National uncertainty, community hope, and pruning
By Harrison Topp | The rolling of the season brings us into a new cycle of long hours and hard work. Just as the buds are beginning to swell, so are the knots in my lower back and shoulders.
My climate change plan: foster community
By Casey Holland | Sustainability isn’t just about what crops and varieties we are or aren’t growing, it is also about the connections we continue to build with members of our community.
Farming is an art of adaptation
By Tyler Hoyt | This has been one of the warmest winters on the books for our area, which means that most of our precipitation has come as rain instead of snow. That means endless “mud season.”
To save water, first save soil and heirloom plants
By Tyler Hoyt | The more conservation is looked at as an everyday farm practice, instead of as a one-and-done project, the better off we will all be in the long run.
I need more information: Balancing rain and irrigation
By Casey Holland | The monsoons finally arrived in August. They were more than a month later than usual, but I am grateful for them all the same.
Managing water: a new farmer and a very old acequia
An interview with Nery Martínez | “Here in New Mexico we have a system of ditches or channels called an acequias. It’s a system—a really, really old system—that allows people to get irrigation water on their land.”
Farm disasters wait for no man … or wedding
By Tyler Hoyt | We cannot keep sweeping our water problems under the rug, hoping that the next wet season will save us. We need proactive measures that save water before it is wasted on all levels.
When the heat doesn’t stop: adapting to climate change
By Casey Holland | Year after year, as the heat becomes more intense and the rain becomes more scarce, I have to come to terms with what this new reality truly means for the farm’s future.
Balancing work with work: On day jobs and land hunts
By Stacia Cannon | Balancing an off-farm job with the often unpredictable needs of the orchard is a constant battle. It’s a life of long hours, frugality, and problem solving. But the grass is green and the fruit is sweet.
Finding land (with water) isn’t easy
By Tyler Hoyt | One of the biggest barriers that young farmers face is access to good quality land. In the West, good land for agriculture is usually tied to good water rights.