Our Community Matters series is a grassroots approach to supporting those who support the nation—the communities that feed America, build America, and protect America. Our newest story highlight is on White Buffalo Land Trust, a non-profit working to restore our ecosystem through agriculture at Jalama Canyon Ranch. Their mission is to practice, promote, and develop systems of regenerative agriculture for local, regional, and global impact. Nature’s health is declining. And that is the message White Buffalo Land Trust wants the world to know. “It's really important to understand that over the ..read more

WATCH THE VIDEO In a world that craves validation, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey “enjoys being doubted.” He would rather hear boos at an away game than hear fans cheer his name. If there was ever something to doubt, building a haven for the mind would be it. But that’s exactly what Humphrey did for himself and his family. Spending nine months of the year on a football field, during the off season there’s “something about the water” for Humphrey. “Water for me is something that's just peaceful to look at; get in a canoe, paddle in the water. Fish. There's so much to do out here ..read more

There are many things that make up a rodeo cowboy. Hard work, athleticism, fearlessness, and determination to name a few. And in the words of professional bareback rider and Rank 45 sponsored athlete Tilden Hooper, “a thrill-seeker attitude and a little bit of grit. A lot of grit, actually.” With his laidback, down-to-earth personality and quick sense of humor, Tilden differs from some of the “grizzly bear” guys who walk into the arena fists curled and teeth grinding like they are heading into the ring of a UFC fight. Not Tilden. “I'm going to be standing there chewing gum, talking trash, and ..read more

IT’S A DAYDREAM WE’VE ALL HAD. LET’S GET OUT OF HERE. LET’S MOVE TO THE COUNTRY. LET’S START A NEW LIFE, A DIFFERENT LIFE, SING A DIFFERENT TUNE. THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT, MORE AND MORE, OF FOLKS LOOKING TO GET OUT AND GET BACK TO A SIMPLER, SLOWER KIND OF TIME. WE CAUGHT UP WITH PHOTOGRAPHER JENAVIEVE BELAIR AND FURNITURE MAKER KYLE TITTERUD WHO HAVE RECENTLY TAKEN THAT DAYDREAM AND TURNED IT INTO DAILY LIFE. DON'T BE CONFUSED, IT’S NOT ALL WILDFLOWERS AND OPEN ROADS (THOUGH THERE ARE A LOT OF THOSE); THIS LIFE PROVES TO BE A TEST OF HARD WORK, OF BIG DREAMS, OF LONG DAYS, AND SLOW EVENINGS. I ..read more

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IF LIFE IS ABOUT FINDING BALANCE, THEN WE MIGHT ALL TAKE A NOTE FROM SARAH JANE AND ARMAND LANCE. THIS PAIR HAS FOUND A PEACEFUL HARMONY BETWEEN LIFE ON THE ROAD WITH HEAVY ROCK BAND SPIRIT MOTHER, AND LIFE ON A SMALL RANCH IN EASTERN OREGON WHERE A COMMON MORNING MEANS CHASING DOWN CATTLE ON A HARLEY FLAT TRACKER. IN SEARCH OF A PLACE TO ESCAPE FOR A FEW NIGHTS, WHAT THEY FOUND INSTEAD WAS A NEW PLACE TO CALL HOME AND A WAY TO BREAK THE TETHERS THAT CAN COME WITH CREATIVE FREEDOM. BUT JUST BECAUSE THEY FOUND SOME QUIET DOESN’T MEAN THEY’VE SLOWED DOWN; HEADED OUT ON TOUR AND CARRYING A CONST ..read more

Brant Lyman is a fourth-generation rancher from Ten Sleep, WY. When his grandfather established their family ranch over 30 years ago, it was run down. Brant told us, “There were sheep living in it. One of the walls kind of swung freely so my dad had to haul a bunch of stuff out before he'd even let my mom come see it.” Brant’s parents moved in and they repaired their new home, from fixing dilapidated walls to sheet-rocking. They also put in a feed lot, a new barn, and updated the buildings and the facilities so they were safer and more efficient for their operation. Today, Brant helps run the ..read more

The Saunders legacy started in 1850 when Thomas Bailey Saunders I rode on horseback driving a small herd of cattle with his five-year-old son, Thomas Bailey Saunders III on horseback right beside him, from Mississippi to Gonzales, Texas to raise cattle. Perseverance and dedication run deep in the Saunders family. Thomas Bailey Saunders V told us that not only did his great-great-grandfather T.B. Saunders III, put this country together but his great-great-uncle, George Washington Saunders, went down the Chisholm trail 10 different times. By 1887, with all their cattle experience, the Saunders ..read more

If you want to “ride the lighting,” you have to risk getting struck. This is the story of twenty-two-year-old Warren Zeiders who took a chance on a career in country music after dedicating more than half of his life to playing lacrosse. In the course of one short year, Zeiders has become Nashville’s latest rising artist. The storm landed during his first year of playing college lacrosse when he suffered two concussions and made the decision to give up the sport for good and find a completely new path. “That was my seventh concussion. I had to pivot and figure out where my life was going to go ..read more

Where the redwoods meet the sea along the rugged California Coastline, Alexandre Family Farm is leading the way in regenerative dairy. Like most fourth-generation farmers, Blake and Stephanie Alexandre set out to build an operation that their children could be a part of, and one day inherit. Their strategy was “Build it and they will come,” Blake tells us. “We wanted to make our farm a viable option for our kids as they grew up, met their spouses, and made an adult decision of where they're going to go and what they're going to do. Basically, to create an environment that is friendly to them ..read more