Ranching

When wolves cost the Elzingas thousands of dollars in lost cattle, the family changed everything about how they ranch. Mount up and head into the Idaho backcountry with them to find out how they’re keeping the wolves at bay and improving the health of their land in the process.

Kelsey Scott’s ancestors had no problem feeding themselves before white settlers arrived on the great plains. Now, she’s restoring food sovereignty to her people – the Cheyenne River Sioux – by raising grass fed beef on the reservation and selling primarily to tribal members. Kelsey believes that tribal sovereignty starts with food sovereignty.

Rachel Beaubien says she doesn’t know much about birds but she loves the fact that every year, thousands of them land in her irrigated hay fields to rest and refuel on their long migrations. Ranchers in her part of eastern Oregon may be providing some of the last best wetland habitat for birds, but can that continue as the west dries up and tensions rise?A transcript of this episode is available.

Waking up in the middle of the night and missing German class are part of the job when you’re a 14 year old sheep rancher. Meet Maloi Lannan of Red Clover Lambs in Montana and find out what the next generation of regenerative ranchers is doing to change ranching in the West.A transcript of this episode is available.

Hey, I’m Ashley. I used to be a vegetarian. Then I moved rural, started meeting ranchers and herding cows on horseback - and wondering: could we raise beef better? That question launched me on a journey, across the west. Turns out, women are leading the charge in the regenerative ranching movement. Come meet them.Projects like these are made possible by Boise State Public Radio members. Give now to support future podcasts.

Idaho Matters has a sneak peak of Boise State Public Radio's new podcast called 'Women’s Work,' which takes an in-depth look at how women ranchers are leading the charge in sustainable and regenerative ranching.

The Wood River Wolf Project is a well-known project that uses non-lethal methods to prevent livestock depredations. But it's an outlier in Idaho, which has favored greatly expanding hunting and trapping opportunities to decrease depredations.

A massive hacking incident against beef processing giant JBS caused an estimated 20% of U.S. beef packing plants to grind to a halt earlier this week. JBS was quick to get things back online, but the attack raises questions about cyber security and market consolidation.

Panic buying has slowed down considerably since this spring, but one thing still lingering is higher demand for meat that's easier for people to cook…

As one of his last acts in office, ousted Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signed off on returning grazing rights to the eastern Oregon ranchers whose prison…