Virtual Film Screening
Against the Herd
Join us for an exclusive film screening & panel discussion about rangeland restoration and the need for more flexibility when grazing on federal lands.
Tuesday, December 17th at noon MDT
In light of recent congressional efforts to provide ranchers with more flexibility in managing public lands, the release of "Against the Herd" could not be timelier. Senators Barrasso and Wyden have proposed the Operational Flexibility Grazing Management Program Act that emphasizes the importance of empowering ranchers to adapt to challenges such as drought and wildfires, both for the benefit of local communities and the health of federal lands.
The film showcases Agee Smith's family ranch, Cottonwood Ranch as a prime example of a family operation who were granted an experimental permit and have used cattle as a tool to restore the landscape. Join us for this exclusive online screening of "Against the Herd" to explore the complex relationship between cattle ranching and public lands management.
Following the screening, hear from filmmaker Jaxon Derow, Agee Smith and Dr. Jared Talley and engage in a panel conversation surrounding grazing on federal lands and the need for a more adaptable approach to support ranchers and protect our natural resources.
Agee Smith
Agee Smith, a fourth-generation rancher, manages the Cottonwood Ranch in northeastern Nevada alongside his daughter McKenzie and son-in-law Jason. Inspired by holistic management, Agee transformed the ranch's grazing practices to mimic the Great Plains' buffalo herds, resulting in healthier land and riparian areas.
A dedicated steward of the land, Agee is also committed to bringing people together. More than 20 years ago, facing serious concerns about the ranch's future, he created a coalition comprised of his family, agency personnel, environmental groups and neighboring ranches that still guide their management decisions. “Now we have problem-solving meetings, not barrier-type meetings. We all at least respect one another and a lot of us are good friends,” he says.
Jaxon Derow
Jaxon Derow, a Brooklyn-based director and producer, is the talent behind "Against the Herd." With a passion for storytelling about culture, politics and nature, his work aims to deepen our understanding of human society and the world around us.
Jaxon graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Marine Biology, Environmental Science, and Philosophy. He left the world of marine research to attend the National Film and Television School in the UK, producing two laurelled documentary shorts while completing an MA in Directing and Producing Science and Natural History.
Dr. Jared Talley, PhD
Jared was born and raised in Southwestern Idaho, like many generations before him, and he is deeply connected to its desert communities. His research is place-based and focuses on community collaboration in the environmental governance of the American West. He is an environmental philosopher by training, but an interdisciplinary scholar by practice. He seeks to better understand how diverse communities relate to the land and how this relationship poses obstacles and opportunities for collaboration and governance. In doing so, he studies the role of science in collaborative policy, the role of place in environmental identity and the role of the imagination in mediating both.
MODERATOR
LOUIS WERTZ
Louis Wertz leads communications for the Western Landowners Alliance. He grew up taking long road trips across the American West in the family minivan. Since then, he has been obsessed with listening to and telling the stories of the land stewards who protect and regenerate the amazing places he fell in love with.
Louis holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Science in World Heritage Studies from the Brandenburg Technical University in Cottbus, Germany, where he focused on holistic approaches to managing heritage sites. He completed his master’s thesis in Yosemite National Park in 2008. In 2010 he spent a year working on an organic vegetable farm and apple orchard in Mendocino County, California and he received his Permaculture and Advanced Permaculture Design Certificate from the Denver Permaculture Guild. He lives with his wife and their two young children just outside of Denver, Colorado.
Presented by
Film Credits
Against the Herd
Jaxon Derow - Director and Cinematographer
Produced by
Against the Herd
Jaxon Derow
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