Jill Demers believes that connecting food to nature improves human and environmental health. She was inspired to become a Nutrition Therapy Practitioner after one of her sons was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. By the time he was five, Alder was non-verbal and struggling. Jill knew in her heart that Alder’s diagnosis was masking a bigger issue; she believed he was sick. She began working with an NTP, and 72 hours after removing specific foods from Alder’s diet, Jill says he made eye contact for the first time. Within three years, Alder’s clinical diagnosis of autism was revoked. He is now a happy and active teen with plenty of friends and excellent grades, and Jill is confident that eating holistically grown food helped him achieve that. The experience inspired her to return to school and become an NTP.
Today, Jill’s mission is to help others change their lifestyles and use food to improve their health. It makes perfect sense that she and her husband, Jay, are using their regenerative farm on the banks of the Clark Fork River as a base camp for her work. The couple bought 60 acres of compacted soil and an abandoned gravel pit in 2020. The land was baron, over-grazed, under-watered, and screaming for help. With their three sons, Jill and Jay vowed to restore the land to its former glory and started ReWild Ranch.
After three years, parts of their land can retain water and grow grass instead of weeds. Along with no-till practices, a rotational grazing system featuring goats and livestock dogs helps replenish the soil life. Cows, chickens and pigs will come next. The couple has proof that regeneration works; there’s a two-foot drop in topsoil between Jill and Jay’s property and their neighbor’s land! It’s an ongoing process, and plenty of work remains. But today, ReWild Ranch is a food, water, and energy-independent farmstead. They’re now growing vegetables in a small area and will expand soon with an NRCS-funded high tunnel.
After receiving a $50k grant from the Montana Department of Commerce to build an agritourism business, Jill and Jay are opening their farm this summer to people interested in learning how to better care for themselves and their families. Guests can stay at ReWild and participate in kitchen alchemy workshops to connect to food and nature and see how regenerative agriculture can transform a landscape and directly impact human health. Jill is keen to share her knowledge and passion for regenerative practices and strong local food systems; she’s currently working on putting out a cookbook! A lot is germinating at ReWild Ranch, and it’s all good stuff.