Could This Arizona Ranch Be a Model for Southwest Farmers?

Over 3,000 tribal farmers in Odisha are using the System of Rice Intensification (SRI)—an organic method that uses 92% less seed, no standing water, and traditional formulations—to double their rice yields, increase incomes, eliminate dependence on expensive chemicals and moneylenders, and revive 70+ indigenous rice varieties while improving soil health.

Gatgyeda Haayk's community garden tackles food access challenges in Metlakatla by patiently building rich soil over many years, enabling diverse crops to flourish despite Alaska's difficult growing conditions. This effort not only provides fresh food but also revitalizes cultural heritage by cultivating traditional plants like "Indian potatoes" and fostering community sharing.

Tucson-based Mission Garden’s crops are thriving in a drought-stricken region because of the use of techniques and knowledge from the Tohono O’odham Nation to plant traditional local crops and native plants that can handle the lack of water.

Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) in Oklahoma bring together landowners to share equipment, labor, and expertise needed to conduct prescribed burns. Early evidence of efficacy include restored native plants and improved land health, suggesting the model can help reverse woody encroachment and improve grassland and wildlife habitat on participating properties.

Some farmers in drought-prone areas are planting sorghum, an ancient grain that requires less water and fertilizer than crops like corn, as a way to offset climate change-related losses.

In order to keep up with the demands of climate change, beef producers are shifting how pastures are planted and managed, diversifying their cattle stock, and diversifying their businesses. Planting native grasses that cover the soil and help retain moisture and rotating cattle helps ranchers prepare for climate crises, like droughts.

Farms like Pope Canyon Queens breed queen bees to supply to other beekeepers to meet the growing demand for pollinators. Queen bees are crucial to the pollination process as they organize the colony and maintain the health of the hive. Since having to rebuild after a massive fire in 2020, Pope Canyon Queens has about 580 hives and is seeing increased requests for queens.

Aquaponics, a soilless method of farming that combines aquaculture and hydroponic techniques, has provided an affordable and adaptable method for growing traditional cultural Mvskoke foods, such as tobacco, pumpkins, corn, pinto beans, honeysuckle, and minara. Grant funding has enabled tribal members to use aquaponic systems to produce crops and fortify food systems against climate change.

Indigenous communities in Nepal use traditional earthen storage bins called dehari—made from locally available clay, husk, and dung—that naturally regulate temperature and moisture to protect grains and seeds from extreme heat, pests, and floods without electricity. The success of this food-preservation method has increased local food security and seed diversity across smallholder farming communities.

Farmers are adapting to changing climate effects by fusing traditional Hawaiian practices with new, regenerative agricultural techniques to save soils, streams, and reefs.