Pathways to Resilience

In this segment, rancher Ariel Greenwood shows us an innovative project to keep water on the landscape longer: one-rock dams. Many rocks wide (but only one-rock high, hence the name), the construction of these dams was funded by an Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) grant, a valuable resource to farmers and ranchers like Greenwood.

The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and it offers financial support for farmers and ranchers who commit to ecosystem-friendly practices in their operations over time. In this segment, rancher Ariel Greenwood drives out onto leased rangelands in northeastern New Mexico, where she does ongoing rangeland monitoring as a part of the program.

A high-tensile fence can be a game-changer for farmers due to its durability and low maintenance upkeep. But when you run a big ranch, you need a lot of fence. In this segment, rancher Ariel Greenwood of Triangle P ranch near Wagon Mound, New Mexico, shares how an Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) grant helped fund a fencing project that was better for her cows, as well as the surrounding wildlife.

Running a farm is running a business. Farmer Ian Colburn of Farm of Song in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, shares how the Farm Service Agency lending program has helped him and his partners reach a third season of business.

In this segment, farmer Ian Colburn shares how planting cover crops has helped control erosion, suppress weeds, reduce soil compaction, and boost the health and productivity of the soil at Farm of Song in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Farm of Song is a diversified vegetable farm in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Ian Colburn, co-founder and farmer, grows a variety of crops, from kohlrabi to turmeric. In this segment, Colburn shares how he upped the value of his acreage through the assistance of an Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) grant.

Learn from farmer Casey Holland how a multi-year project with the Natural Resources Conservation Service helped lengthen the growing season and reinforce the biodiversity of Chispas Farm in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico.