Montana Rancher Irv Alderson describes how the loss of Country of Origin Labeling threatens to put American ranchers out of business.

61 percent of farmers and ranchers today have to work off-farm part-time to support themselves. 52 percent of U.S. farmers actually have a primary occupation and only farm part-time. Seven years ago, Jim and Karen began ranching full time through their operation Grass King Cattle and Produce Company. The key to the Zezas’ success and ability to work solely on the ranch is niche marketing and diversification. “We knew we had to diversify and find multiple streams of income to support us through this operation,” Jim said.

4e Winery is a beacon in the soy and corn landscape that makes up most of North Dakota. The winding grapevines at the entrance of the winery, stand proudly, welcoming guests. In 2015 Lisa and Greg opened 4e Winery in eastern North Dakota. The name 4e comes from Lisa and Greg’s interest in the ancient Greeks' belief that everything was made up of four unchanging elements – Earth, Fire, Water, and Air, as well as a nod to Greg’s profession as a chemist.

In 2016, mother-daughter team Ronna and Veronnaka opened Swanky Roots, an indoor, year-round, aquaponic farm. Swanky Roots serves the Billings, Montana area with fresh produce like butterhead, leaf lettuce, kale, swiss chard, and more.

Don Lumbardy was born in 1948 in Mesa County. He has always believed in the connectivity of food, the land, and human health. Throughout his life he watched as development endangered his values, vastly changed his surroundings, and altered the way of life he knew and loved. Don’s upbringing on the ranch coincided with one of the biggest shifts in agriculture to date.

Farmers Jacob Gray and Ben Gillespie set aside their individual poultry operations to join forces under Diamond G Poultry. Their operation values the health of the land, the animal, the consumer, and the farmer. “I hope stories like this will help shift farmers’ mindset on getting involved and paying closer attention to the quality of food we produce. And for consumers, shift their mindset to care about where their food comes from, why it costs what it does, and what it does for the health of all of us,” Jacob said.

Zay & Leah López are first-generation farmers. Together, they own and operate The Produce Peddler. On 26 acres at the west end of the Grand Valley, they grow a large variety of vegetables, melons, and raise chickens and sheep for eggs and meat. The Produce Peddler’s mission is simple: Connect people to their food source and grow excellent produce for their community in a safe and responsible way.

Kathryn Bedell runs Roan Creek Ranch in Fruita, Colorado. In addition to rancher, Kathryn is a businesswoman, advocate, and steward, in the hopes that she can make ranching in Colorado more lucrative, sustainable, and accessible to all.

Frank Wallis is involved in all things local foods in Gillette, Wyoming. Thanks to the Wyoming Food Freedom Act, Frank was able to help start the Downtown Gillette Farmers' Market, a cooperatively owned indoor farmers’ market in Gillette. With the help of other local producers and friends, Frank and his team are able to provide a host of local foods to the community year-round.

On just one acre of land, Dawn Trujillo and Brian Adams can feed 500 to 700 people per week. Dawn and Brian’s farmstead, Green Junction Farmstead in Clifton, Colorado, is a beacon for all things fresh, local, and delicious. Brian and Dawn grow 50 varieties of vegetables and produce for their 73 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members, two farmers’ markets, a handful of local restaurants, the homeless shelter, and a community food bank. All of the food grown at Green Junction Farmstead stays in Mesa County.

Reed Youngbar and his wife Jessica Hart started Swift Microgreens, a local, year-round microgreen farm, in 2018 in Billings, Montana. In June, Reed and Jessica were unable to continue growing microgreens. Like thousands of other U.S. farmers, their financial return did not cover the time and money spent producing. They’ve decided to shut down their farming operation and focus on their food waste recycling company Swift Buckets.

Farmer Amy Young runs Young Roots Farm in Baker City, Oregon. Young Roots Farm is a small, ever-diversifying, woman-owned and operated farm raising food mindfully for family and community. Amy has committed her farm to improving the land through regenerative agriculture. “People have to have food if they want to survive and how that food is grown determines whether or not the planet is going to survive,” Amy says.

John Brown is committed to building healthy soil. He says healthy soil creates opportunity through higher yields, better water storage, drought resistance, less erosion, healthier food, and carbon storage. “When you get enough diversity, and when you get enough concentration of that diversity and the right biological stimulant, things happen that are outside of what is supposed to be possible,” John says.

An amendment of the Wyoming Food Freedom Act in 2017 allows local producers to sell raw milk. Christine Hampshire went from selling raw milk to friends and family to selling raw milk around the entire county. Christine runs Cross E Dairy in Leiter, Wyoming. Her approach to raw milk relies on sanitation, freshness and health.

The National Young Farmers Coalition found that access to land is the number one challenge new farmers and ranchers face. Patrick is one of the thousands of new farmers looking for farmland.

Thanks to legislation passed in 2015 and updated in 2017, the local food movement is blossoming in Wyoming. The Wyoming Food Freedom Act enables producers, like Joe Wesnitzer, to sell directly to consumers. This Act encourages the expansion of agricultural sales by farmers’ markets, ranches, farms and home-based producers.

New farmers Matt and Lindy Geraets started the Capital City Farmers’ Market in Pierre, South Dakota with their friend Julie Bolding. Together, they are connecting Pierre to locally grown food.

Proponents pitched Lost Valley Farm as a rural economy booster. The reality of the operation, and operations like it, could have permanently devastated the area.

Rosebud Economic Development Corporation (REDCO) builds Homegrown Prosperity by connecting Sicangu Lakota Oyate communities to local, traditional food.

In the 100 years since starting Turnercrest ranch, the Turner family has had to adapt to life with the energy industry as their neighbor.

Kate and Bill Harwell own and operate Sky Island Farm in Hoquiam, Washington. They’re sharing their experience on what it’s like to start a farm as a first generation farmer.

Annika and her family have ranched 19 miles north of Billings, Montana, for three generations. Annika is working hard to connect consumers to local producers through the Yellowstone Valley Food Hub.

Steve owns and operates Hillside Prairie Garden, a mixed vegetable garden in Brookings, South Dakota.

Eastern Oregon farmer Doug Lewis explains how transitioning to organic and diversifying his operation saved the farm.