The National Young Farmers Coalition proudly announces the premiere of Resilient: Soil, Water & the New Stewards of the American West, a short film by the National Young Farmers Coalition, produced by Rumplefarm Films in partnership with the Lexicon of Sustainability.
“Water scarcity in the West, and particularly the Colorado River Basin, is one of the greatest challenges of our time,” said Kate Greenberg, Western organizer with the National Young Farmers Coalition.
“Within the context of historic drought and increasing urban demand, Resilient highlights the work of innovative farmers and ranchers across western Colorado who are successfully adapting to a drier climate,” said Greenberg. “By embracing modern, water-saving technology and time-tested holistic practices, they prove that land stewardship is essential to the future of the region.”
Resilient illustrates how soil health works with efficient technology to save water and improve agricultural productivity. It emphasizes the integral role farmers and ranchers play in solving Western water solutions. And it calls on everyone who cares about the west to do his or her part to conserve our precious resources.
In the film we meet:
- Brendon Rockey, a third-generation potato farmer in the San Luis Valley, Colo., who has “…regenerated the soil to the point now where I’m growing a potato crop on 12 to 14 inches of irrigation water per year.” It normally takes 20 inches. Rockey’s saved water helps replenish the aquifer.
- Cynthia Houseweart of Princess Beef in Hotchkiss, Colo., and Dan James, of the James Ranch in Durango, Colo., both of whom use rotational grazing that helps store more water and carbon in the soil.
- Steve Ela, an orchardist in Hotchkiss, Colo., who integrates precision irrigation and soil health management to most effectively use his water. As Ela states, “It’s an evolution of thinking of trying to manage our water better.”
- The local chapter of the National Young Farmers Coalition gathering in Mancos, Colo. As young people return to the land, building strong community is another essential tool to forge resilience. The farmers and ranchers in this film offer us hope for the future.
Source: The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho)