FEATURE STORY 100 YEARS OF CONSERVATION By Jeana Cadby, Environment and Climate Director
• Trust for Public Land (TPL): TPL is a leader in creating conservation easements to ensure the land is kept open and undeveloped. • California Rangeland Trust (CRT): A rancher-led organization that has protected hundreds of thousands of acres of open space while keeping cattle on the land. • Pollinator Partnership (P2): Protecting the health of pollinating animals, including bees and butterflies, and their ecosystems through the combination of science-based conservation, large-scale habitat restoration, public education and global policy collaboration. • California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF): Protecting and restoring coastal and ocean ecosystems throughout California by implementing science-based, practical solutions. • CDFA Health Soils Program (HSP): Supporting farmers and ranchers to incorporate new sustainable agricultural practices into their farming systems. • USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): The primary vehicle for federal public funding, with several programs that support on-farm improvements, including: • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): Provides financial and technical assistance to address natural resource concerns, such as improving water quality or reducing soil erosion. • Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP): Designed for farmers already implementing conservation practices looking to maintain their conservation efforts.
“This is the most beautiful place on earth.” There are many such places, however, our unique Western landscapes, steeped in ruggedness and history, have long inspired writers, outdoorsmen, farmers and stewards of the land, alike. As Edward Abbey said, “I stand for what I stand on.” The frontiersman of 100 years ago who journeyed to the West saw an infinite expanse, a chaotic force to be tamed. But as farming has advanced from mule-drawn plows to GPS-guided precision, today’s frontiersman have traded the pursuit of conquest for that of stewardship. Modern farmers recognize the greatest feat of the next hundred years won’t be finding ways to break the land, but ensuring it never breaks. Conservation in agriculture is often synonymized with the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), established in 1935, now called the Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS), out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The agency was born out of the historic Dust Bowl, implemented to protect and conserve natural resources, particularly soil and water, and continues to support farmers in their conservation efforts to this day. Western Growers members also work alongside NGO partners to conserve natural resources, protect farmland from development and facilitate programs to champion farmers to continue to be the best stewards of the land. A few of our key partners include: • American Farmland Trust (AFT): Known for their “No Farms, No Food” mission, AFT focuses specifically on keeping working lands in production. • The Nature Conservancy (TNC): TNC works to protect water quality and biodiversity, often partnering with producers on large-scale grazing or water-rights projects.
Carbon-capturing grass grows between crop rows at Braga Fresh. Photo courtesy of Braga Fresh
42 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com April – June 2026
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