What began as a grassroots collaboration among a small number of ranchers and conservationists working to resolve rangeland problems has grown into an active faction of innovative (or visionary) ranchers called “New Ranchers.” The New Ranch Handbook demonstrates how livestock ranching and conservation values can be compatible and ranchers and environmentalists can work together to benefit rangelands. On New Ranches in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and elsewhere, livestock has been managed in progressive ways and the land has responded: vegetation is more diverse and productive, soils are more stable, streams and springs have come back to life. Wildlife, watersheds, livestock, and ranchers have all benefited. The Handbook situates the practices of these ranches in relation to recent models and knowledge in range science and ecology.
Quivira’s annual publication started out as a printed newsletter and has served as a source for on-the-ground rangeland science, a place for stories and reflections from our community, and a resource on implementation of regenerative agriculture on working lands since the start of the organization. It has since morphed into a high-quality, professionally-designed and printed literary magazine that showcases poetry, written reflections, photography, artwork, and science writing that comes from those who are working or stewarding the land; very few of the contributors are professional writers, highlighting the lived experiences that they bring. If you’re interested in contributing to a future issue, please email communications@quiviracoalition.org.
