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
- Meet the influencer of the California condor world
- Cultural extraction at the edge of the abyss
- Gold country: A precious metal, a mining mega-corp and a captive workforce
- Indigenous feminism flows through the fight for water rights on the Rio Grande
- Building equity into the renewable energy transition
Featured stories
-
UNIQUE, ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOME ON ACREAGE NEAR MOSCOW, IDAHO Custom-built energy-efficient 3000 sqft two-story 3BR home, 900 sqft 1 BR accessory cottage above 2-car garage and large shop. Large horse barn. $1,200,000. See online...
-
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE BUSINESS FOR SALE Missoula Outdoor Learning Adventures (MOLA) - established and profitable outdoor adventure & education business in Missoula, Montana. Summer camp, raft & climb guide, teen travel,...
-
STEWARDSHIP COORDINATOR Join Skagit Land Trust (the Trust), a not-for-profit conservation organization based in Mount Vernon, Washington, and help protect land for people and wildlife. Skagit Land...
-
2022 SEASONAL SCIENCE EDUCATOR The Mount St. Helens Institute Science Educator supports our science education and rental programs including day and overnight programs for youth ages 6-18, their families...
-
POLICY DIRECTOR Heart of the Rockies Initiative is seeking a Policy Director to lead and define policy efforts to advance our mission to keep working lands and...
-
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Self-Help Enterprises seeks an experienced and strategic CFO
-
CONSERVATION SPECIALIST - LAND PROTECTION FOCUS View full job description and how to apply at
-
RIVER EDUCATOR & GUIDE River Educator & Guide River Educator & Guide (Trip Leader) Non-exempt, Seasonal Position: Full-time OR part-time (early April through October; may be flexible with start/end...
-
LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION DIRECTOR The Land and Water Conservation Director is a full-time salaried position with the Mountain Area Land Trust in Evergreen, CO. The successful candidate will have...
-
FOOD SYSTEMS ENVIRONMENTAL FELLOWSHIP If you were to design a sustainable society from the ground up, it would look nothing like the contemporary United States. But what would it...
-
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust (RiGHT) is seeking an Executive Director who will lead RiGHT toward a future of continued high conservation impact, organizational...
-
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER 
Help protect Montana's water quality, family farms and ranches, & unique quality of life. Work hard, meet good people, make the world a better place!...
-
VERDE RIVER PROJECTS TECHNICIAN The Verde River Projects Technician (VRPT) provides technical assistance to Verde River Program staff in implementation of the Verde River Streamflow Monitoring Protocol. This consist...
-
8 FIELD PROJECT SPECIALISTS (POSITION FORMERLY TITLED TRAIL CREW TECHNICAL ADVISOR) Are you passionate about environmental conservation and connecting people to the outdoors? The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) is looking for someone with outdoor leadership...
-
SOUTHWEST REWILDING ADVOCATE WildEarth Guardians is seeking a full-time advocate in our Wild Places Program to advance a new paradigm of forest management and protection based on the...
-
NEW BOOK: True Wildlife Tales From Boy to Man. Finding my voice to save wildlife in the Apache spirit. 365+ vivid colorful pictures. Buy on Amazon/John Wachholz
-
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER with Rural Community Assistance Corporation. Apply here: https://www.marcumllp.com/executive-search/chief-operations-officer-rcac
-
CARPENTER WANTED CARPENTER WANTED. Come to Ketchikan and check out the Rainforest on the coast, Hike the shorelines, hug the big trees, watch deer in the muskeg...
-
WATER PROJECT MANAGER, UPPER SAN PEDRO (ARIZONA)
Based in Tucson or Sierra Vista, AZ., the Upper San Pedro Project Manager develops, manages, and advances freshwater conservation programs, plans, and methods focusing on...
-
WADE LAKE CABINS, CAMERON MT A once in a lifetime opportunity to live and run a business on the shore of one of the most beautiful lakes in SW Montana....
