High Country News November 28, 2011
Feature
Farm incubators help would-be farmers succeed on their own
Viva Farms is a "farm incubator" in Washington's Skagit Valley that helps aspiring cash-poor farmers like Nelida Martinez start and successfully operate their own businesses.
A citizen activist forces New Mexico's dairies to clean up their act
When a giant dairy proposed building near Jerry Nivens' beloved New Mexico home, the chain-smoking Texas hermit became an activist who organized other locals to fight the industry.
Can an old mine become a work of art?
The old Ute-Ule mine site outside Lake City, Colo., is under scrutiny by the Hardrock Revision Team, which wants to clean up the mine and yet preserve it as a living and historic work of art.
Current
The Southwest's population and housing booms bite the dust
As the West's population and real estate boom stumble to a halt, the once fast-growing Southwest is filled with foreclosed homes and undeveloped lots.
Western game wardens go after poachers
Overstretched game wardens like Colorado's Tom Knowles rely on tips from hotline informants to catch elusive poachers.
California's high-speed rail is slow to gain speed
The U.S. continues to trail the rest of the world in high-speed rail development, as California's long-planned bullet train is delayed yet again.
Editor's Note
Aspiring farmers find creative ways to succeed
Sarahlee Lawrence and Amy Ridout are part of a wave of young farmers determined to remake the American food system.
Dear Friends
And now, a message from our sponsors ...
High Country News publishes Green Gift Guide; HCN has some delivery problems, but Becca Clarren's baby delivery goes perfectly; late fall visitors; "Possessing the Wild" missed some lines; and corrections.
Uncommon Westerners
Hersh Saunders' transformation from prosthodontist to kosher slaughterer
Frustrated by the difficulty of finding kosher meat from humanely raised animals, Rabbi Hersh Saunders began raising livestock and learned to butcher in the ritual way as a shochet.
Book Reviews
Dealt a bad hand: A review of Doc
Mary Doria Russell brings the real-life historical character Doc Holliday to imaginative life in her novel, Doc, which focuses on the time he spent working as a tubercular dentist in Dodge City, Kan., long before the OK Corral.
An unexpected L.A. story: A review of The Barbarian Nurseries
Héctor Tobar's ferocious new novel, The Barbarian Nurseries, stars a Mexican housekeeper who works for a dysfunctional family and accidentally gets caught up in the national fury over illegal immigration.
Essays
Fighting the wind on a Montana camping trip
If you want to be driven crazy by the wind, try canoeing and camping on Montana's Marias River.
Perspective
The burial of Elouise Cobell
A woman warrior for the Blackfeet Nation, Elouise Cobell is laid to rest just as the landmark class-action lawsuit she led on behalf of Indian trust funds is finally settled.
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