Juan Whiting is a fourth-generation farmer and rancher who serves as President of the Hinterland Institute. He is helping lead a national effort to train veterans for a new mission at home: restoring America’s landscapes through regenerative grazing. Through this work, he is building pathways for veterans to strengthen rural communities, heal damaged soils, and restore millions of acres of working land across the United States.
Juan earned his Master’s in International Agricultural Development from Texas A&M University and continued graduate research in Plant Breeding and Genetics. He spent eight years in East Africa supporting agricultural and conservation projects in conflict and post conflict communities. During that time, he worked with the Conflict and Development Foundation and later founded and operated a farm management company that ran organic and regenerative production systems across Rwanda.
He also serves as a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve where he applies his expertise as an Agricultural Specialist in Civil Affairs to support missions centered on stability, resilience, and sustainable food systems. Through his company, Stray Acres Consulting, Juan has led hundreds of agricultural and rural development projects and helped secure more than $37 million in funding.
Juan also serves on the board of Essential Provisions, which is advancing regenerative and organic MREs for the military, and on the board of the Rangeland Living Laboratory. He is the author of The Holistic Funding Approach and advises businesses, nonprofits, and mission-driven leaders on funding strategy, partnerships, and long-term impact.