Montana-native Colton Coffee believes most of the country has lost touch with the American Dream. From his viewpoint, it is not about material things. It is about building something that lasts: a life connected to the land, livestock and providing quality food for the world.

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“There are still people working every day to make sure we’ve got a good-quality, high-protein food source from right here in the United States,” says Coffee, who works alongside his family running Coffee Cattle Co. near Miles City, Montana.

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As one of the youngest participants at this year’s Common Ground Summit in Denver, Coffee offered a fresh and hopeful perspective — one that emphasizes both responsibility and opportunity for the next generation of livestock producers. 

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His family runs a cow-calf operation, backgrounds weaned calves through the winter and sells them as yearlings. But while the day-to-day demands of ranching are familiar, Coffee says it’s rare for young producers to be included in bigger-picture industry discussions.

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“Oftentimes in agriculture, the younger generation is just watching,” he says. “To be included in something like this, to have a voice, is really empowering.”

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Ranchers like Coffee are at the heart of the Common Ground Coalition’s objective to create support for young and emerging livestock producers. Some of the goals include reforming USDA programs to raise limits on guaranteed loan programs, streamlining the lending process, and expanding eligibility criteria. The coalition is also advocating for additional tax credits and incentives aimed at younger or first-time producers, as well as creating front-load tax relief for buyers purchasing land for use in livestock production.

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Coffee says he sees taxation, especially inheritance and estate taxes, as one of the most pressing challenges for young producers. Without policies that make generational transfer more feasible, he fears many family operations may not survive.

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“I don’t think I’d be able to get into this if I had to pay for the ranch all over again,” he says. “A lot of folks have probably paid for their ranch once or twice.”

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To secure a future for young and beginning producers, whether they’re first-generation or from a long line of producers, Coffee believes it is important to emphasize the greater rewards of a life devoted to agriculture production.

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“The intrinsic reward is almost, if not more, important than the monetary reward,” he says.

That intrinsic reward is at the heart of why Coffee signed onto the Common Ground Coalition and encourages others to do the same.
 

“If we aren't going to be the ones telling our story, if we're not going to be the ones that are stepping up to make the change, somebody else will,” he says. “And we're probably not going to be happy with the outcome.”