Farmers have always dealt with extreme weather. We’re the first to feel the frosts in winter and the last to leave the field under the scorching sun of summer. Neither hail nor high winds mean a day off.
But here in the west, in states like Colorado, weather is flip-flopping faster than politicians.
Flash floods, drought, wildfires—these are all natural extremes in the West. But their timing and intensity are changing.
As young farmers dedicating our careers and lifestyles to working landscapes, this is our climate context. And we have the opportunity, through our collective brain power, passion and hard work, to create a firm resilience on our farms and in our ecosystems.
We need to ensure our decision makers know that the health of our natural systems is not separate from, but is in fact critical to, the health of our farms.