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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →“Version 2.0” was a metaphor, not a product release or a formal program. In July 2018, Erin Fitzgerald, newly named chief executive of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), used the phrase to describe what should follow the organization’s first eight years. The group now calls itself U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action, and its current materials do not present a versioned initiative under that label.
What “Version 2.0” referred to
In a Successful Farming article by Dave Kurns, published July 24, 2018, Fitzgerald described the alliance’s early years as a start-up period. Its work in that stretch included bringing stakeholders together and producing documentaries and social-media training. “2.0” was her shorthand for the next stage: what a more unified agriculture community could accomplish once its members had learned to work together.
Because the phrase was a figure of speech, it has no release date, feature list, or success criteria of its own. Readers who go looking for a “2.0” program on the organization’s current pages will not find one.
The 2018 claims, read as ambitions
Two of Fitzgerald’s remarks from the interview capture the thinking behind the phrase:
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“We now know that we can work together. We now know that everyone’s at the table.” — Erin Fitzgerald, then chief executive of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, quoted in Dave Kurns, Successful Farming, July 24, 2018.
“If you’re not at the table, you’re lunch, right?” — Erin Fitzgerald, then chief executive of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, quoted in Dave Kurns, Successful Farming, July 24, 2018.
The article points to two aims. The first was getting stakeholders across agriculture to work together. The second was strengthening the industry’s voice in public conversations about food and farming. Both are statements of intent from a 2018 interview. The article does not measure whether either was achieved, and this piece does not treat them as outcomes.
What the organization is called and does now
The current name, U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action, replaces the 2018 name while keeping the USFRA abbreviation. Its stated mission is to connect U.S. farmers and ranchers with food and agriculture stakeholders to co-create sustainable food systems. Its official pages emphasize connections along the food and agriculture value chain, science-based solutions, sustainability, and farmer and rancher voices.
The pages list four areas of work:
- Food production
- Climate change
- Food culture and waste
- Economic sustainability
The organization’s 2025 impact report, published in 2026, organizes its work into three workstreams: “Being Heard,” “Being Understood,” and “Being Sustainable.” The report describes activity that includes farmer representation, research partnerships, and support for farmer-led projects. Recent work it describes includes climate and food-system projects, research, webinars, a podcast, and partner collaborations.
These are the activities the organization presents as its work today. They show a continuing program of communication and coalition work, but they are not a scorecard against the 2018 goals.
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Reading the organization’s figures
The 2025 impact report contains two headline numbers. Both come from the organization itself.
| Figure | What the organization reports | How to weigh it |
|---|---|---|
| Farmers and ranchers represented | 700,000 | Self-reported in the 2025 impact report (published 2026). The report’s sources and counting method are not described in the material reviewed for this article, so treat it as the organization’s own representation estimate rather than an independently verified census. |
| Membership change | More than doubled in 2025 | Self-reported in the same report. It gives a direction of change, not a absolute membership count, so it cannot be used to size the membership on its own. |
Who leads the organization
The 2025 impact report and the organization’s team page both name Kevin Burkum as chief executive. Leadership changes, so anyone citing the organization after this date should check the team page on the official site before repeating the name.
How to test a “next stage” claim from any nonprofit
A phrase like “Version 2.0” is easy to remember and hard to audit. If you are deciding whether to support, partner with, or write about an organization in this position, the following checks separate ambition from record:
- Date the statement. Note when the claim was made and who made it. A 2018 interview describes 2018 intentions.
- Separate the mission from the measured activity. Ask whether the organization names specific projects, dates, or deliverables, or only broad goals.
- Trace every number to its publisher. Identify whether the figure is self-reported, how it is defined, and which year it covers.
- Confirm current name and leadership on official pages. Name changes can make older coverage hard to match to current activity.
- Look for an annual report. A published impact report with named workstreams gives you something specific to compare against next year’s report.
Ways to take part
The organization’s current pages describe three direct routes: joining its ambassador network, joining the Decade of Ag, and becoming a partner. None of the material reviewed establishes affiliate commissions, referral tracking, or consumer sign-up terms. Read the participation terms on the official site before committing time or money.
Limits of this account
The 2018 history rests on one trade-press interview. The current picture rests on the organization’s own website and its 2025 impact report, which are self-published and not independently audited. The name, mission, and leadership described here reflect official materials as of October 2026. If you are reading this later, verify them against the organization’s current pages.
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