Unity Through the Democratic Process
"If the farmers were stronger together, they were surely stronger still when they brought members of their community together to work...
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WRITING
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- Dec 23, 2022
- 1 min
Plan Now for a More Profitable 2023
Three key financial statements and how they can guide your regenerative ranch into a bright New Year (originally published for Noble...
- Dec 20, 2022
- 1 min
Vitality in Rural Communities
Montana has the second highest leadership demand in the country. Montana State University research indicates that 1 in every 22 adults in...
- Dec 15, 2022
- 1 min
Recover from drought with a regenerative future in mind
As painful as droughts can be, making a drought management plan can help your ranch emerge stronger and more resilient on the other...
- Dec 13, 2022
- 1 min
Empowerment Through Education
Less than 40 percent of 1910-era homesteaders in north-central Montana had previous agricultural experience. Who would help empower these...
- Nov 28, 2022
- 2 min
Parallel journeys to the radical center
A dual by-line with my friend Becca Skinner, originally published in On Land Magazine. LAURA: They glide through the icy water with...
- Nov 7, 2022
- 1 min
Career Conversations with Ag Journalist Laura Nelson
What are the skills we need to tell meaningful stories? How do we stop being afraid of failure in order to succeed as rural...
- Nov 6, 2022
- 2 min
The Competitive Drive
An athletic mindset earns Wyoming family Certified Angus Beef Commercial Commitment to Excellence honors (for Angus Journal). Whether...
- Nov 2, 2022
- 2 min
Livestock can be used to optimize disturbance for soil health — here’s how
Weigh the pros and cons of livestock as a tool for soil disturbance on your ranch, and then put the animals to work (for Noble Research...
- Aug 13, 2020
- 1 min
The moment he shifted from 'me' to 'we'...
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to...
- May 28, 2020
- 1 min
LEGACIES // An author's note
“The word ‘legacy’ resonated immediately. I scribbled it on top of the first outline I made for this, the Montana Farm Bureau...
- Mar 5, 2020
- 1 min
Setting them up for success, every step of the way
From rancher to stocker to feeder, every cattle owner wants the same outcome. “We all want those calves to be as successful as they...
- Mar 5, 2020
- 2 min
The extra miles at Mill Iron Triangle Ranch
Each heifer is unique, but the moment of triumph often sounds about the same. She spins around, nuzzles the wet calf, and lets out a low...
- May 12, 2019
- 1 min
The trade-off
"So... what’s the trade-off?" I asked. "You give up a widely accepted, profitable practice to do a new thing. There must be sacrifice. Do...
- Jan 13, 2019
- 3 min
American Farm Bureau // One-Line Legacies
Thank you for coming to my "One-Line Legacies" workshop at the 2019 American Farm Bureau Federation in New Orleans! Here is the one-page...
- Jan 3, 2019
- 1 min
'Just' range cows for 'just' ranch people; just the right combination
“They’re just plain ol’ range cows.” Bob and Frances Dellit shared a good-hearted laugh at the idea of their 'plain ol' range cows' being...
- Nov 12, 2018
- 1 min
It’s not forbidden fruit: Three ‘secrets’ to ranch profitability
Dave Pratt scribbled rapidly across the giant post-it board. He switched colors with ideas, added seemingly cryptic equations to the...
- Oct 15, 2018
- 1 min
Today’s Ranch: Cell Grazing and Three Secrets for Increasing Profit
Dave Pratt, an internationally-known grazing and sustainable ranching expert, will present a one-day pasture and ranch business...
- Sep 26, 2018
- 1 min
‘Just go for it:’ Women Stepping Forward in Agriculture highlights entrepreneurial go-getters
They thought they knew everything they needed to know about barley. After all, Mike and Linda O'Brien had grown cereal grains on his...
- Sep 14, 2018
- 1 min
Filling the bread box
I’ve missed wheat harvest in Nebraska the past few years. Riding along with Herbie Husker on the side of the Case IH red combine. Sinking...
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