Thousands turn out for Melon Days, but the future looks uncertain.
Agriculture
Posted inArticles
Outrage, disinformation and threats rise up in Wyoming around a BLM land plan
Is there a new Sagebrush Rebellion flaring in the Cowboy State?
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The National Park Service’s efforts to protect Quitobaquito Springs almost destroyed it
‘Indigenous presence is vital to the stewardship of the land.’
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
The dark side of America’s sheep industry
Sheepherders face wage theft, isolation, hunger and alleged abuse.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
How the Coachella Valley became known for its dates
Bringing the desert fruit to California created a Middle Eastern mirage.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
Los peligros del pastoreo
Trabajadores con visas H-2A sufren en su mayoría precariedad laboral mientras sostienen a la industria ovina del Oeste de EE.UU.
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The state of tribal co-management of public lands
As National Public Lands Day approaches, Indigenous leaders discuss working with agencies to manage dispossessed lands.
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Farmworkers fight for higher pay, better hours and fair treatment
Labor advocates rallied in Seattle to demand a union contract from Windmill farms amid allegations of poor treatment and retaliation.
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Conservation groups sue BLM for rangeland degradation
The lawsuit alleges the agency isn’t conducting environmental assessments before renewing grazing permits.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2023: Food Justice
Seattle’s Black Farmers Collective nurtures communities and crops
At Small Axe Farm, producers learn how to tend vegetables and grow their businesses.
Posted inArticles
Public lands had a roller coaster month
Rounding up the Biden administration’s ups and downs on land policy.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2023: Food Justice
Who owns the West?
Increasingly, land is shifting into the hands of billionaires.
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Why has Alaska given an uninhabited, remote island to feral cattle?
Chirikof Island belongs to cows despite habitat loss being one of the biggest issues facing wild animals.
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Washington to adopt rules protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke
Some labor advocates say they don’t go far enough.
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EPA to investigate claims of civil rights violations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Tribes and environmental justice groups say management of the Delta harms traditional food systems and causes pollution.
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Why you should care about the farm bill
The legislation affects hunger, food security and climate — and it begins expiring next month.
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Meet the beetle threatening Washington’s cherries, hops and other crops
Invasive Japanese beetles are drawn to flowers and fruit. Washington officials are trying to eradicate them from the state.
Posted inAugust 1, 2023: In the Line of Fire
The Tractor Princess
Memories from California’s Pajaro Valley.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
How private interests benefit from tribal water settlements
When power players like mining and agriculture are involved, tribal nations, usually the senior-most water-rights holders, often must fight obstruction.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
Decades after the Colorado River flooded the Chemehuevi’s land, the tribe still doesn’t have its share
Nearly all of the tribe’s water remains in the river and ends up being used by Southern California cities.