Part Three: A new mentality of collaboration in a river district
When it comes to water, it’s not North vs. South or surface vs. groundwater anymore, one farmer explains
MANASSA, Colo.—JD Schmidt’s sheep graze in the San Luis Valley on June 23, 2022. Drought has impacted every part of agriculture in the valley. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
Hector Sandoval cares for JD Schmidt’s sheep in the San Luis Valley. Sandoval said the consecutive years of drought have been hard on the herd. In the spring, “We had to feed them. There wasn’t always enough grass,” he said. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
MONTE VISTA, Colorado — Linda Schoonover cradles one of her geldings on her ranch outside of Monte Vista. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
Linda Schoonover says she learns a lot from the animals she raises and cares for, “If you ever look in a cow’s eye, or a horse’s eye, you see a wisdom there that they know something you don’t know,” she said. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
Some of Schoonover’s cattle on her property. Her herd of Black Irish Angus and Longhorns is down to 50. In years past, she ran between 500 and 600. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
Schoonover drinks coffee the morning of June 23rd, before irrigating her field. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
A collection of items in Schoonover’s kitchen window. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
Schoonover releasing sheep to pasture in the early morning of June 23. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
Schoonover standing in her field where she cares for a small creek that runs through it. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
Jack, one of Schoonover’s six dogs that are her constant companions. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
Schoonover and her dogs out in her field as she makes cuts in the field to let the water soak in. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
“I think while we’re here on this great Earth, we’re stewards,” she said. “You don’t be a big old slob. You don’t blow things off. You take care of things to the best of your ability.” That means establishing limits, she added — something society has been reluctant to do. “How do you stop growth?” she asked. “That’s the question to end all questions in the West.” (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
Ranching keeps her grounded. When she’s making cuts in the ditch to pour water into the alfalfa meadows, when she’s hunting for worms or nursing a calf, it connects her to tradition. For her, that tradition also means conservation. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)
Schoonover and her dogs preparing to care for the pasture. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM)