![A collage of pictures from RIPE's trip with the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture for their summit. From left: RIPE Executive Director Trey Cooke in a rice field with RIPE Steering Committee representative, RIPE Board Member Eunie Biel in a cotton field, solar energy on a farm, and a banana spider in an Arkansas crop field.](https://www.riperoadmap.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Boots-in-the-Dirt-August-2024-AR-495x400.jpg)
Sow & Grow Blog
Welcome to the Rural Investment to Protect Our Environment (RIPE) Blog Sow & Grow. This is a space for updates related to RIPE and the work we do. From our “Boots in the Dirt” series about RIPE’s on-the-ground work to our “From the Hill” Government Affairs updates, this is your place to learn all about what we’ve been up to & where we plan to go from here.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
![Trey Cooke](https://www.riperoadmap.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Trey-Cooke-headshot-289x300.jpg)
Trey Cooke
Trey Cooke is RIPE’s Executive Director. Originally a co-author of the RIPE Proposal, Trey is a product of multi-generational farm families with 25 years of experience in senior leadership roles for regional and national conservation non-profits.
![Melissa Willhouse](https://www.riperoadmap.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/HeadshotColor-300x300.jpg)
Melissa Willhouse
Melissa is RIPE‘s Communications Manager and a certified Master Naturalist. In her role with RIPE, she enjoys using her communications skills and environmental policy knowledge to promote regenerative agriculture and economic incentives for producers.