AJ Richards is back, and this time he’s taking us inside the room with the Secretary of Agriculture. He’s not a lobbyist. Nobody’s paying him to be there. He’s a homesteader from Cody, Wyoming who got invited because he was loud about our failing food system, and he’s telling us what’s really going on with public land grazing, the regenerative agriculture executive order, and why country of origin labeling isn’t as simple as everyone thinks.
AJ lives on seven and a half acres in Cody, Wyoming, but his family’s roots go back to 1916, when they homesteaded the Arizona Strip as part of the Bundy Ranchers. He’s also the founder of From The Farm, a platform built to connect consumers directly with producers. Since last fall, he’s been part of a small group the Secretary of Agriculture personally invited to Washington to represent Western ranchers who felt unheard. In this episode, he and I get into what’s actually moving in DC right now, why some of the loudest online criticism misses the point entirely, and why he believes prayer and discernment matter as much as policy.
What You’ll Learn
- Why yelling at the Secretary of Agriculture over country of origin labeling might be aimed at the wrong person entirely
- What a new memorandum of understanding between USDA and the Department of Interior means for ranchers grazing on public land, after decades of losing ground
- The real story of how the regenerative agriculture executive order came together
- Why AJ says “two things can be true at once” about the wins and the compromises coming out of this administration
- What the Direct Act could mean for buying meat straight from a farmer online, even across state lines
- Why taking a government grant, like NRCS fencing money, almost always comes with strings you didn’t expect
- How AJ’s family history homesteading the Arizona Strip shapes the way he sees today’s food fight
- Why “empathy up” matters as much as empathy for the people below you
- What AJ wishes Christians would post instead of tearing down leaders online
Listen Here
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Resources Mentioned
From the Farm | Connecting farms and ranchers directly to consumers
Follow AJ Online
Instagram @a.j_richards
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abenadi
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@FromTheFarmUSA
Episode Transcript
Amy (00:00.901)
Welcome back to this week’s episode of the Homesteaders of America podcast. I have with me once again AJ Richards, who has been on the podcast before. Welcome to the HOA podcast, AJ. Yeah. Awesome. So we’re gonna get right into it because I know, you know, people kind of know a few things that are going on. AJ is one of a few people that I kind of follow to learn about what’s going on in politics and
AJ Richards (00:11.758)
Thanks for having me again, Amy. Happy to be here.
Amy (00:27.503)
Really to give an unbiased opinion of what’s going on in politics because you’re not just in it, you’re also a farmer and a homesteader and you you know all these things. So first before we get started, in case people haven’t watched the last podcast episode, why don’t you tell us really quickly who you are and then we’ll get in it.
AJ Richards (00:45.154)
Yeah. AJ Richards, I come I live in Cody, Wyoming, but I’m from place called Saint George, Utah originally. Was raised there my whole life. My family homesteaded the Arizona Strip. We c we affectionately call it the Arizona Strip. It’s the strip of Arizona that’s north of the Grand Canyon. And so that’s why we call it the Strip, because if you go south, you’re not getting down further unless you go around to one of the bridges that gets you into the rest of Arizona.
But they’re the Bundy Ranchers, if people have heard of them, they homesteaded there in 1916, lived out there, you know, f for five to ten years, and then the town of St. George was established, so they moved into town. Life was easier, right? Living in homesteading a desert environment back then wasn’t easy. And so when town was established in southern Utah, a lot of them moved into St. George.
but my family still ranch on that historical land. many of those ranches still exist with family. so that’s where I come from. we moved to Cody, Wyoming to run a slaughterhouse, a USDA slaughterhouse is part of the research and development that I was doing for from the farm, which we have since launched. so that’s how I moved away from all our family up here where we have none, but we really love Cody. So
COVID, I started selling beef for my cousin’s ranch, one of my cousins’ ranch. I’m the city slicker cousin. I grew up doing the cattle drives and the brandings. I didn’t wake up doing the chores. You know, I wouldn’t be able to tell you the science of finishing beef out and so forth. I understand it. I can have the conversations around it, but I haven’t done that myself. I’m a homesteader. That’s what I identify as. We’re on seven and a half acres in Cody. We’re and and by the way, if if you
Amy (02:19.036)
Mm-hmm.
Amy (02:31.631)
Right.
AJ Richards (02:39.86)
Seven and a half acres is a lot of land to steward if you’re gonna steward it with with intention. And so I don’t need more. if I had a bigger ranch, I would be in production agriculture and trying to sell direct to consumer on a larger scale. But we can do a lot in these small plots of land and produce for our food and for our families and our neighbors. And so personally I identify as a homesteader, but I grew up, you know, doing the ranching with my family. So
Yeah, that’s a quick background. Open my mouth during COVID. There was very clear that our food system was failing us quite rapidly. it was very clear that if we didn’t change the course of where where we were headed, that we could quite possibly see famine in America. We’re not even out of the woods for that pops probability by a long shot. but I started talking about it quite vocally and openly, gained a little bit of a following and then
Got invited by the Secretary of Agriculture to be part of a small group of other folks that were very vocal during the last administration to come in and help guide her. and so it’s been neat, it’s been interesting, it’s been very eye-opening to be that close into Washington. You know, I’m still I’m still outside of the circle, so to say, of being an elected. I’m not a lobbyist, I don’t get paid to go there. My bank account definitely reflects that.
I’m an outsider, you know, fish out of water with all these other folks going in there. But the secretary really wanted to hear from the folks that were complaining about not being heard. And I represent a large number of Western ranchers that have concerns that I’ve been able to vocalize, right? and so that’s how I got involved out there. And I’ve been going to D C since I think
Amy (04:26.887)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (04:33.61)
Octo September, October of last year, when I first met with the Secretary of Agriculture. and we’ve I’ve been primarily focused on things that initially got me out there, but I’m subtly tied into folks in other areas like regenerative agriculture, right? So everybody wants to know about their the regenerative executive order that just got signed in the details, and I and I understand that. I’m friends with the people that were there. I did not
I was not personally involved in all of that, right? Now I’ve talked to them about how it went down. I’ve learned some pretty interesting stories about how all that went down that it’s not for me to share, but I will share some things in this podcast that hopefully others understand too. Because what I’ll say and I’ll and I’ll let you ask another question, but the people that I’m out there with, we are the people that were really trying to get this thing turned around. And what’s unfortunate is the
Amy (05:04.379)
Right.
AJ Richards (05:30.696)
is that the the powers that be still know how to pit one another against each other. And so, you know, I was featured in a White House video focusing on public land grazing. You never read the comments, post and ghost. I read a few of them and then I’m like, I’m out. But the primary comment was paid actors and I’m like, that’s funny, because I know every single person sitting here and not one of us are paid actors. And by the way,
Amy (05:36.815)
Right.
Amy (05:48.538)
Yeah.
Amy (05:52.229)
Right. Isn’t it crazy? Yeah.
AJ Richards (05:58.528)
Are we all happy with everything being done, all the decisions being made? No, not in the slightest. But when has a president ever existed, or anybody in any leadership position where everybody agreed on everything they were doing? and so I think one of the things I’m learning now is everybody’s got their pet project that is this is the thing you have to do, or we’re all done. I’m no different, by the way. So I put myself in that same category. I just happen to get a get a meeting, right?
Amy (06:21.659)
Right.
AJ Richards (06:28.942)
The reality is we have so many issues in agriculture that put us on the precipice of i of a problem that everybody’s issues are valid and you just gotta start working down the list. So anyway. I went on there for a minute.
Amy (06:41.355)
Right. I like this. AJ, where it’s gonna be great. I already feel it. No, let’s back up a little bit. Okay. One, let’s back up to you don’t have to have hundreds of acres to homestead. Like we personally know people who live on a half acre to an acre who are providing so much food for their community. It’s all about how you steward it. It’s all about your discipline, what your goals are.
AJ Richards (06:48.716)
Yeah. Yeah.
Amy (07:07.803)
So, yeah, blow that out of the water in every way possible. I’ve seen some of those comments even against you. Well, AJ’s not even a farmer. He doesn’t even have cat. Who cares? Here’s the thing like, people don’t realize that it’s not an either or situation. It’s a both and. Like it takes all people from all backgrounds doing all kinds of things to keep wheels turning. And so, you know.
What the secretary saw with you being outspoken and people like that, people like you, people like me, right? We’re we’re talking about issues, we’re being loud about it. And so yeah, we we get recognized in some way, even if we don’t want to. We’re probably the people who just want to be left alone the most. But here’s the reality no one else is standing up and doing anything about it. And so we just happen to have big mouths and people recognize, right? And so, you know, it
I love that you went into that even just briefly because it’s so important. But going into social media and the politics and everything’s a conspiracy, right? Every single thing is a conspiracy. And listen, I used to be this way, absolutely, especially during COVID. I was like, everything’s a conspiracy. Nothing makes sense, you know? But I think the worst thing that happened during COVID was like the whole QAnon thing and everything had
AJ Richards (08:20.844)
Mm-hmm.
Amy (08:28.743)
Listen, I get it. Like there’s corruption at every corner that you turn. But until you experience it yourself, like and I have, I had people even last year say to me, you’re an elitist, you were paid to say these things online. And I’m like, Well, I wish my bank account reflected that because no, I’m just trying to take a neutral position.
AJ Richards (08:31.886)
Mm.
AJ Richards (08:44.501)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (08:50.114)
Mm.
Amy (08:54.695)
on a government order or something someone in in politics said or you know and and it’s just crazy to me that you know people will just make comments like that but they’re not even involved in anything period they’re not involved in making a difference anywhere and and so you know this podcast I think will be episode will be great because it’s coming from two people who we’re very real people. We have very real lives.
we we don’t believe everything the government says, of course, but we don’t believe everything’s a conspiracy either. So leading into that and taking a natural approach, what what are some things that you see the government working on right now in regard to farming, ranching, regenerative agriculture that you think is worth noting with our audience?
AJ Richards (09:46.348)
Yeah. Yeah. Great question. before I jump into that, let me just say something that was really helpful for me when I got there and and understood this, right? I did not pay attention in high school when it came to like government practice, you know, how government works. Did not care. And so I’m I’m I’m behind. But one thing I learned early on, the difference between regulatory and statutory. And I think this this was a really big help for me to understand to to give
Amy (09:58.114)
No.
AJ Richards (10:15.318)
A good friend of mine says it’s just important it’s just as important to have empathy up as we do down. So it’s easiest for it’s easy for us to look at people below us. And you can take the term below and it could be financial, it could be leadership, it could be, you know, whatever, so hierarchy of any kind. It’s easy to have empathy for those that are suffering and struggling if they’re below you. But if they’re in a leadership position, screw those people, they suck, let’s hang them at the stake like there’s no empathy.
Amy (10:22.511)
Mm.
Amy (10:39.185)
Right.
Amy (10:45.136)
Right.
AJ Richards (10:45.6)
Now, when you understand the things that people are dealing with, then it’s easy to when you learn the the process, I’m like, okay. So with that said, the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or any of these cabinet members that are being screamed at to change these things, if it’s regulatory, they can. But if it’s statutory, it requires Congress. So when Product of the USA came out, by for example.
Amy (11:10.929)
Mm.
AJ Richards (11:15.372)
You had some people like, fantastic, people are finally gonna give up be able to know that it’s born, raised, and processed. It’s a good starting point. It’s not mandatory, which we have to have, we want. But mandatory country of origin labeling is required by Congress to pass. The Secretary has no control over that. And she’s actually said herself, I believe this is a black and white issue. We should have mandatory country of origin labeling for our food, our beef. So she has said that. But then you have people that want to just
just you know rail on her because she didn’t pass MQL. She doesn’t have any control over that. You as the consumer have more control than she does by picking up the phone and calling your Congresspeople, calling your senators and letting them know I we want mandatory country origin labels. So you as the consumer who’s complaining to her, you’re the one who’s failing. Did you pick up the phone and call for that particular issue to be focused? So regulatory statutory.
Amy (11:51.152)
Right.
AJ Richards (12:12.62)
Now, the problem is regulatory can be just simply change with the next administration. Because it’s regulatory. And so that’s that’s the other contention. That’s the other challenge. And statutory takes forever because it’s gotta be pressured, it’s gotta be talked about and you know, with your different House and Senate members, and then it’s gotta be voted on when the time is right. All these things have to happen. So I’m just like, man, people, like if it wasn’t God called me to this, I’d have left you to starve.
Amy (12:17.4)
Mm-hmm. Right.
Amy (12:40.039)
I fear you. I do.
AJ Richards (12:42.944)
I mean, I mean, if if if the Lord hadn’t called me to this work, I’d be like, good luck. I’m on a homestead. I’m surrounded by nature. I’m surrounded by beef. I don’t need to be doing this. but I also understand that sometimes in our own psychology, it’s the ones that are the loudest that our subconscious hangs on to. But in the reality, there’s far more support. So it’s our own internal battles for you and I that we have to work on that. Okay, so all of that to say.
Amy (12:55.268)
Right.
Amy (13:03.872)
Mm-hmm. Right.
AJ Richards (13:12.546)
The biggest thing that I got involved in from day one, and there’s many things I wish I was involved in, I don’t have the time because from the farm is big enough, but just the way, and I think this is what Heavenly Father meant for me to be involved in, because it’s where that’s what got started, which was public land grazing in the West. opening up or I should say, federal land grazing in the west. So if you go past Texas to the West.
Amy (13:20.143)
Right.
AJ Richards (13:41.526)
And if you pull up a map of federal lands in the United States, you’ll see that 90% of the West is federal or public lands. And our our ranchers historically, my family, when they settled and started homesteading, they were raising livestock out there. And it’s primarily what we call a cow calf. Mama cows have baby cows. Well, those baby cows feed into our supply chain.
Amy (13:52.165)
Mm.
Amy (14:07.983)
Right.
AJ Richards (14:08.386)
And we’re at the lowest cattle numbers since 1950s with 2026 population. But if you look at the trend of how the government has taken away public land access for our ranchers and our loggers, you will see why we are at the state we are at now. Those federal lands were taken away by pressure from ENGOs, environmental non-government organizations.
Amy (14:27.451)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (14:36.802)
Western Watershed, the Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, even PETAs weaving themselves in there because of animal rights. And so I mean, these people will sue, these groups will sue the federal agencies, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service. And then they will go to the rancher and say, hey, you’re being served sued for X, Y, and Z. You’re hurting the environment, whatever label they want to put on it. The producer now has to go and either defend that.
or give in. And they don’t have the money to go defend it. That ENGO, by the way, didn’t even have to prove it. They just had to make the claim. And a lot of that’s because we have had people in the federal government working on the land in our communities that are bought into the ENGOs. So they are working behind the scenes to help them in many cases. And so for decades all we have seen is reduction, reduction, reduction, reduction of
Amy (15:05.615)
Right.
Amy (15:23.697)
Right.
AJ Richards (15:32.93)
The amount of livestock ranchers are allowed to graze on public land. that’s being reversed for the first time in history. I mean, this is i if people understood how historical this is for the pre people in the West, but also how historical it is for you as a consumer in the East, because the cattle getting finished used to come from the West. Those baby calves at a certain point would be sold in the in the Midwest to be finished into our food supply chain. So we all depend on.
Amy (15:40.753)
Yeah.
Amy (15:55.111)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (16:01.996)
that sort of practice. So that’s one aspect we’ve seen a massive shift towards, which has been absolutely an absolute blessing because people have been screaming about this for 70 years with zero with nobody listening, nobody cared. But the Secretary of Agriculture said, Come meet me with me, bring ranchers, but bring solutions. Don’t just bring the problem. And that was the first meeting meeting we had with her. And
Amy (16:18.36)
Right. Mm.
Amy (16:28.239)
Yeah. Don’t waste my time, in other words, right?
AJ Richards (16:31.606)
Yeah. That was the first meeting we had with her and no kidding, in less than a year they were signing a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Interior and USDA, because both of those manage public land. and they signed this MOU to start returning those AUMs. That is a massive, a very quick and massive shift in the right direction. So that’s something that I think people really should be acknowledging and celebrating these people that are in those roles that are making that happen.
Amy (16:51.558)
Yeah.
Amy (17:00.101)
Yeah. That’s incredible. And I and you know, that’s not talked about as much because I know, especially on this side of the country, because regenerative ag is the one thing everyone’s talking about here. But what you just said is incredibly true that so much of the beef comes from out out west or Midwest. And people don’t think about that. I it it baffles me how much people don’t even understand how the food system works.
And I, you know, I’ve known that. I’ve always known that, especially since COVID. But when I posted about the glyphosate thing with Trump and all that, and listen, I don’t agree with that. I don’t think glyphosate should be in our food at all. But man, the amount of comments of people, like people live in their own bubble and they think that the 10 people that they know is the food system.
AJ Richards (17:43.086)
Hundred percent. Yep.
Amy (17:59.461)
Which it should be that way, right? Like it should be that way. But but but the reality is for most people it’s not. I mean, most people are not buying from a farm. They’re buying from the grocery store or Costco or or or whatever. bulk buying from different places. And they they literally don’t know what they don’t know, right? They have they they just think
AJ Richards (17:59.65)
Yeah. Yeah Yeah, good point.
Amy (18:24.271)
Well, the store’s always gonna have beef. This is a big giant conspiracy. Well, tell that to the farmers that are living it. You know, like I I said to some person, tell that to their face. Like tell them it’s a conspiracy because that’s not how they’re feeling right now. And when we like do not pay attention to the words that we’re saying, especially if you claim to be part of this movement, like I I get people who are not into homesteading and farming, but there are many people who are and are still disconnected.
They or they don’t care. That’s the problem. There are so many people, there’s they’re not sympathetic to the masses, which I get, right? Like what you just said. I would let you guys starve if it I get that. Like that’s I totally agree with that. But there are people even in this movement who are like, well, I’m okay, so it won’t affect me. yes, it will affect you. a thousand percent it will. Even if you grow your own beef and your own garden and you don’t go to the grocery store hardly ever, it’s still gonna affect you because it’s going to affect 90% of the country.
And so talking about these things and showing the places where we have made changes and where we can still make changes is so important because yes, whether you’re growing your your food completely or not, it’s going to affect you. You live under a government like any other nation in the world. You are surrounded by millions of people. And so yeah, it it’s important. So let’s talk about
Talk a little bit. I know you’re not into the regenerative ag thing, ag thing, but why don’t you just briefly touch on that? Because I know people have seen it. They’ve seen you were there as part of all these things. So talk about how that came about.
AJ Richards (20:01.229)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Well, I should say I’m very much in regenerative ag. It’s just not the policies that I had the opportunity to first lean into. I have a desert restoration regenerative project that I’m an owner and partner in in Utah. I don’t live there, so my friends that I’m partners with manage it. So it’s sixty acres of greasewood, sagebrush, and bare soil. Regenerative agriculture was what I f where I first started. I was I
Amy (20:13.478)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (20:32.312)
first became aware of the degradation of our soils and so forth. Like that was my first getting back into agriculture being the city slicker cousin. I’m like, man, especially seeing, you know, my family when they settled the Arizona Strip, their journal said we could dry land farm corn, cotton, and potatoes. And they it was a great environment. And then their journal in five years they would they could no longer rely on the rainwater. The the the local water systems had started to crumble because they didn’t know any better.
Amy (21:01.57)
Mm, yeah.
AJ Richards (21:02.258)
I don’t blame my family. They they homesteaded the West when they came from the mid the the you know, Missouri. That’s a much different environment. So they were like, I we don’t know how to work here. And then eventually, because they didn’t really know how the environment worked, it got disrupted. So I’m say I I get introduced to regenerative agriculture, and I’m like, Man, we can re green the desert, our family homesteaded. Well, there’s a saying you’re always seven to your relatives.
Amy (21:08.572)
Right.
Amy (21:13.735)
Mm-hmm.
Amy (21:30.503)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (21:31.148)
What what does the City Slicker cousin know about AG? So there was no sort of response or listening. But ultimately what I learned from other mentors that have been in this space.
Amy (21:37.511)
Right.
AJ Richards (21:45.866)
Unless there’s a marketplace for that product that has demand, you’re not going to transition because it it’s a it’s an expense to go from conventional agriculture to regenerative. And you’ve got to have a market access or market demand to make that transition. So that’s why when I really got clear on that, I’m like, I’m not going to help anybody convert to regenerative agriculture unless there’s a marketplace for them to be rewarded for that work.
Amy (22:15.239)
Mm-hmm.
AJ Richards (22:15.606)
And that truthful truthfully is how I shifted to from the farm. It was first for regenerative agriculture. Now, I became a lot more educated and realized that I can’t be exclusively regenerative. We have to serve every farmer and every rancher across the country that’s family owned and operated. We don’t have any corporations on here, but it’ll be peer-to-peer that makes the transition happen. Right? So I I I say all that to say that I’m I’m
A bleeding heart for regenerative agriculture. I’m gonna use that term loosely because regenerative agriculture is being greenwashed just like certified organic, but you know, but I do when my when my you know, if you see my homestead in 10 years from now, I hope it looks like just a poster of what’s possible. Yeah. So so I’m very much involved in that. And in fact, the second meeting I had with the secretary was with a gentleman doc named Dr. Jonathan Lundgren.
Amy (23:00.217)
It’s gonna be amazing.
AJ Richards (23:13.154)
thousand farms project was part of the signing of that EO. so I went out there with him. I went out there with the CEO of Edacious, who’s his company can actually test and measure the nutritional value in the meat and give you exact quantify exactly phytonutrients, essential amino acids, non-essential. They even test for glyphosate free radicals. Like they do all of that. So it was Jonathan, myself,
And Aaron Martin, who’s with Eat Fresh Oklahoma. and it was about nutritional value for regenerative agriculture. So I have been involved in some of this, but honestly, when I walked into the Rose Garden for the dinner and I saw Will and Jonathan and Rick Clark there, who are all part of that, I was like, I didn’t because I had no idea who was all gonna be there, right? There’s little cohorts that the administration
Amy (24:03.975)
Right.
AJ Richards (24:08.52)
Leaders have been working with, so we don’t know who’s gonna be there. And they were there, and that’s when they told me we just signed the EO. And I was like, What? I had no idea they were doing that. And I’m like, Congratulations, you know. So, but here’s what I’ll say about that that is unfortunate. That a good friend of mine, his name’s Ryland Inglehart, he’s the creator of Kiss the Ground, the the nonprofit that the documentary subsequently came from.
Amy (24:16.326)
Yeah.
Amy (24:32.134)
Mm.
AJ Richards (24:37.984)
And these guys have been working on this for a long time. When you talk to them about what they think, they have mixed emotions. But the most important thing is that it’s actually part of the federal conversation at the federal level. So when people are like it’s only 700 million dollars, we’re it’s just getting started, people. Like the federal government is now acknowledging this practice.
Amy (24:58.83)
Right.
AJ Richards (25:04.534)
And they’re gonna i if they start putting their own research and own scientists behind it, which by the way, Dr. Jonathan Glungren was part of the USDA for decades, was honored by Obama for his research, left the administration because he wasn’t there just for a medal. They weren’t doing anything with it. So he left and went and started his own project. And
Amy (25:22.745)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (25:30.412)
You know, these guys are excited that the conversation is starting. And yet you got these people that’ll jump online and tell them that they’re a sellout because of X, Y, and Z. And I’m like, you guys have no idea how complicated. Like, frankly, our federal government is designed so common common sense doesn’t you can’t easily implement common sense. All the checks and balances that are there allow enough morons to be in place where common sense isn’t that easy. And so
Amy (25:34.252)
Mm-hmm.
Amy (25:39.469)
Right.
Amy (25:49.883)
Right, right.
Amy (25:57.127)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (25:58.422)
My thing is it’s like, man, if if I if there was ever another election, you couldn’t pay me to run because of the way b because some of these folks that are in there now are in there because during the last election we were like, we need fresh blood, we need fresh ideas. And as soon as they get in there, everybody’s like, You sell out, we hate you. You know, and I’m like a a year ago we w we were hoping that these folks would get in. We were hoping RFK would get in and do what he did. We were hoping that somebody would get into
Amy (26:12.88)
Right.
Amy (26:16.295)
Right, right.
AJ Richards (26:28.13)
the USDA that would actually change the way it’s done. And by the way, when when Rollins got put in, we did not like her. We didn’t know her. So we’re just as guilty, but we didn’t like her. We were talking to each other about, boy, who’s this person? Blah blah blah. You know what mean? Yeah, yeah. There was rumors that she was a a seed oil company executive and we’re like, boy, more of the same was furthest thing from the truth when we finally got in and got to know her.
Amy (26:30.896)
Right.
Amy (26:35.343)
Right. Mm-hmm. Right.
Amy (26:45.157)
What’s their history? What did they used to do? Who’d they work for?
AJ Richards (26:57.87)
And that taught me a lot about myself. And then you ling line that up with scripture and what scripture says about talking negatively about your fellow Christians, the other body of Christ. I’m like, I better slow my role, you know, in in terms of the the tinfoil hat’s hanging on the wall now for a reason, because it it served its purpose, but I’ve learned a lot and I’ve become more mature. I’m like, okay. So yeah, it’s just been it’s been fascinating. So as far as the regenerative thing goes, it is now a topic of discussion and
Amy (26:59.857)
Right.
Amy (27:05.5)
Yeah.
Amy (27:08.956)
Oops.
Amy (27:13.007)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (27:28.002)
When that gets airtime, people will start Googling what does that mean? And producers that never heard of it or or new people getting into it, because it’s a topic of conversation, it’s gonna keep the momentum going. I just wish we had more people that could take a breath, pray for us that we have discernment, pray that the Lord, you know, when we go out there, puts the right words into our mouth so that we can be heard and and get things done.
Amy (27:33.487)
Right.
Amy (27:42.651)
Yeah.
Amy (27:54.096)
Yeah.
Amy (27:58.297)
Yeah, that’s so that’s so good. Especially because we know that, you know, ninety percent of our audience here with HOA is Christian and it’s a good reminder. See, I love raw conversations like this because it reminds us that people are still human. There is a battle and it’s not against flesh and blood. And we are literally basing our entire thought press process off of what we’re reading on a screen.
We’re not actually basing it on talking to the people who are deeply connected and interconnected to these things. And so I love bringing on voices like yours who can kind of paint a picture. Like what is actually going on? And I think that people will we’ll always have people who have something to say about it. But I think that more people than not will maybe it’ll make them stop and think, like, okay.
I don’t have to trust everything the government that again, like I don’t I shouldn’t have to reiterate that so many times, but I know somebody’s gonna say, like, you’re just you’re you know, you’re they’re gonna say, You’re a cella, you’re telling us to trust the government and everything. No, no, no, no, no. Like we can literally go back even and throughout the whole Old Testament and see there were good kings, there were bad kings, there were good governments, there were bad governments. But what did God always do? In every situation, he always used someone, even in the midst of corrupt government.
AJ Richards (28:56.04)
Yeah, I know. Yeah.
Amy (29:19.439)
And a lot of times it was a king. He moved on the heart of a king or he moved on the heart of a politician or someone in leadership to bring things to fruition that were in his will. And so I think we, if we’re gonna claim that we’re Christians and we’re gonna claim that we trust God and everything, we cannot open our mouths and speak death over every single thing that we see. Just because we think it’s a conspiracy, the Bible says don’t call everything a conspiracy. It’s just it doesn’t work. So okay, let me go back a little bit.
because I want you to touch on this really quickly. one of the things that people keep saying, so you know, I I always like to put a post out there when something big happens, get the comments, what is our community saying? What are they thinking? How are they feeling? And surprisingly enough, we got a pretty good neutral feeling. Like, okay, we can be happy about this new executive order, but also, you know, be have some questions. Like, is it gonna be what it really is gonna be?
AJ Richards (30:14.371)
Mm-hmm.
Amy (30:15.953)
But one of the resounding comments that I got, hold on, let me pull up my notes here. it it was how do you how do you square up we’re investing in regenerative agriculture, but also we’re protecting the chemical companies that regenerative agriculture is often trying to move away from. So that that’s one of the biggest questions right now. So what do you say about that?
AJ Richards (30:36.546)
Yeah, that’s a good question because how do you square it up? The answer I can give without what what I’ll say is there’s a lot more going on than people know. There there’s some things I learned where I was like, that’s very interesting. I didn’t know the government worked that way. Right. And if you look at so I would say be patient because what I’ve seen is something gets something gets said and posted.
Amy (30:40.263)
Yeah.
Amy (30:55.973)
Mm.
AJ Richards (31:06.553)
and often in three or four months or so, and there’s a timeline there. It gets the the kinks get worked out, or something else follows. Like like Thomas Massey just put out this bill to strip the protection from chemical ag companies, right? So I think there’s first of all, I’m glad people are talking. Now, I think there’s a way to communicate without
Amy (31:22.012)
Right.
Amy (31:26.342)
Mm-hmm.
AJ Richards (31:34.368)
spitting fire and brimstone and and sometimes that’s absolutely necessary. So I don’t mean don’t be passionate. I think it’s important so we can keep the message going. But on the back side of that, learning how parts learning how the government really works. Like I one way I really kind of am trying to wrap it around my own head because I’m a simpleton, you know, I’m not I’m not a I’m not an academic. I I learn by doing and in watching.
Amy (31:35.842)
Right.
Amy (31:42.991)
Right.
Amy (31:55.216)
Mm-hmm.
AJ Richards (32:02.958)
the government’s like, and I may be wrong, but this is my current observation. The government’s like a corporation, the president is the CEO, and everybody else over every other division, they’re over the divisions of that company. And they all need resources and time from the company, from the executive to execute on those roles. Agriculture happens to have a lot of hands in the cookie jar. There’s a so many sectors that rely on what agriculture produces.
To be viable for that sector and all of the players in that sector, right? Some are good, some are bad. So I imagine that what this looks like is a meeting where the CEO’s like, what do we got to do? And all of these people are telling him, I need your time and money, I need your time and money. And so they’re negotiating with their own lobbyists and their own whatever for the time, money, and resources for that particular project or area. So I’m like, okay, I got it.
Amy (32:47.697)
Right.
AJ Richards (33:02.678)
If I’m gonna support the secretary, we have to provide her the evidence of why what we need is far more important than what Lee Zeldon from EPA needs from AG or HHS needs, you know, if they’re not aligned. Like we have to help her show why this is gonna be what makes a difference for America, for the cost of food, for the cost of production, right? Because that’s the other thing. We have forsaken our food system for so long.
Amy (33:12.325)
Mm-hmm.
Amy (33:28.666)
Right.
AJ Richards (33:28.994)
That the list of issues to fix now fall all on this administration? Are you crazy? Nobody’s fixing this in four years. So let’s support as much as they’re doing. And this is where the whole pet project problem comes in. Well, those aren’t as important as mine. Okay, you’re probably right. For you, they’re not as important, but for the people that are reliant on this, this is massive. I pray that the voice that you need gets there, but
Amy (33:33.211)
Yeah. In a very short time period, right? Yeah. No.
Amy (33:42.375)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
AJ Richards (33:57.357)
There’s not enough. There’s not enough time to take care of all these issues, right? So now we’re in this state where we have to move as quickly and efficiently as we can to start checking those things off the list to get them done. So yeah, it how do you square it up? Well, first of all, you don’t because it doesn’t make sense. So the answer is what is happening that I’m not aware of? Right? What what’s going on that I have no clue about? And and I’ll be honest with you, I tell people this all the time. I’m grateful that I’m
Amy (34:00.935)
Yeah.
Amy (34:10.182)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (34:27.34)
here because I would be guilty. I know my personality. I’ve got fire running through my brains. I’d bla my bl my veins. I’d have the tinfoil hat on and I would be screaming as loud as everybody else because I didn’t know any better. And and I’m looking at myself like you would look like a total fool to those who actually knew what was going on. So that’s been a lesson for me that I’ve I’ve the Lord’s blessed me to kind of see more so I can
Amy (34:32.571)
Yep. Yep.
Amy (34:47.227)
Right. Yeah.
AJ Richards (34:54.67)
change my communication or try to change my communication to be more effective. because the la and the last thing I’ll say on that is how much more could we get done if rather than complain about your project, if you just took a an unbiased look at the things being done, you’re Yeah, that’s great, let me get behind it. The more support, the faster those things get done, maybe we can get to more of these priority issues faster. But when you’re constantly half in a fight.
Amy (35:19.279)
Yeah. Yeah.
AJ Richards (35:22.922)
Even the people you’re trying to serve and they don’t know any better, it slows things down. You don’t get the phone calls to your congressman when we’re calling for them. You don’t get the you know, the the the people’s signatures on things that need to be signed to move momentum because they check out because they don’t think it matters. and I haven’t said it yet, so they need to hear it from my words. We should not put all our faith in the government. They’re two wings of the same bird.
Amy (35:40.037)
Right.
Amy (35:48.539)
Right.
AJ Richards (35:48.61)
You know, pay Caesar what’s Caesar’s doesn’t mean don’t work with Caesar, just means know what’s Caesar’s and what isn’t. Like my homestead. I went and talked to the NRCS. There’s all kinds of money for fencing, for greenhouses, for water, for all kinds of things to the NRCS. The NRCS told me if we give you money for fencing, we’re going to tell me tell you how many cows you can have on your ground. And I’m like, wait, it’s my private land. He goes, doesn’t matter. If we fund it, we’re going to tell you. And we’re going to tell you how to build it because it’s got to be wildlife friendly. I have a choice to make.
Amy (35:54.204)
Right.
Amy (36:10.715)
Right. Yep.
Amy (36:18.701)
Mm-hmm. Right.
AJ Richards (36:18.722)
Do I want to take that money from Caesar and have to live by Caesar’s rules or build slower? You know, go salvage all of the parts and pieces I need for free from junk piles so that I’m not in debt to Caesar. So that’s where I come from because look, right now I do trust that if I got that money and Rollins was in and you know Audrey Bentoncorp’s no longer over NRCS, but if those folks were leaders, I would have nothing to worry about.
Amy (36:48.039)
Right.
AJ Richards (36:48.11)
But I don’t know who the hell’s coming in in the next two and a half years. So I’m not willing to take that risk. That is my personal responsibility.
Amy (36:50.865)
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah. That’s a very good point. And this is a conversation that kind of gets people up in arms sometimes because especially old school farmers and old school homesteaders. I made the comment, I don’t know, months ago about this exact thing. We know people here, you know, people who maybe don’t even necessarily need the money, but the grant is available. So they’re like, Okay, I’m just gonna take it. And they have taken it.
And these are freedom loving people, right? Like they and and it’s fine. Like, I’m I won’t ever necessarily condemn it, but I think you said it in the best way. Be understanding that if you’re taking Caesar’s money, then Caesar has a right to it. And and so we we know one family, huge farm, and they got the the fencing grant, and same thing happened. They got all the fencing up, and literally the government can just
come and inspect their farm whenever they want to. They don’t even have to give him any notice. And, you know, for the most part, that might be okay. But then we get into the the rights conversation. Like this is my property. We got into that conversation on a Friday night fellowship last Friday night here at our house. And one of the men in our fellowship said, actually it’s not your property. He’s like, did you know on your deed you’re listed as tenants, not owners.
Amy (38:18.947)
And he said, you know, if you don’t pay your personal property taxes, they can take that from you. And so, you know, I I always chuckle because, you know, we hear people talking about like the great reset and the government corruption. Guys, we’re already living it. Like we are literally, we will own nothing and we will be happy. Because if we if you don’t pay your property taxes, your land’s getting taken away from you too. And so here’s the question when we look at this and we realize, you know.
AJ Richards (38:29.23)
Mm-hmm.
Amy (38:47.747)
Everything is kind of bad and good at the same time. Are what what are we gonna do about it? You know, are we gonna sit there and argue about it? Or are we gonna make we’re gonna burn bridges, right? Like I I completely agree with you. I was the same way and still am sometimes the same way when it comes to making an assumption, you know, based on just what I’m reading and what I’m seeing. But I also have praise the Lord, have had enough experience to know, okay, something else must be happening, even if it is corruption.
There’s still something else happening. And you know, when I made that glyphosate post months back when that first came out, I very clearly said, like, I don’t agree with it. I do not agree with any of this. But I also know enough people with enough experience to know, guess what? America is preparing for war. We’re just gonna break that down right now. Like in the food system, in the health system, in the chemical system, what we’re seeing.
AJ Richards (39:29.39)
Mm-hmm.
AJ Richards (39:40.076)
Mm.
Amy (39:44.931)
Is literally a mirror of nineteen forty-one leading up to, you know, or nineteen forty, I guess, leading up to World War Two. And we have so many parallels in this timeline. If we really go through and break down what’s happening in the government, the same thing is happening over again. And so we we simpleton people, right? We’re just we’re just tenants on our land and citizens of the nation. We’re not privy to the information that governments have. We don’t get to see the ins and outs of everything. And I’m not
Again, I’m not taking it for the government, but at some point we have to come to that realization, big government is gonna do what big government was hired to do. And we don’t understand that because we’re not in that world. And you know, one of the the coolest things about homesteaders is that we have the opportunity to create small communities and create microclimate spaces of government. And
I cannot stress this enough, especially over the next few years, especially as we get ready to transition into a new administration in a few years. Now is the time when we need to start building that. We have to start being involved in our local government on a local basis in our community, doing what you’re doing. You’re connecting farmers with from the farm with consumers. We we have got to start taking this seriously, or the things we’re gonna be complaining about.
AJ Richards (40:55.8)
Yep.
Amy (41:12.229)
three years from now are going to be vastly different than the petty little things we’re complaining about now. And I I don’t know how else to explain it other than to be really straightforward, you know.
AJ Richards (41:21.228)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I mean that’s why I tell people I dance in two worlds. I dance in the world of trying to help you know, I don’t trust the government. I trust certain people in the government. That’s a better way to say it. There are people that I believe God had a plan for them and they’re in those particular roles. And I don’t it’s not it’s likely not everybody in these roles. I’ve only met a couple of people there, so I’m like, I can trust these guys, but I don’t trust these guys.
Amy (41:50.215)
Mm-hmm.
AJ Richards (41:51.35)
And I may even trust the person, but maybe not trust all the staff around them because who knows, right? and I don’t not say that in particular about any any anybody there. I’m just saying there’s you you need to you two things can be always be true, and that’s people have forgotten two things can be true. Regenerative EO is amazing, the protection for glyphosate is not. Two things are true at the same time. Those are that’s not good. But the
Amy (41:56.956)
Right.
Amy (42:06.586)
Yes.
AJ Richards (42:21.92)
If we don’t build a parallel community that doesn’t require all of these things being done by the government, then we’re subjecting ourselves to always being in need of a distributor. When you go right to the source, when you go right to the producer, you circumvent government other than the policies that get in the way of you being able to acquire it, which is what we’re working on.
Amy (42:47.335)
Mm-hmm.
AJ Richards (42:47.532)
What good is an e com e-commerce platform connecting consumers right with producers if you’re not legally allowed to sell it? That’s the whole reason I got into politics. I wouldn’t have otherwise. But I I knew like, okay, I’ve got people all across the country wanting to be here. They’re just not allowed. So I’m gonna have to start getting involved to do that. the other part of it is if we can put, you know, depending on the size of your operation.
Amy (42:53.339)
Right.
AJ Richards (43:12.61)
Dozens to hundreds, if not thousands, of consumers that rely on you for the food so that when you’re being persecuted as the producer, you have an army behind you that will serve you. That’s what we’re trying to do at from at from the farm, because we know we just don’t trust the government. We trust certain people, but not the government. So, what do we do to prepare for when we have an administration that is, you know, all about
Amy (43:24.293)
Right.
AJ Richards (43:41.55)
corporate ag and none local. Because that’s not the case here, despite what people think. Some of the things that are being looked at right now are direct act. If you haven’t heard of the Direct Act, Direct Act is essentially state inspected slaughterhouses. A real quick background. USDA inspected slaughterhouse, you can ship it nationwide after it’s packaged to anybody that buys it. State inspected slaughterhouses can only be sold within the state after processing. So
Amy, you can drive to my house and pick up from me, but I can’t sell it to you online. So the Direct Act is chang is working to change that. And this administration is actually working on that, which would say, Okay, Amy, you’re a consenting adult. If you want to buy from AJ online, we’re not gonna make you drive there to get it. Buy it online, that’s as good as you showing up in person to get it. That’s
Amy (44:14.136)
Right.
Amy (44:31.322)
Right.
AJ Richards (44:35.906)
what they’re looking at for the state inspected. That would alleviate processing capacity issues. It would open up more access to more consumers to buy right from the farmer. So those are the kind of things that that we need to keep pushing for, but also will set us up to really have a community, a communal space. And and and I told told your audience this on the last podcast, we do see ourselves as a ministry. Doesn’t mean every producer on our platform are Christian. We’re not filtering for that.
Amy (44:58.492)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (45:02.988)
The leadership is Christian. We have Christian values. We pray to the Lord for discernment and guidance and where we should put our resources. And should I even go to these meetings? Right? That’s how we lead this company. but on a level, we believe that when we can connect Christian sewards of the land and the food with consumers, there’s going to be a a a revival that we can be a part of in that aspect as well. But it’s got to be independent of of you know of Caesar, and then we’ve got to fight to maintain that.
Amy (45:03.076)
Right.
Amy (45:24.805)
Yeah.
Amy (45:30.479)
Right. Yeah, you know, I think Christians often forget that Daniel was of the Bible was actually part of the government, right? It’s one of those leaders you could trust, but he was still a leader in the government. And and the same thing, he still did what God told him to do. He still walked in obedience to what God said. And so I I love the general vein through this whole conversation is it it it’s literally not either or, it’s both and how
How can we start looking at these things from a different perspective? And the reality is that when we do start looking at it from a different perspective, we can encourage other people to do the same thing, to look at this differently. And then what happens is they’re encouraged to go do something. Well, what’s the next step I can take on my property? Or maybe you’re not a homesteader. Maybe you want to get involved in some other way. Maybe it’s, you know, starting a farmer’s market or supporting farmers in a different way. Like there’s so many, so many things you can do.
but I really appreciate this conversation. I appreciate you coming on with me. I’ve I’ve had you for almost an hour. And I think it’s just been a really rich conversation that people need to hear. Like some people just need to hear the straightforward. This is how it is, this is how it feels, this is how it works. And before they can realize, like, wait.
AJ Richards (46:36.046)
Thank you.
Amy (46:52.153)
Maybe I am that person, or you know, that’s that’s being crazy and and not thinking this through very well. Or, you know, just encouragement for other people like us. We have so many leaders in the homestead and food industries that need the encouragement. Like the the thing I keep hearing now is endurance. We need endurance right now because there are so many loud voices that are just it’s hard.
You know, when you first came on here, I could already tell you were like, Man, I am over this. It’s hard, AJ. We know that, but other people don’t know that. And it’s like, man, you know, this is not why we’re here, right? We we’re not here so people can pat us on the back or tell us we’re doing a good job. And and that’s a realization so many leaders have to come to like
AJ Richards (47:29.998)
Mm-hmm.
Amy (47:37.723)
Literally, I’m not here for you to make me feel good about what I’m doing. But man, sometimes it would be really good just to like get you to see what’s happening and so we can make a a bigger impact and advance more quickly in what we’re doing. So I appreciate you. I honor you. I bless you. I thank you for coming on this podcast and talking to our audience. As always, I’m gonna open it up for you. If there’s one thing, if you already haven’t said it, that’s burning in your heart.
or mine to share with our people, now’s your time to do it.
AJ Richards (48:09.762)
Yeah. Pray for us. Pray for those of us that are going there. Pray s pray for the people that are there. if you if you identify as a Christian and the majority of your content is negative, reevaluate that. instead, how often are you posting, I’m praying for the secretary to make the right decision, I’m praying for AJ to have the spirit of discernment versus you’re a sellout.
Amy (48:13.287)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (48:38.018)
Versus, you’re this, you’re that. Reach into your Christian soul and pray for the people that are there. Even if you don’t trust them, pray for their heart to be softened. But pray for discernment and the Lord’s guidance more than ripping on the people there that are there because like I said, I don’t trust the government, but there are people there that I do trust and they are working really hard. They’ve been preparing to be in this role to make a difference if they ever had the chance again.
Amy (48:38.498)
Right.
AJ Richards (49:07.062)
And it’s very complicated. Our food system is extremely complicated. I think it’s by design because it’s more you can control it more. because a simple system is me buying from my neighbor and my neighbor selling to me what I’m not growing. That’s a simple system and it’s become far more complicated and now it’s easy to control. So I just my my appeal is just pray us. We we many of us there, we don’t.
We only know we’re there because the Lord wanted us there. We didn’t want to be there. Frankly, half the time we have things at home we’d rather be working on than going to DC, but we do it at a service and nobody’s being paid. we just need the people’s prayers because, you know, where there’s two or more of us gathered in his name, he’s there. And so I just feel that if if we had a lot more people praying, even
Amy (49:42.127)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (50:00.41)
One of my favorite posts to see from people is when it’s a quick prayer. Like, thank you. Thank you. Thanks for balancing out the you’re all paid actors and all the other crap that’s in those feeds. Like we just we need that support. So I I’m humbled, I’m grateful. Thanks for having me on here. You’re I’m super excited to be with you all in person. this year. It’s you know, I’ve I’ve said it before, I’ve been following HOA since you guys started and
Amy (50:11.415)
Right.
Amy (50:20.685)
Yeah.
AJ Richards (50:28.046)
It’s been amazing to see your growth and now to have the opportunity to to serve people in your community as well, however we can.
Amy (50:34.915)
Awesome. Well, yeah, you guys, that’s a good plug. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet for October, by some miracle, there’s still tickets left. Normally we’re sold out in February, but you know, with inflation and travel cost, man, it’s hard. People are having a hard time this year. So we do still have, I think there’s like nine hundred tickets left out of six thousand, right? So you guys go grab your tickets if you want to meet AJ and hear him in person. We are right outside the nation’s capital this October, every October for now. so it’s a perfect place to
AJ Richards (50:44.823)
Yep.
Amy (51:04.869)
Talk about food freedom and health freedom and freedom in general. So it’s our 10th anniversary event. So we’re really excited about it. We have some special stuff planned. So you guys check out all the information, all of AJ’s information is going to be in the show notes. make sure you subscribe and like and do all those things if you have any nice comments for AJ, leave them below. but I’m sure you know he’ll filter through the bad ones too. So thank you guys for listening. Yeah, yeah, you have some thick skin, right?
AJ Richards (51:30.242)
I was in the army.
Yeah, yeah.
Amy (51:34.875)
Alright, until next time guys, happy homesteading.
AJ Richards (51:38.606)
Thanks everyone.
