The Farmer and the Fish

Farmers can get a bad rep in conversations around conservation but to live on the land and make a living off the the land is usually to care about it and the functionality and longevity of the entire landscape. This is a long-form story I wrote for the Mag Agriculture journal about three farmers in different regions in the West and their evolving experiences with water access as they work to ensure a future for their farms. From Colorado to Washington to California, the farmers stories are unique yet uncannily similar in that they must figure out a path to sustain their operations while working towards river restoration and the revitalization of fish populations.

Bryan Jones feeding the cows on his farm in the Palouse Region of Washington.  Photo by Jane Cavagnero.