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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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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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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…
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Irv Alderson: Country of Origin Labeling
Rancher Irv Alderson leaned against an old post near the tack barn at Bones Brothers Ranch near Birney, Montana. The Bones Brothers Ranch brand stamped proudly on the doors of the barn is over 130 years old. Irv readjusted his hat and looked out across the home pastures. “I grew up looking through this…
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Grass King Cattle & Produce Company
In 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found the average American farm operated at a net loss — requiring off-farm income and health insurance just to break even. Today, Jim and Karen Zezas are defying the odds through niche marketing and a diversified operation. Jim and Karen own and operate Grass King Cattle and…
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Aquaponics and Access: Swanky Roots
Above: Image courtesy of @nathansatranphoto and Swanky Roots. Montana isn’t known for its’ year-round local produce. The harsh winters and short summers can greatly impact growing seasons and deter farmers from planting certain crops. That didn’t stop Billings locals Ronna Klamert and Veronnaka Evenson from pursuing their passion. In the last decade, a significant…
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Holding on to the Ranch: Don Lumbardy
Don Lumbardy was born in 1948 in Mesa County, just 20 miles west of the ranch he stands on today. Lumbardy Ranch is nestled north of the Gunnison River, several miles north of the 209,610-acre Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area, and at the western foot of the Grand Mesa National Forest. Looking out across…