Watch
Against the Herd
Almost a century of overgrazing has destroyed much of America’s public lands, but Cottonwood Ranch has discovered that cattle can actually be the key to restoring our rangelands. Now the Smith family must convince legislators that cows aren't always eco-villains, or they’re sure to lose their land.
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SUPPORT OUTCOMES BASED GRAZING
Leave a message with the House Committee on Natural Resources
The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee is currently considering several bills that would improve the ability of innovative ranchers like Agee Smith to use their herds to improve range health on federal lands, include H.R. 9062, H.R. 6441 and H.R. 7666. Urge the committee to recommend these bills to the full House for passage!
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Bipartisan solutions are possible
Federal land management regulations can support healthy rural communities, food systems and landscapes, and politicians on both sides of the aisle are beginning to see how. We're helping bring them up to speed. Learn more and stay engaged.
Agee Smith, Rancher
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.
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.
Jaxon Derow, Filmmaker
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.
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