Fueled by strong commodity prices and continued pandemic assistance, much of the West’s agricultural industry is emerging from this year’s historic slate of challenges in good shape for the upcoming harvest.  

The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources reports the industry is estimated to generate $32 billion for that state’s economy in 2021 (a 33% increase over 2020), accounting for 30 percent of the Mount Rushmore State’s total economic output. In Kansas, agriculture directly contributed $47 billion to the state’s economy and supported more than 135,000 jobs – 12% of all jobs in the state. Overall, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, net farm income is expected to increase 19.5% this year. 

In large part, this success may be a product of farmers’ and ranchers’ willingness to adapt and innovate, which has resulted in farms being more productive than ever. Programs such as Restore Colorado are helping finance regional regenerative agriculture through public-private partnerships with restaurants in Boulder, Colorado. Many farmers in Arizona are switching to crops that require less water, such as guayule, a source of natural rubber. In Wyoming, farmers are starting to plant a new perennial grain called Kernza, which was developed by the Land Institute, a Kansas-based organization, as a way for farmers to boost the health of their soils while providing a profitable winter crop.

The entire agriculture industry is incorporating modern technology and artificial intelligence, much of which is being developed in the West, to conserve water, increase yields, and reduce labor costs. That innovation is encouraged in the WGA Policy Resolution Western Agriculture, which highlights the production and conservation benefits of precision agriculture technologies.

This regional growth would seem to be reflected in a recent report from LawnStarter, which noted that nine of the top 10 states in which to start a farm or ranch are in the Great Plains, and 13 of the top 20 states are in the West.  

SUPER SEWAGE: With grants from the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission, Gate 5 Energy has created a demonstration project at the Santa Margarita Water District in southern California that can convert 5 tons of wet sewage into 1 ton of biofuel, capable of powering 400 to 1,000 homes, and 200 gallons of distilled water – all while not producing any greenhouse gases. “The steps we’re taking now will validate us from an industry perspective,” said Steve Delson, the CEO of Gate 5 Energy. 

LIVING BUILDINGS: The Architects at Arch Nexus in Salt Lake City, Utah used their time working from home during the pandemic to transform their office into a living building – the world’s most rigorous proven performance standard for buildings that requires net positive energy, water and waste, as well as an embodied carbon footprint. To qualify, each building must be active for at least 12 months before an official audit and certification can be made. If Arch Nexus’ succeeds, it will be the 30th such building worldwide and Utah’s first commercial structure to meet the standards. 

CONSERVATION STATION: The U.S. Forest Service partnered with several conservation groups in Montana to purchase three parcels of land totaling 1,418 acres in the southern Elkhorn Mountains for $3 million. The land will provide year-round habitat for elk, deer, bears, wolves, moose, mountain lions, hawks and a variety of grassland birds, as well as public access to the area.    

70 YEARS, 3000 PEAKS: Just a few days after his 70th birthday, Jon Fredland of Idaho summited Trinity Mountain, a 9,451-foot mountain in the Boise National Forest. It marked the 3,000th summit of his life. Read his stories of rambling through western mountain ranges and check out the notebooks in which he methodically recorded each ascent. 

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