Sustaining your Soil and your Legacy: A Discussion on Farm Health and Succession

Teton Regional Land Trust is pleased to invite our community to an evening discussion about soil stewardship and farm succession planning at 6pm on Thursday, July 24 at Seniors West of the Tetons in downtown Driggs.  

Conservation easement landowners, Tim and Wendy Brockish, and their lessee, Daniel Wilcox, will tell the conservation story behind their partnership on the Brockish’s protected farmland along Texas Slough in Madison County, Idaho. With common interests in conservation and soil health, it was only a matter of time before these two families met, and when they did, big ideas started to brew. The Brockishes and Daniel entered into an agreement for the evolution of their farm ground, which enabled Daniel to expand his sustainable operation focused on improving soil health, while allowing Tim and Wendy to provide a case study of the potential of the soil in eastern Idaho when tenets of soil health are employed.   

Soil health has always been an important topic to the farming community, and with terms like “regenerative agriculture” and “holistic grazing”, the topic is becoming more widely discussed, as maintaining healthy soils is not just a best practice for great yields, but now an obligation to the land, future generations, and the communities and food systems that depend on it. Healthy soil is the foundation of resilient farms, clean water, and thriving ecosystems, sustaining productive agriculture while safeguarding our natural resources.  

Because soil is fundamental to life, it is imperative that, as stewards of the land, we care for our soils in a way that builds organic matter, improves water filtration, reduces erosion, and enhances biological diversity through innovative practices like cover cropping, reduced tillage, and nutrient management to ensure our farmland remains viable, productive, and ecologically sustainable well into the future. 

The event will also discuss farm succession planning – a critical topic for many families in eastern Idaho who are facing a transfer in farm leadership. This becomes even more important given the development pressure that we are facing in this area. Farmland is at its most vulnerable to development when it is transferring hands and management. A predetermined farm succession plan can help keep land in agriculture and in working hands.  

Tim and Wendy are in the process of transferring a majority of their farm ground to Daniel. It is a long-term plan that will be executed over a few years and will involve a benefit to both parties. The transfer is meant to provide sufficient resources for the Brockishes to comfortably live out their days and to allow Daniel to purchase the farm ground in a way that allows him to grow and sustain his agricultural operation. Daniel and the Brockish’s story provides an incredible example of a non-familial farm transfer that demonstrates the importance of collaboration. 

Both Tim and Daniel will be presenting their experience with soil and farm succession planning. This presentation will provide a tangible example of both how to create more fertile soil and how to transfer a farming operation.  

There will be other resources available at the event, and participants can engage with regional land use professionals to find out what can be done to enrich their own piece of land, whether that is less than an acre or thousands of acres! 

We hope you will join the Land Trust and our incredible partners and speakers on July 24th at 6pm at Seniors West of the Tetons. There will be complimentary drinks, snacks, and a raffle. Special thanks to the American Farmland Trust Soil Stewards Program for making this event possible. To learn more and to RSVP, please visit tetonlandtrust.org. 

Summer Newsletter is Now Available

Our new Summer 2025 Newsletter is now available. Click on the cover photo to read.

Teton River Fence Removal Projects

Teton Regional Land Trust works with conservation easement landowners to remove unneeded and/or derelict fencing from their property to facilitate the movement of wildlife. Historically, the stewardship staff was able to do this annually with land owners, but with more and more properties protected, the less time our staff had to work on projects like this. In 2021, we forged a partnership with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation (JHWF) to help lessen the load.

We provide the fence and JHWF provide an experienced core “fence team” volunteers who bring their own tools. Along with our amazing Land Trust volunteers and stewardship staff, many hands make light work, and we have been able to remove more than 2 miles of fence along the Teton River on 5 different conservation easements with another mile of fence removal planned this summer.

Shortly after one of these projects was complete, moose were observed running through an area where they could have been entangled in barbed wire fence if it had not been removed.  

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Dedicate Sculptures along Teton Creek Corridor Trail

The public is welcome to join the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the Teton Creek Corridor Collaborative for a dedication ceremony of Derek No-Sun Brown’s sculptures along the Teton Creek Corridor.   

The dedication and celebration of the sculptures will be held on Thursday, May 29 at 11am at the Teton Creek Corridor trailhead near the Driggs Cemetery.  Members and elders of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes will lead the dedication and blessing of the art installation. 

Created by Derek No-Sun Brown, the permanent art installation includes Pisha Pakwi [Bannock] and Tsaa Painkwi [Shoshone] (Trout), Weda’a (Bear), and Patehecha [Bannock] and Pateheya [Shoshone] (elk).  No-Sun was commissioned by the Teton Creek Collaborative for the installation.  

Derek No-Sun Brown is from the Shoshone-Bannock, Klamath, and Anishinabe people. He was raised on the Boise Fort Reservation in northern Minnesota and the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho. 

“As an artist I want my art to represent that single moment in time that forever changes the outcome; the second where one moment becomes eternity.  Ultimately, if my art can affect someone’s life positively for even one second or even inspire a single thought the art has served its purpose,” said sculpture artist No-Sun Brown.  

No-Sun attended Idaho State University and is a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  After college he created the brand WAR MEDICINE combining his love for art, business, and fashion.  No-Sun’s art was also featured on the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s 2022 poster in honor of American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. 

The Teton Creek Corridor Collaborative is a partnership effort of four local nonprofits and key community members bringing together their diverse skills to carry out a high-impact, community conservation project along Teton Creek, just outside of Driggs, Idaho. Collaborative partners include Friends of the Teton River, Teton Regional Land Trust, Teton Valley Trails and Pathways, and Valley Advocates for Responsible Development. The Teton Creek Corridor includes permanent land protection, a recreational trail, stream restoration, education and art installations for the community to enjoy.  

Everyone is welcome to bring a lunch and picnic along the Teton Creek corridor after the ceremony. To RSVP, please visit www.tetonlandtrust.org/teton-creek-sculpture-ceremony/ 

8th annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival poster contest winner

We are thrilled to announce the winning artwork for the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival poster contest—Three Cranes at Sunset by Meghan Hanson. This piece is made using acrylic paint on recycled Peroba Rosa wood, which is reclaimed barn wood from Brazil. Three Cranes at Sunset will represent the 8th Annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival on posters, banners, ads, merchandise, and on a special Grand Teton Brewing can.  

Meghan is an architect and artist sharing time between the Bitterroot Valley of Montana and Teton Valley, Idaho. “The name ‘at Sunset’ is in reference to our home. We live on Sunset Bench outside of Stevensville, MT. I photographed these guys last fall,” explained Meghan.

After attending college in Bozeman, Meghan moved to the Tetons in both Wyoming and Idaho, to work as an architect and illustrator. Now back in Montana, she creates her art with paint, pencil, and reclaimed materials. She believes that taking time to experience a place through creating art helps her to know the place. The Hanson’s property is in a conservation easement with the Bitterroot Land Trust, where she serves on the Board of Directors.

We want to give a special thanks to all the artists who submitted their original artwork to the contest. We received more submissions this year than ever before, and they were absolutely stunning. It was a very difficult task to pick a winner.

The Importance of Reaccreditation

In 2025, Teton Regional Land Trust is proud to announce its application for reaccreditation with the Land Trust Alliance (LTA). As Idaho’s first accredited land trust, we have consistently upheld the highest standards and practices set forth by LTA, ensuring our continued excellence and trustworthiness within the land trust community.

Reaccreditation is more than just a formal process; it is a testament to our unwavering commitment to conservation and stewardship. It demonstrates that we adhere to rigorous standards, which include ethical conduct, sound finances, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship. Additionally, it allows us to qualify for easement defense insurance through LTA, providing an extra layer of protection for our conservation efforts. This process reassures our supporters, partners, and the public that we are dedicated to preserving the natural beauty and ecological integrity of our region.

Maintaining our accredited status is crucial for several reasons. It enhances our credibility, making it easier to secure funding and forge partnerships with other conservation organizations. It also provides a framework for continuous improvement, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of land conservation efforts. Most importantly, it signifies that we are a trusted and reliable entity, capable of making a lasting impact on the landscapes we cherish. As stakeholders, you can submit comments on our pending application online, via email, or in writing (mail to Land Trust Accreditation Commission, 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866).

As we embark on this reaccreditation journey, we invite our community to join us in celebrating this milestone and supporting our mission to protect the lands we love for future generations. Together, we can continue to make a difference.

Birding Resources

Plant a Bird Friendly Garden

As the spring equinox nears, you might start to consider your spring and summer garden plans. By planting certain types of flowers, shrubs, and trees, you can support your local bird populations. Many North American bird species are in decline due to habitat loss and degradation. You can help by providing essential habitat. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a free downloadable poster and guide with useful tips for gardening with bird-friendly plants.

For those of you who live in the northern US, like Idaho, another great resource for building an eco-friendly habitat with native plants that are beneficial to birds can be found on the Birds Canada website. Whether you have an existing garden that could use a few tweaks or an expansive lawn that you are hoping to transform for the benefit of nature, this site will give you a head start on welcoming more birds to your place!

Register for the Jackson Hole Birding Festival and Support Teton Regional Land Trust

The first Jackson Hole Birding Festival will be held May 22–25, 2025, in Jackson, Wyoming. The festival is a community celebration of the remarkable diversity of bird life in the Tetons and the magnificent surrounding parks and public lands.

Based at the beautiful Center for the Arts, the festival offers birding tours, world-class speakers, classes and workshops, and social events. Everyone is welcome! Register here.

Supporters of Teton Regional Land Trust use code JHBFTRLT when you register for the Jackson Hole Birding Festival, and Teton Regional Land Trust will receive a $45 donation for each registration! Just enter JHBFTRLT in the “Enter your discount code” box on your registration summary page before you pay.

North American Bird Migrations

Scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have documented migratory movements of bird populations spanning the entire year for 118 species throughout the Western Hemisphere. Using millions of observations from the ebird citizen-science database, they were able to map the migrations and analyze the routes used by different species. Click to watch a video of their yearly migrations and learn more about this project.

Crane Poster Contest and Crane Sculptures

Want to put your artistic talent to work protecting wildlife habitat in Teton Valley? The Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival poster contest is now open and crane sculptures are now available for pick up. From its inception, the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival has incorporated artistic components, which can serve as a means of connecting with cranes. From art shows, to dance performances, to artist workshops, the festival has always included elements of art.

Each year, a poster design contest is held, and the winning artwork represents the festival in all of our outreach. Artists are invited to submit original artwork and are encouraged to sign their work. The artwork that is chosen will be printed on posters as well as merchandise such as hats, T-shirts, and totes. The winning artist will be awarded $250 and will receive a framed copy of the poster as well as several souvenir items featuring their work. This year’s submission window is open until April 13th, 2025. Application and complete guidelines can be found by HERE.

New this year, we are so excited to announce, the winning artwork will be featured on a Grand Teton Brewing label available during the summer and fall of 2025.

Teton Regional Land Trust is excited to provide a creative, community art project again at this year’s Crane Festival. Life-size wooden crane sculptures are available for artists and community members to design. The completed sculptures will be auctioned off at the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival on Saturday, September 20 at the community celebration. Proceeds from the auction will help support crane habitat conservation in Teton Valley. These unique cranes are meant to be displayed outdoors, so make sure to use materials that can withstand the outdoor environment. Sculptures were generously created and donated by Carla Gust Nordlinder, Katie Green, and Rebecca Shank. Thank you ladies! Please call or email Mandy Crane to reserve your sculpture.

 

Species Spotlight- Black-capped Chickadee

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Teton Regional Land Trust Launches New Farm Succession Program

Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) is located in Driggs, Idaho and works across eastern Idaho to help protect natural spaces, agricultural lands, and wildlife habitat through voluntary conservation easements on private land. As part of this mission, TRLT is launching a new program to assist landowners of working agricultural lands with succession planning. The goal is to keep working lands in working hands.  

In the next 20 years, close to 1/3 of agricultural lands in the United States will be transferred from the current owner and producer. This transfer of land is directly related to the rising average age of farmers and ranchers. As they retire and land ownership changes, the land previously stewarded by the producer is vulnerable to conversion away from agricultural use. The rural communities of eastern Idaho depend on the viability of agricultural lands, and in the last few years, we have witnessed great changes to our landscape that are very concerning. Farmers and ranchers are feeling more and more pressure to sell their land to development, and low-density housing developments are replacing agricultural lands.  

In the fall of 2023, TRLT received a four-year grant from the American Farmland Trust to support our involvement in this work. The grant is developed in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and is to assist farmers and ranchers in succession planning in order to dramatically increase the transfer of working agricultural lands to a new generation of producers. The program catalyzes practitioners from across the country to support equitable farm and ranch transfers that work for both entering and exiting generations. “We are new to this area of work, but we strongly believe that protection of the natural values and resources of eastern Idaho depends on the viability of farming and ranching here. We are hoping to present ourselves as a resource to the community to help answer questions and guide landowners towards their own succession plans. Critically, we do not want to tell anyone what to do with their land or business, we simply want to assist in making connections with professionals in the relevant areas and create paths forward for those looking at the futures of their farms and ranches,” said Lydia Hanson, TRLT staff member who oversees the farm succession program. 

If you are interested in learning more about farm succession, please visit the Farm Succession Page or reach out to Lydia Hanson at lydia@tetonlandtrust.org.