promote sustainable agriculture, enhance soil health, and support ranching practices that contribute to healthy food production.

Kevin Hurst

Corporate philanthropy strategist, communications, public relations, employee engagement, nonprofit administration and fundraising.

Steve Sturges

Invisible Advisors: Strategic marketing and advertising focused on healthy food, go-to market strategies in ranching, and market penetration that supports regenerative practices, soil health, and sustainable agriculture.

Jeff Geider

Texas Christian University Institute of Ranch Management: a hub for ranchers, professors, and researchers dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture practices. Their focus on regenerative ranching techniques emphasizes the importance of soil health and the production of healthy food.

Michael Ulwelling

HRD co-Founder, 3x CEO, technology developer, and growth architect with a proven track record in scaling companies through sustainable agriculture practices that enhance soil health and promote healthy food production, all while embracing principles of regenerative ranching.

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