In Montana’s dying farm country, "vanguard
agriculture" is putting people back to work on the land
Magazine
December 26, 2005
In Montana’s dying farm country, "vanguard agriculture" is putting people back to work on the land. Also in this issue: Concerned citizens overflow a meeting in Delta, Colo., as a crucial deadline for protecting roadless areas in national forests nears.
Feature
Sidebar
Montana’s land-grant universities have so far shown
little interest in promoting organic agriculture
More Montana farmers are starting to raise oilseed crops
and produce their own biofuels to save on energy costs
Editor's Note
Supporting sustainable, local, organic food production is
one way to reduce our ecological impact and restore the
West’s rural communities
Uncommon Westerners
Andrea Malmberg of Wyoming’s Twin Creek Ranch uses
her gourmet cooking to put her ranch guests in touch with the land
and with the food they eat
Essays
Backcountry seasonal ranger Tony Prendergast has spent
much of the past six summers working in western Colorado’s
Gunnison National Forest
Book Reviews
In Predatory Bureaucracy, Michael J.
Robinson traces the history of the U.S. Biological Survey,
particularly its war on wolves
Gary Ferguson explores the history and culture of the
backbone of the West in The Great Divide: The Rocky
Mountains in the American Mind
In The Sum of Our Past, Judy Busk
weaves personal memoir and historical research together as she
retraces the Mormon and Oregon Trails in the modern "covered wagon"
of her van
The Pictograph Murders by P.G.
Karamesines, combines archaeology, witchcraft and murder in a
chilling first novel set in Utah
Writers on the Range
The war in Vietnam destroyed a long-lasting liberal
coalition; now, political scandals and the war in Iraq are
threatening the conservative coalition that took its
place
Heard Around the West
Evolution Amber Ale; wolves, bears and elk in Yellowstone;
Starbucks vs. Sambuck’s; cows adopt an elk; PETA vs. your
daddy the fisherman
Dear Friends
Happy Holidays from HCN; festive recipes; Juan Butron wins
award
News
Concerned citizens overflow a meeting in Delta, Colo., as
a crucial deadline for protecting roadless areas in national
forests nears
Who rewrote Park Service’s management policies?;
judge permits building of U.S.-Mexico border fence; Superintendent
David Hunsaker leaves Utah’s Escalante National Monument;
judge says Forest Service blew his ruling out of
proportion
Wyoming Game and Fish plans to test feedgrounds elk and
slaughter any that are infected with brucellosis in order to keep
the disease from spreading to cattle
Budget crunches have thinned Forest Service staffing even
as visitor numbers soar, making it hard to enforce regulations such
as trail closures
Reps. Richard Pombo’s and Jim Gibbons’
controversial proposal to sell off public lands was pulled after
both Republican and Democratic lawmakers and citizens rallied
against it
A federal judge has ordered the government to buy back
offshore oil and gas leases that energy companies say can’t
be developed, leading some to wonder if the BLM will have to do the
same with leases in potential wilderness areas
Letters
Featured stories
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YELLOWSTONE TREASURES: THE TRAVELER'S COMPANION TO THE NATIONAL PARK Dreaming of a trip to Yellowstone Park? This book makes you the tour guide for your group! Janet Chapple shares plenty of history anecdotes and...
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OLIVERBRANCH CONSULTING Non-Profit Management Professional specializing in Transitional Leadership, Strategic Collaborations, Communications and Grant Management/Writing.
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SAGE GROUSE CCAA COORDINATOR 
The Powder Basin Watershed Council, headquartered in Baker City, Oregon, seeks a full-time Sage Grouse CCAA Coordinator. This position is part of a collaborative effort...
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MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER High Country News, an award-winning media organization covering the communities and environment of the Western United States, seeks a Marketing Communications Manager to join our...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - OKANOGAN LAND TRUST Executive Director, Okanogan Land Trust Position Announcement Do you enjoy rural living, wild places, family farms, challenging politics, and big conservation opportunities? Do you have...
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GREAT VIEWS, SMALL FOOTPRINT Close to town but with a secluded feel, this eco-friendly home includes solar panels, a graywater reuse system, tankless hot water, solar tubes, and rainwater...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Powder River Basin Resource Council, a progressive non-profit conservation organization based in Sheridan, Wyoming, seeks an Executive Director, preferably with grassroots organizing experience, excellent communication...
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COMMUNITY ORGANIZER- NORTHERN PLAINS RESOURCE COUNCIL Organize with Northern Plains Resource Council to protect Montana's water quality, family farms and ranches, & unique quality of life. Starts $35.5k. Apply now- northernplains.org/careers
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BEAUTIFUL, AUTHENTIC LIVE YULE LOG CENTERPIECE - beautiful 12" yule log made from holly wood, live fragrant firs, rich green and white holly, pinecones and red berries. $78 includes shipping. Our...
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CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS FOR THE INDIAN UNIVERSITY OF NORTH AMERICA
Crazy Horse Memorial, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, is currently accepting applications and nominations for the Director of Programs for The Indian University...
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CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL® MANAGER OF RESIDENCE LIFE FOR THE INDIAN UNIVERSITY OF NORTH AMERICA®
Crazy Horse Memorial is currently accepting applications for the Manager of Residence Life for The Indian University of North America. This position is responsible for...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Are you an art lover who dreams of living in the mountains? Is fundraising second nature to you? Do you have experience managing creative people?...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Public Lands Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting the multiple-use management of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, seeks an experienced leader...
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COLD WEATHER CRAFTS Unique handmade gifts from the Gunnison Valley. Soy lotion candles, jewelry, art, custom photo mandalas and more. Check out the website and buy Christmas locally...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR North Cascades Institute seeks their next Executive Director to lead the organization, manage $4 million operating budget, and oversee 60 staff. Send resume/cover letter to...
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF High Country News, an award-winning media organization covering the communities and environment of the Western United States, seeks an Editor-In-Chief to join our senior team...
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LENDER OWNED FIX & FLIP
2 houses on 37+ acres. Gated subdivision, Penrose Colorado. $400k. Possible lender financing. Bob Kunkler Brokers Welcome.
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HISTORIC LODGE AND RESTAURANT - FULLY EQUIPPED Built in 1901, The Crazy Mountain Inn has 11 guest rooms in a town-center building on 7 city lots (.58 acres). The inn and restaurant...
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POLLINATOR OASIS
Seeking an experienced, hardworking partner to help restore a desert watershed/wetland while also creating a pollinator oasis at the mouth of an upland canyon. Compensation:...
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ELLIE SAYS IT'S SAFE! A GUIDE DOG'S JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE by Don Hagedorn. A story of how lives of the visually impaired are improved through the love and courage of guide dogs. Available on Amazon.
