At first glance, agriculture in Wyoming and agriculture on Hawaii or Guam don’t have much in common.

But growers in both the tropical Pacific and the northern prairie can benefit from enclosed production spaces, which is why Wyoming-developed domes will soon be popping up in the islands.

In this episode, University of Wyoming Extension Specialist Jeff Edwards and Pepe Miranda, an agronomist with Farms and Coffee Solutions, discuss how they became interested in geodesic domes for agriculture production and how the domes help overcome challenges in their different locations.

Jeff has refined existing designs and developed a materials list and construction manual so people can build the domes themselves. He then led dome-building workshops and erected domes throughout Wyoming.

Pepe was one of the workshop and tour participants and is building a dome for local schools in Hawaii.

Learn more about the advantages of domes and how to build a dome by listening to this podcast and ordering the construction manual.

Photo by Steve Elliott

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In this conversation, Glenn Elzinga shares his family’s journey with Alderspring Ranch, detailing its beginnings, the motivations behind starting the ranch, their commitment to regenerative practices and healthy food, and the importance of building relationships within the community. He discusses the challenges faced, particularly with the increasing wolf population, and how they adapted their cattle management practices to ensure sustainability and profitability. Glenn describes how their sustainable grazing practices – including in-herding - benefits plant diversity and soil health. The discussion emphasizes the inter-connectedness of ecosystem management and cattle health, showcasing how diverse grazing can lead to better outcomes for both animals and the environment.

photo credit: Melanie Elzinga, Alderspring Ranch

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In this conversation, Maud Powell, Wolf Gulch Farm and Oregon State University shares her journey as a farmer and the challenges she faced due to a changing climate and lack of water. She and her husband Tom realized “we can’t really farm here anymore.”

The leaving of one piece of land and starting over on another led to her exploration of climate grief. She discusses the agrarian imperative (farmers compelled to continue growing food even amid strong challenges), the emotional toll of farming in a changing climate, and the importance of community support.

At Oregon State University, Maud organizes workshops and trainings that address climate stress and grief, helping producers recognize and cope with their emotions. She highlights the differences between climate grief and other types of grief, and the significance of community rituals in processing loss. The conversation concludes with practical steps for managing climate emotions and fostering resilience among farmers.

Her team interviewed 50 farmers and 100% of them said they are experiencing some level of climate stress and or climate grief. So, they're all experiencing it, but they don't have a name for it. The workshops validate and give people words and names for what they're experiencing.

Find more information and tools on Oregon State University's website.

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Former Chicago science teacher, Rick Bieterman now farms in the Colorado High Desert, growing hay. Watershed Ranch has an annual precipitation of 11 inches and sits at 8,000 feet in elevation – providing about 90-100 frost free days per season. Add in poor soil quality, and farming becomes a challenge.

Rick got involved in Colorado’s STAR program which focuses on soil health practices. When prices of synthetic fertilizers soared during the COVID pandemic, his goal was to figure out how to move away from their use and improve soil quality. He found compost to purchase and later received a Western SARE grant to learn how to make his own.

Listen in to this conversation as Rick discusses the unique challenges of farming in a high alpine desert, the importance of community connections, and innovative practices he’s trialing. He also reflects on the learning process, embracing failures, and the continuous quest for improvement in farming.

Also watch Rick's YouTube videos on fungal compost

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In this episode of Fresh Growth podcast, we have a special guest host – owner of Dirtworks Wyoming, Caitlin Youngquist. Caitlin is also a Western SARE Administrative Council member.

She speaks with first-generation Wyoming ranchers Mary Mills and Kate Brewster about their unique journeys into ranching, the challenges of generational transitions, and the innovative practices they are implementing to create sustainable and profitable operations. Their conversation touches on the importance of education, empathy, and clear communication in navigating family dynamics and the emotional aspects of transitioning ranch businesses. The conversation also highlights the integration of goats into traditional beef operations and the significance of adapting ranch management practices to modern challenges.

Kate and Mary remind us, "Change is hard for everybody, especially in agriculture".... and "don't be afraid to try stuff because that's how we learn."

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Join us as we talk with Michael Lobato, Lobato Farms, and Holly Stanley, Mesa Conservation District on Colorado’s Western slope about their innovations with applying biochar in a no-till system.

Michael has worked to transform what was once part of a large sheep ranch into a thriving 5-acre farm. The 5 acres were split off from the sheep ranch with no infrastructure or irrigation and soil high in salts from manure.

“It was a lot of dirt and kochia…. but it looks much different today,” says Michael.

Michael started working with biochar after his father told him about a local group looking for a small plot to research biochar and compost. The trial was done at Lobato Farms, and Michael was struck with water capacity improvements. He then put it in his market garden and says, “it was night and day.”

Holly began working with Michael as an intern after learning about biochar from people interested in water conservation.

She says, “I was super excited and immediately inclined to be Michael’s assistant.” Now with the Mesa Conservation District she’s working with Michael on new ways to apply biochar.

The question before them was how to apply it in a native grass stand to make it more drought resilient. They tried one machine and have a patent on one that will work better for farmers.

Holly and Michael have learned a lot and seen great improvements in water usage, soil health, forage quality, and more, and are working hard to overcome technological challenges.

Holly and Michael would like to extend a special thank you to: Citizens for Clean Air, Colorado Ag Water Alliance, and the LOR Foundation for funding the trial. Also Professor Emeritus Gerald Nelson (University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne) and Dr. Perry Cabot (CSU Grand Valley Research Center) for providing their guidance and expertise.

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Sarah Stallard is a 7th generation farmer who came to work with her uncles on a new farm near Las Vegas Nevada raising hogs. The farm is in partnership with the local waste and recycling company Republic Services. They lease the land from Republic Services and use food waste to feed the hogs.

She says the partnership was formed “to help find a solution to organic waste." The family had always fed food scraps as pigs “are not picky about what food scraps” they eat.

Sarah describes the process of collecting, sorting, and feeding tons of mixed rations from casino kitchens and buffets, facilities such as an ice cream factory, and grocery stores.

What the farm produces is marketed locally, and they do face challenges due to the lack of an USDA processing plant for meat in Nevada. The family’s dream is to “complete the circle” through having their locally produced food offered in the casinos.

She also describes how the hogs are housed and raised sustainably and humanely.

There is a lot of attention paid to what they are doing to reduce food waste, and they are “willing to help and network with other farmers,” including hosting many tours.

About this work, Sarah says, “I can feel really good about what I’m doing; it’s good to know that I’m making a difference daily.”

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Join us in this dynamic and wide-ranging conversation with Chris Eckhart about diversifying his farming operation, increasing organic matter, monitoring soil biology, and creating a work-family-life balance, all while remaining profitable. Eckhart Farms is a multi-generational family farm in the heart of Wild Rose Prairie in Washington that focuses on soil health and diversity. He is passionate about family farming and has experimented tirelessly with diversifying crops on what was primarily a wheat operation.

Chris and his family plant barley and alfalfa, among other crops; make use of cover crops; started researching biochar; and added livestock grazing. They have marketed locally and regularly monitor both soil biology and the time impacts of too much diversification. They have seen significant increases in organic matter in a relatively short period of time.

“We’re seeing results carry over year to year, from having that cover crop in.”

And it’s paying – “In our area, at least with what we have going on, it’s proving to be profitable by taking things out of rotation and seeing a 10-15% bump in yield year after year.”

Chris speaks passionately not only about farming, but science. He first got excited about soil health when looking at bacteria and life under his microscope. He relies on science and experimentation to be as successful as he is.

He recognizes he has limited capacity and getting higher yields from fewer acres due to increased soil health allows him more time to focus on family and “going fishing.”

Chris’ advice to those starting out, “Find somebody willing to mentor you that has fruit on the tree, not just in farming, but also in their life outside of farming.”

Photo by Vo von Sehlen/Vo-tography

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