Farming

For hundreds of years, Hispanic communities across the Southwest have relied on these networks of hand-dug irrigation ditches to water their crops and feed their families. Now, these ancient traditions are under pressure from a changing climate.

A new approach to addressing water scarcity is underway — one that turns farmland into projects that benefit both people and the environment. Researchers say parched Mountain West states could learn from it.

A new study led by the University of Michigan shows that large livestock farms are polluting the air across the U.S., including parts of the Mountain West. Researchers say these impacts are felt hardest by nearby communities, where people of color often live.

A majority of farms in the United States are considered small, and Nevada is no different. Many provide food right back to the local community. But it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for them to survive. That’s the case for one family-operated farm in Fallon.

A new study shows climate change is causing the Earth’s supply of fresh water to quickly disappear. One of the world’s fastest-drying regions is the American Southwest, where future food supplies could be threatened.

For decades, hydrologists believed most spring snowmelt rapidly enters rivers and streams. But a new study from the University of Utah shows that most of it spends years as groundwater before it spills into reservoirs – new research that could help western water managers and farmers better plan each year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a new plan to strengthen its collaboration with tribes and help them build more sustainable food systems.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now testing the nation’s milk supply for the bird flu virus known as H5N1. The virus has spread through dairy cattle in 16 states, including most of the Mountain West.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is spending $60 million to help tribal farmers in the Mountain West use less water amid drought – and still grow their crops.

Decades of drought and overpumping are draining groundwater tables across the West. Now, some states are buying farmers’ water rights to free up supplies – and plenty of farmers are ready to sell.