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SUMMER EDITION
ISSUE 4 – FALL 2017
Available JUNE 2018
A D V E N T U R E P R O . u s
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adventurepro.us
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Letter from the Editor It's been a bit since a new ZUMAG. We're glad to bring you the first of two issues in 2018, thanks for being here. We've spent the time between issues thinking about how we arrive at the various outcomes of our endeavors. An idea flickers and it’s a brief, lively moment, possibly a mechanism for better understanding the future. Some ideas live beyond the impulse and we begin to see what action might empower our idea into some consequential momentum. Giving both gravity and levity to what is emerging as a process. There seems to be a force, an inner need to see our vision come out and into our world. What is it that compels us to do more or try again and begin anew? Is it the outcome of an idea or the energy in its first spark? Perhaps it is simply awarding ourselves the opportunity for the choices we need to affect our lives? We choose all the time; the clothes we wear, the roads we drive, to the friends and stories we share, and in the work we get to do. Each new option becomes an endpoint and then we start again. We use the time to move deliberately or compulsively, or both, cultivating the idea to create our desired results. The effort transforms our deliberation into a series of decisions, failure, we search our inspirations for help, we experiment, and we keep working. This is the space between. Our summer issue of ZUMAG is a tribute to the space between idea and outcome, where our power to choose comes alive. The space filled with action, tinyoutcomes, power, and is the home of a unique responsibility to the force within us. We hope this collection of stories and photos from residents of Montezuma County bring you some inspiration and joy. It has been our pleasure to look into this space and discover a profound respect for the full circles created within it. We extend a never-ending Thank You to all the wonderful, talented people who have to chosen to help make ZUMAG a dream come true. Your work and support give more light and energy to the space we call home.
Colleen Donley editor + publisher
chief e xecutive officer
Douglas Bennett EDITORIAL editor
& publisher
Colleen Donley chief finanical officer
Carrie Cass
PRODUCTION
ADVERTISING
a dv e r t i s i n g d e s i g n
account e xecutives
Justin Meek Christian Ridings Samuel Lindsay Tim Calkins
Kelly Bulkley Shawna Long Teressa Nelson Tana Bowen
distribution services
DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY
Shelley Tanner
m a n a g e r o f c r e at i v e s e r v i c e s
Tad Smith photographer
Robert BonDurant
Š 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Published in the United States by Ballantine Communications, Inc. 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. Ballantine Communications uses reasonable effort to include accurate and up-to-date information for its special publications. Details are subject to change, so please check ahead. The publisher accepts no responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this guide. We welcome suggestions from readers. Please write to the editor at the address above.
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Table of Contents E N T E RTA I N M E N T LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
10 Dressed in the Southwest By Tyana Arviso, Lepita Arviso, Cameron Arviso
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
12 X, L, M, N 20, 30, 22, CC By Rob BonDurant
M AT T E R S O F T H E C O M M U N I T Y LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
18 Industrial Hemp Revolution By Sharon King
A R T S A N D C U LT U R E LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
22 An Artist Emerges By Tyana Arviso
30 The Power of the Process By Laura Hughes
A G R I C U LT U R E LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
34 Monarchs & Modern Ag By Bob Bragg
40 The New Yield Paradigm By Greg Vlahming
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Contributors Tyana Arviso was born and raised in Cortez. She is a freelance photographer who thrives in Montezuma County and works where the inspirations take her. Sharon King Mother, motorcyclist, hemp advocate, this 13-year Montezuma County resident currently calls Mancos her home. Bob Bragg has been a mainstay of the agriculture community in Montezuma County for over 27 years. The work and energy Bob offers has become an influential part of the growth in our agricultural communities throughout Montezuma County. Robert BonDurant is a photographer who grew up between Chicago and Indiana before heading west to California. His curiosity for discovering new places and storytelling led to his new home on the banks of the Dolores River. Greg Vlaming is the District Conservation Technician for High Desert Conservation District in Cortez. His experience as an Extension Educator with Colorado State and Michigan State universities and as a farmer enables him to help others conserve soil, water and grow crops efficiently. When he is not consulting for others, he can be found toiling on his Rocking V Farm & Orchard, a diverse 40acre operation located in Lewis, Colorado. Laura Hughes is a long time local of Montezuma County and grew up on a small farm in Mancos. She spent most of her youth helping her mother plant heirloom fruit trees and laying in the grass reading and writing. After several years working in National Parks, she decided to officially set down her roots with her fiance on 6 acres of pristine southwest Colorado land. They plan to continue to grow their hobby farm throughout the years and she recently started a new career path as the Hub Coordinator for the Montezuma School to Farm Project.
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E N T E RTA I N M E N T
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Dressed
in the Southwest
A brother and sister scout for photographic locations in Montezuma County. Their outfits are accessories to the landscapes they find.
photography by :
Lapita Arviso, Cameron Arviso, Tyana Arviso hat credit : Cates Custom Hat Company - Layce Cates Heaton
“
Since I was little I remember always dressing up. There wasn’t a time when I wasn’t wearing something funky. As I’ve transitioned into adulthood I’ve carried that funky style with me. It's in how I travel around or in the search for the piece that can express the moods of me. I’ve tried many trends, DIYs and thrifted countless times. When I choose to wear a custom hat, I know I can conquer anything. My personal style makes me who I am. I like to think it reminds me I am right where I need to be. Tyana Arviso
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OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
X, L, M, N 20, 30, 22, CC
Marked with the familiar CR, Montezuma County roads are letters and numbers. These roads are places as much as they are routes. How they are used is a personal choice. Resident Rob BonDurant and his photos have created a visual code of our collective landscape.
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photography by :
Robert BonDurant
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OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
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M AT T E R S O F T H E C O M M U N I T Y
LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
INDUSTRIAL
Revolution Montezuma County resident ponders Colorado politics and the economic impact of commercial hemp
words by : Sharon King
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As I drive across the majestic state of Colorado I see agricultural communities, one right after another. I see thousand of acres of hay and side roll irrigation sprayers, piles of hay, bigger than most homes, rotting and brown waste being grown to feed an industry that looks as if it’s dying. Colorado has 10.6 million acres of cropland area and only 2.6 million acres is irrigated. But agriculture is our past and our future. I am not a farmer, nor do I understand what it really takes to make a farm work. I am a serial entrepreneur, and I often see patterns and opportunities. For Southwest Colorado, I see a huge opportunity, and I am going to do everything possible to advocate for our region to jump into the industrial hemp revolution occurring right here in our own state. In 2013 Amendment 64 passed in the state of Colorado, and one of the other significant parts of that amendment made commercial production of industrial hemp legal. Though it took years for the Colorado
Department of Agriculture to wrestle through the legislation and come up with a regulatory plan to oversee this crop, it is regulated as hemp and is still considered a schedule one drug nationally because it contains trace amounts of THC. Interestingly, we may see that come to an end soon. Mitch McConnell (RKY) introduced legislation that would essentially declassify industrial hemp as Schedule One. It has been well received and Kentucky is becoming a major player in industrial hemp production although Colorado continues to lead the way. In 2017, Colorado planted 12,000 acres of industrial hemp and has been the lead producer since the beginning. Ryan Loflin, a southeastern Colorado farmer led the way for hemp production back in 2011, and put Colorado on the map nationally as the state that got everything started since prohibition. Kentucky is the second closest producer in the country with 2,000 acres
planted last year alongside Tennessee, as they have processing plants that are being retooled and upgraded from the days when hemp was an essential part of the U.S. economy during World War II. Southern states are largely focused on fiber from the plant, whereas Colorado has been leading the way in high CBD production. All you have to do is google CBD to realize that it is taking the health food industry by storm and everyone wants Colorado grown. If you are new to hemp and its thousands of uses let me tell you why you will become a hemp lover like me. I love the clothes you can make from hemp; they are super durable and last forever. In fact, we used to make military uniforms from hemp. I love the food made from hemp; the protein powder extracted from the seeds is high in Omega 3’s and has the most protein of any plant material known. I also love the building materials made from hemp; the hurd and fiber from the plant is used to make anything from walls to insulation.
Hemp can be used to make fuel and biodegradable plastic, which is a bigger win than I can even comprehend for the future of our landfills and oceans. Hemp is also currently being used to build cars and planes. The fiber is stronger than steel and is extraordinarily light. Mercedes is If you are new leading the way in the car industry to hemp and its to make a lighter, thousands of uses stronger more fuelefficient car. let me tell you why Did I mention you will become a paper? We can make paper out of hemp Hemp lover like me. and save some trees in the process. I could go on and on but will leave you with my favorite image: Our first American flag and the Declaration of Independence were crafted from hemp. This country grew hemp from the very beginning. Now we are coming full circle.
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M AT T E R S O F T H E C O M M U N I T Y
LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
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For a numbers person, let’s talk significant figures. The value of agricultural products produced in Southwest Colorado is $373 million. Montezuma County ranks 27th in the state, and produces $46.4 million annually. Our top product in Southwest Colorado is hay. There were 158,000 acres planted in 2017. Wheat and corn come in second and third, respectively. As we know, Colorado is experiencing drought. Water is a commodity. Industrial hemp needs half of the water that hay, wheat and corn require. While hay brings in a statewide average of $608.60 per acre and corn a statewide average of $540.00, hemp on the Front Range averages $10,000 an acre.
Water is a huge commodity. Industrial hemp needs on average half of the water of hay, wheat and corn.
I spent two days on the Front Range at a sold-out conference on industrial hemp and the turnout was staggering. There were 5,000 people there from around the world, including five residents of Montezuma County. I dream one day this county and surrounding ones in the Southwest will find a niche in the industrial hemp market and stimulate economic development for our farmers. I dream that we will save resources, grow food for all, fuel, shelter, clothing and medicine, all with one plant right here in Montezuma County. n
Sharon King Hemp Advocate Producer of Southwest Hemp Summit Montezuma County Fairgrounds August 18,19th 2018 resources :
Colorado State University Extension Seasonal Water Needs and Opportunities for Limited Irrigation for Colorado Crops. 2/17 Colorado Agriculture Value of Agricultural Products Sold by County Data from 2012 Census of Agriculture, USDA
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A R T S A N D C U LT U R E
LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
An Artist
Emerges M
y name is Tyana Arviso, I am a freelance photographer based in Montezuma County. I’ve lived all 21 years of my life here in Cortez. My job is to photograph the everyday beauty of the Southwest. Let me tell you how I stumbled into my career. I was fresh out of high school, I had zero clue on what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. So I took a year off. During that year I became involved with the local youth. Another local photographer and I taught a photography class to the Children’s Kiva Montessori School and the local Girl Scouts. During this time I also curated at a contemporary gallery in Durango. My job was to reach out to our local high school photography classes and curate an exhibition for young adults. This was one of my greatest accomplishments. Within this time frame I began working with, Mesa Verde Country, our tourism office. Today, I continue to work with them handling all their social media and photography. While all of that was going on I continued to share my work to my
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Tyana Arviso is committed to her passion, determined in her heart. The boundaries of place, time, age and gender are erased even when she is encapuslating the moments that define between do and don’t do.
photos & writing by :
Tyana Arviso
Instagram account. I pushed myself to learn new things and step out of my comfort zone. Eventually my work got picked up. People actually had an interest for my work, I wasn’t looking for much. I just wanted to share my travels and create. As time went on my account started to grow, I had an audience! I’ve met so many talented artists through Instagram that share the same passion for photography as me, it brings me so much happiness to share my work with others. My story may sound nice and rosy, but it was rocky along the way. I’ve had my ups and downs, and a fair share of stories. In the end photography is my absolute passion. We live in a beautiful area that is less appreciated because it’s not accompanied with skyscrapers and fancy shopping outlets. Montezuma County is truly a unique place; we have the high desert and the mountains. What more could you ask for? With photography I’ve learned to live in the moment and appreciate earth’s natural beauty. The sunsets are unforgettable here, and the night skies are pure magic. n
Tyana Arviso portrait by Lapita Arviso S U M M E R
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LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
Mesa Snow
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Montezuma Fair Night
A R T S A N D C U LT U R E
LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
Pow Wow
La Plata Moornrise S U M M E R
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A R T S A N D C U LT U R E
LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
Power T h e
o f
A one on one with local photographer Carole Graham words by : Laura Hughes
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t h e
It’s an unusually gray, overcast day in Southwest Colorado, which might seem unfavorable for those acclimated to our sunny state. But for Carole Graham and the intimate creative process, this seemingly bland forecast is actually perfect. Graham is one of kind, breathing life into an age-old photography process that progressively died out sometime in the mid 19th century as technological advances boomed and humankind began favoring speedy and automated processes for absolutely everything.
P r o c e s s
Graham’s passion for photography began in college with a 35mm camera and easy access to traditional dark room development. After several years of comfortably developing black and white photography while growing her knowledge with the medium, she graduated college and decided to pursue a career in archeology. Graham was particularly drawn to historical archeology and the old photographs connected her with her passion. About four years ago, Graham started
to dive in a little further and began researching the process and technique behind what is known as colloidal photography. This process is far from the click-and-capture photography we are familiar with today, and involves a finite assembly of specific chemicals and materials. It is known as a “wet plate process,” which means that the plate the photograph is exposed to must stay wet throughout the entire process in order to present a successful final image. After some extensive research on the process, Graham decided she was ready to give it a try. Knowing that she had a steep learning curve ahead of her, she began collecting the materials and in February of 2015 – the affirmation of her love for photography was confirmed yet again as she captured her first successful tintype photograph. She recalls the first subject captured in her test photo and she laughs. “The front of my house,” Graham said. “Well, actually I guess it was my cat, Carlotta. She photobombed the picture.
She was sitting on the front porch and I didn’t even see her until after I developed it.” Although Graham doesn’t know the exact model of her camera, she does know it’s from Germany and was produced sometime in the 1890s. And when I met At first glance it may seem up with her to tag along that this type of photography for a photo shoot, I was astonished at its pristine is too high maintenance and condition. Composed of risky considering all of the rich wood and exquisite golden knobs and details, variables, but for those that the camera is its own practice this process the work of art. In addition to the camera, Graham challenge of production is also built her own mobile highly intriguing. development room disguised as an oversize trunk. At first glance it may seem that this type of photography is too high maintenance and risky considering all of the variables, but for those that practice this process the challenge of production is highly intriguing.
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I met Graham at Totten Reservoir, where she had perched herself atop a nice hill overlooking the water with panoramic views of nearly all of our iconic mountain ranges and mesas. For the next couple hours I watched her delicately shuffle between the camera and her development room. I quickly learned this was a dance she perfected. Somewhere between the silver nitrate bath, a bottle of ether and a couple of timers set on her phone, a perfectly composed black and white image suddenly presented itself on the plate right in front of my eyes. It was like magic. I asked her if she ever wonders what the outcome of the photograph will be and she said: “You think you have everything set…if I do
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four pictures I’ll be lucky if one turns out. It’s a humbling experience. But when it works, it’s amazing.” In a time where the value of a good photograph seems to be diminishing as smart devices turn novices to photographers, Graham is continuing to renew the gratification in the process itself versus the end result. Her patience with the process of creating something is undoubtedly inspiring to anyone with an ounce of creativity. She firmly believes that the art is within the process itself and while her mistakes help her grow, it is important to enjoy the spontaneity in not knowing exactly what you’re going to get. With most tasks in life, including art, we often plow through the process eagerly grasping for that final outcome. We emphasize the value and worth of that outcome as a pillar for the entire experience, and if it’s not satisfactory, we tend to dispose of it as wasted effort. But after observing Graham meticulously go through each step and waiting patiently as time ticks by, I began to understand the power of the process. It shows an unexpected idea around creating a vision. “The art is in the making,” Graham said. “Sometimes it works out; but if it doesn’t let it go.” In a society driven by results, many may find this difficult but not impossible. Though you may always find yourself excited for the outcome, it’s important not to ignore the process of getting there because that is where the magic happens. n
MONTEZUMA COUNTY COMMISSIONER
COMMON SENSE LEADERSHIP
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR MONTEZUMA COUNTY I am running for County Commissioner because I sincerely love this place. I grew up here and feel a personal responsibility to serve our community. I have gained a solid understanding of the job, having regularly attended County Commissioner meetings for the last three years.
Political Advertising paid for by The Committee to Elect Mary Beth McAfee County Commissioner. Photo by Barbara Grist www.barbaragristphotography.com
A G R I C U LT U R E
LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
Monarchs
&Modern Ag The 21st Century practices of the agriculture pracitie begs us to look at the impact on our Monarch butterfly population.
A words by : Bob Bragg
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n article in the Michigan Farm News about the dramatic decline of Eastern Monarch butterflies in the U. S. got my attention recently. It detailed how the population of this iconic insect has fallen from an estimated one billion to maybe 80
million in less than three decades due to habitat loss. The point with this decline is that the key habitat for Monarchs is common milkweed, a plant that used to be found inabundance in fence rows, wood lands, pastures and other non-crop areas throughout the Midwest.
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Without milkweed, the Monarch is doomed. Scientists have determined that milkweed is no longer in abundance because of farming practices associated with GMO crop production, which depends upon three Replacing the wild bees with domestic bees or four applications of glyphosateeach sounds like a solution, but research indicates year to control that doestic bees pollinate only 15 percent weeds. Milkweed is highly susceptible to of the plants important to humans. glyphosate. During the 1970s, U.S.D.A Secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz exhorted farmers to “plant fence row to fence row,” and to “get big or get out.” Many farmers followed that mantra, and overproduced themselves into bankruptcy in the 1980s. The survivors continue to get bigger. Fast forward to 2018. Now there are very few fences in Midwest farm country, because cattle and hogs are fed in confined feeding operations. On most farms, fence rows are gone too, with corn rows ending with only a GPS coordinate separating the corn from an adjoining soybean field. Those ten-foot strips of land, that used to divide one field from the next, provided habitat for a diverse mix of plants, insects, birds, reptiles and mammals. But they have fallen to the efficiency of making every square foot of field available for crop production. The decline of Monarch butterflies is probably not the most important concern for of most large scale 21st Century farmers. They are now busy planting corn, soybeans, spring wheat and cotton with a million dollars worth of tractors, mega row planters, seed tenders and trucks. They will apply herbicides to emerging weeds with half million dollar monster sprayers for two or three passes during the growing season, and harvest the crops with $600,000 combines and cotton pickers.
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During the growing season farmers are trying to figure out how to make a profit on crops that cost them $700 or $800 per acre to grow, as they watch markets offering them breakeven prices or less for what they produce. The Monarch’s plight masks the true environmental problem with our current farming practices. In addition to possibly losing butterflies, hundreds of other important pollinator species are also at risk of disappearing. If a portion of an estimated 4,000 species of wild bees, along with moths, beetles, flies, birds and mammals are lost, we will also lose the diverse plants that depend upon these pollinators for seed production. Replacing the wild bees with domestic bees sounds like a solution, but research indicates that doestic bees pollinate only 15 percent of the plants important to humans. While we can increace the number of domestic bees like any other livestock, we likely can’t replace the niche filled by wild bees, beetles and flies by domestic bees. The Farmers for Monarchs collaboration was launched at the February 2018, Commodity Classic in hopes of heading off action by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to list the Monarchs as an endangered species. This organization hopes to head off action by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to list the Monarchs as an endangered species if populations don’t recover by June of 2019. An endangered species listing for the Monarchs could impact agricultural production on a huge chunk of the country east of the Rocky Mountains. Farming practices like spraying and mowing weeds, tillage, grazing or other practices that might affect Monarch habitat would be restricted. In the future, it may get harder for agriculture to hide behind mantras such as “Farmers, the original environmentalists”, and “American farmers feed the world,” if our farming practices continue to decimate pollinator populations and we lose the diversity of agricultural crops we now enjoy. n
A G R I C U LT U R E
LIFE IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY SPRING 2017
The New Yield
Paradigm F When there are various ways to measure the success of a farming season, how can you adjust your own norms? words by : Greg Vlaming
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ew vocations are as outcomebased as agriculture. Typical rural conversations over a cup of coffee include bales of hay, bushels of wheat or pounds of fruit and the weather. Yields. Though we are growing food for the world, yields express a quantitative assessment which indicates relative success or failure in our money-based economy. But are yields the only measurement of positive outcomes? When you invest, there is an expectation for a return. We often look only at the end product, but there is more to the story. With every eventuality, there are terms for which it started. Over time, our agricultural community trained farmers and ranchers that dared invest their time for a yield. The beautiful,
windswept terrain of this area is blessed with some of the finest soils found west of the 100th Meridian, Wetherill Loam. This soil has a clay loam texture and optimal structure to hold water and nutrients in its pore spaces for future plant uptake. This area also receives the vast majority of its water over the winter, or outside the growing season. Dry winter months can exacerbate the already formidable challenges of dryland forage production and grazing. This long history in an area dependant on the meteorological whims of Mother Nature help us find the answers to ethical agricultural questions such as: Should we increase production to feed more people regardless of environmental consequences? Does the nobility of
hard, honest agricultural work imply higher moral ground? Or rather, do both good yields and ecological morality combine to provide an ethical blueprint for helping local agriculturalists and communities succeed? A ‘both-and’ approach is an agrarian standard that brings together local ecological and social systems. This combination results in strong yields while conserving essential resources such as topsoil, water, soil nutrients and rural communities. There are two kinds of growers in this area: Dryland and irrigated. I would like to share the stories of a couple of local ‘authentic agrarians.’ Both farmers were born and raised here, went away for college and work, then returned to work the family property. Brian Wilson of BK Farms, located in Pleasant View, Colorado, is an ‘irrigated’ grower. He cultivates five fields under center-pivot irrigation, growing alfalfa as a primary crop with wheat and beans in rotation every seven years. What makes Wilson’s situation noteworthy is his willingness to try new ideas with his pivot irrigation systems. He is willing to explore new ideas because he believes that water is a precious resource that needs to be conserved. One example of his forward-thinking is his use of ‘Dragon-Line’ technology, which is designed to retrofit the above ground sprayers on a center pivot with drag-on-theground drip lines that apply water on the soil surface. Ideally, this mobile drip irrigation approach will achieve both normal seasonal yields and conserve valuable irrigation water through reduced evaporation and wind drift loss, and conserve soil erosion by minimizing run off in the pivot wheel tracks. The outcome he is searching for is how to both conserve water and achieve strong yields. Wilson has already proven that he can achieve success with his methods and does not need to take more chances (aside from inherent annual water availability, weather and pricing fluctuations) to earn a comfortable living. There is a character detail that happens when you live with all the chance in farming. A tenacity and moral courage develops, and in Wilson’s case, it inspired him to think about creating progress for himself and other growers. He is the first farmer in the area to try this technique. To change the way we do things in the agricultural world takes a visionary leader willing to take risks to try to improve conditions for the greater good. He knows that with good data in the outcome,
you can explain your choices from a place of fact and not theory. Chuck McAfee is a dryland farmer and land conservationist. McAfee has conserved approximately 1,800 acres through the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) located between Lewis and Yellow Jacket. This land was homesteaded by his grandparents more than 100 years ago. His philosophy focuses on establishing healthier, more productive land. McAfee is implementing an agroecological plan, based on natural processes and relationships that both protect these perennial pasture lands from development and allows for a local rancher to graze cattle, through a prescribed grazing plan. To quantify these outcomes, McAfee has assembled a This effort to build and sustain comprehensive team of scientists to collect and healthy land, and livestock, as monitor data on native plant well as robust vegetation and diversity and longevity, and plant biomass accumulation. wildlife illustrates a whole new Data on soil nutrient cycling and approach to what ‘yield’ can be. carbon sequestration will also be collected relative to grazing schedules and annual moisture inputs. McAfee’s pragmatic belief is that this diverse approach will benefit the ag community through sharing of this data for the benefit of other ranchers and farmers who have GRP contracts ending soon. This effort to build and sustain healthy land, and livestock, as well as robust vegetation and wildlife illustrates a whole new approach to what ‘yield’ can be. McAfee’s commitment to share his resources as a learning opportunity for the agrarian community to learn and evolve is remarkable. These two projects show us how opportunities can embrace possibility. Hard questions come with real insight and this ethical blueprint may just be our new foundation to sustainability through deep connection and desire to work in concert with our communities and the lands’ abundant natural resources. A transformation that combines a productionist ethic with ecological morality to create a new definition of yield, one that includes both our core values and a new ethic for agriculture. The conversations at the coffee shop could get very interesting indeed as we dissect these philosophical questions. n
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Quintessential Montezuma County traffic jam in Dolores, Colorado bondy68 #zumag #montezumacounty
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SUM M ER
2018
photography by :
Rob BonDurant
Image by Bonni Pacheco Photography
WE FLEX SOME PRETTY BIG MUSSELS AROUND HERE WEDNESDAY–SUNDAY 5PM–10PM | BAR OPENS AT 4PM | RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED 970.563.6235. SKYUTECASINO.COM | 888.842.4180 | IGNACIO, COLORADO