I’ll soon be delivering our grass-fed beef to the processor myself, and connecting directly with customers.
Economy
Posted inMarch 21, 2016: Making Sense of Malheur
Does conserving species actually curb development?
A new study suggests ESA doesn’t stop economic growth, but the devil’s in the details.
Posted inArticles
Ranch Diaries: The era of the landless agrarian
I’m part of a generation of young farmers and ranchers who will struggle to ever own the land they work.
Posted inArticles
Interactive timeline: Livestock grazing in the West
Whether grazing on public land is a ‘right’ or a ‘privilege’ is one of the region’s most contentious issues. Here’s why.
Posted inArticles
Can food hubs make small farms economically feasible?
A new effort near Tahoe, California, brings farmers and food buyers together to buck the system.
Posted inArticles
As oil prices drop, equipment theft climbs
Some experts point to laid-off workers, who know how much the items are worth.
Posted inArticles
Should this national monument become a national park?
An Idaho town hopes changing Craters of the Moon to park status will boost its economy.
Posted inArticles
Four charts that show how public land is good for rural areas
A study finds that personal income is rising faster in counties with more public land.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
Sugar Pine Mine, the other standoff
How a small-time mining dispute in Oregon readied a network of militias for the Malheur occupation.
Posted inArticles
Forest Service leaves control of water rights to ski resorts
How does industry control of water affect public land management?
Posted inJanuary 25, 2016: The Forever War
Coal company bankruptcies jeopardize reclamation
The public could foot the bill for billions in cleanup costs.
Posted inArticles
Shifts toward clean energy threaten Montana coal town
Washington and Oregon utilities consider pulling out of Colstrip’s power station.
Posted inArticles
Feds announce moratorium on new coal leases
Interior Department will examine the federal coal program in light of climate change.
Posted inArticles
Economic downturns fuel Sagebrush Rebellion events
Natural resource-dependent rural economies help explain why disputes happen where they do.
Posted inArticles
Nevada decision guts the state’s thriving solar industry
Electric utility pushed effort to sour economics of rooftop solar.
Posted inArticles
Huge U.S. coal company declares bankruptcy
Bad investments, cheap natural gas and air pollution regulations led to Arch’s decline.
Posted inArticles
Economic diplomacy in Sagebrush Rebel country
A new science and education center gives rural Utah a boost.
Posted inArticles
5 things I learned about managing my money from covering the oil bust
A reporter relays tips from her time in the field.
Posted inDecember 21, 2015: Secrets of the Deep
Highway injustice in Denver’s Latino neighborhoods
Poor districts have breathed I-70’s pollution for decades. Now they’re facing its expansion.
Posted inDecember 21, 2015: Secrets of the Deep
Two visions collide in Utah’s Wasatch Range
As ski resorts push for a mega-connection, backcountry skiers try to save some wild.