Conservation groups and farmers have long been at odds, but The Freshwater Trust is changing that. The nonprofit believes that working lands and healthy rivers can co-exist and that if a conservation group wants a practice to change, then it should work with the landowner and even provide resources to help make a change possible. That philosophy means helping cover the cost of irrigation upgrades that improve efficiency and leasing water rights.

In this video, three farmers/ranchers talk about how they’ve worked with The Freshwater Trust to better manage their water resources and improve their operations. While The Freshwater Trust primarily works on the West Coast in Oregon and California, their example is one you can suggest to folks in your area as we all face the challenge of making sure we have enough water and clean, healthy rivers.

Farm of the Future from The Freshwater Trust on Vimeo.