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Fruit of the Coop | It’s your Business, Life and Community all Wrapped up in one
Fruit of the Coop, LLC is a 7-acre farm located in the watershed of the Big Sioux River near Brandon, South Dakota and is owned and operated by Stephanie Peterson. Stephanie attended Dakota Rural Action’s Farm beginning course to learn how to operate and succeed in her chicken egg business where she sells pasture…
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Cross E Dairy and Freedom Foods | Diversifying the Market for Producers in Wyoming
Christine Hampshire used to spend her weekends centered around getting her dairy and beef products ready for the weekly farmers market. Each weekend she would be prepping products, loading milk and cream into her truck and driving out to the market, which was her primary source of income. Being a dairy farmer, this also…
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Ranching Innovations during a Drought in Montana’s Golden Triangle
On a dry hillside in Conrad, Montana, a group of ranchers, farmers, environmentalists, geologists, students and teachers converge to walk Lisa Schmidt’s ranch and talk about soil health. They’re here to learn about some of Lisa’s practices and experiments for keeping up with the changing climate. This gathering is called a soil crawl. By…
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Tanya Svec | Protecting Land and Resources for the Future of South Dakota
Tanya Svec moved back to South Dakota to embrace the rural and farm lifestyle with her husband and four kids. In 2021, East Dakota Beef proposed to put in a processing plant just 1/2 mile from Tanya’s home. This video goes in depth on her perspective on the development and the role of farmers…
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Jill Morrison | 30 Years of Protecting Wyoming’s Land, Water and Air
Jill Morrison grew up on her family’s farm in Western Nebraska. The farm fell victim to the 1980s’ farm crisis, forcing the family to sell off sections of the land, piece by piece. “My connection to the land comes from my heritage. I come from farmers and ranchers on both sides of my family,”…
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Patchwork Family Farms | Feeding Farm Aid
Farm Aid, an organization that supports and advocates for family farms year-round and holds an annual fundraising concert, celebrated 36 years this September. The lineup included Farm Aid’s founders, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews, Tyler Childers and many more. The music brought people from all over the country to gather in…
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Jenna Vanhorne | The Future of North Dakota from Farming to State Senate
Jenna Vanhorne is a North Dakota dairy farmer, a mother, and was one of the first women of color to run for state senate in North Dakota. She operates the homestead with her mother, motivated by the lifestyle of having her kids free roaming in the backyard and the feeling of work outside, at…
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The Edible Prairie Project | Local Solutions for Communities Facing Food Insecurity
On a warm spring afternoon in Gillette, WY, patrons line up outside the boys and girls club to receive a basket full of fresh, locally grown produce, containing a variety of food including lettuce, radishes and local honey. These baskets are offered to the community at tiered pricing to fit each individual’s budget and…
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Urban Food Forests Provide Space for Community Connection, Education and Nourishment
The Sheridan Food Forest sits alongside Big Goose Creek, tucked into what was once a BMX Park in the community of Sheridan, Wyoming. The once weedy, hard packed lot is now filled with plants and trees native to Wyoming, and supplemented with fruit trees and common vegetables. The food forest seeks to provide food…
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Online Farmers Market Keeps Community Connected to Local Produce amidst the COVID Pandemic
Driving through Sheridan, Wyoming, in early November, most of the roadside fields seem to be retired for the year. Winter looms around the corner and Wyoming has already seen it’s first snow, browning the remaining crops and closing the growing season. Despite this natural cycle in the outdoor growing season, on the weekends, Sheridan…