Our 2016 bloggers: Farming in the arid West
Introducing our 2016 series: Farming in the Arid West
New report on Western Water: Conservation Generation
Across most of the arid West, drought has been the norm for the last 15 years. The majority of young farmers and ranchers in this region have never farmed in non-drought conditions, which means they are uniquely focused on creative solutions to water conservation. NYFC’s new report, Conservation Generation: How Young Farmers And Ranchers Are […]
New report: Innovation & stewardship in the arid West
Here’s a story you probably haven’t heard in the news: Family farmers are leading water conservation efforts in the West. Here are two examples. By building up the level of organic matter in the soil of their California farm, Paul and Elizabeth Kaiser (pictured above with their crew) have drastically cut their irrigation use while […]
The West, water and you: Take our new survey
This year drought has gripped the West to a new extreme. But both young and seasoned farmers are forging new and innovative solutions, growing more food with less water while enhancing biodiversity, soil health, and their local communities. Yet despite this, too often young farmers are not engaged in shaping water policy. This means their […]
Water Tour brings farmers together from across Southwest
Below average precipitation combined with warm and dry summers make it difficult for producers to grow enough to make a profit and forecasts of low precipitation patterns suggests this may be a new normal. With water being a critical resource for managing a successful farm, drought resiliency is an important skill. This week the National Young Farmers […]
Sustaining Farming in the Arid West: Stories of young farmers, water and resilience
FARMERS ADAPT TO DROUGHT AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY New Report Highlights Innovative Drought Mitigation & Water Savings by Six Farmers in Four Colorado River Basin States August 14th, 2014 Download report (PDF) DURANGO, CO – The National Young Farmers Coalition released a report today highlighting innovative farmers who are adapting to record drought in the arid Southwest. “Sustaining Farming […]
Water stewardship takes center stage on Colorado River Day
As news of the Wests’ staggering drought makes headlines nationwide, it can be difficult to look past the waves of dark red on the drought monitor. Reports are rolling in on California farmers fallowing land due to lack of water, tumbleweed take-over, and western reservoirs dropping to their lowest levels in history.
Farm Hack West Slope CO: Farmers build social and online tools to improve farm resilience in the arid West
On the small-scale farm, the only guarantee is that there are no guarantees. This fact makes resiliency—the ability to recover from or adjust to misfortune or change—an essential trait, especially for small, young and beginning farmers. As we in the west face extended drought and increasing demand for good food and water, we must continue […]
Historic water cuts on Colorado River put strain on downstream farmers
It’s no news that water is scarce in the arid west. But last week marked an unprecedented moment in the history of the Colorado River and the millions of people nationwide who rely on it for drinking water, meat and vegetables. Based on historically low flows in the Colorado River, the Bureau of Reclamation–a federal […]
Mayors, farmers across the west stand together for Colorado River Day
“Essentially if we didn’t have this river and this water, we wouldn’t have agriculture in this state [of Colorado],” says Brad Webb, a local farmer and business owner of Mesa Park Vineyards in western Colorado. Brad spoke on behalf of beginning farmers for Colorado River Day in Grand Junction, one of five events held yesterday […]