ESSAYS
Essays written by Courtney in Journals, Books and Other Places
The Fifth Wave: Agrarianism and the Conservation Response in the American West
"Social movements are like ocean waves…They gather strength, grow and become an effective agent of change for a while. At their height, they either succeed outright in their goals or else begin to fade as circumstances evolve and their effectiveness declines. In the American West, the conservation response to natural resource depletion and crisis has followed this pattern. There have been four distinct waves of conservation—federalism, environmentalism, scientism, and collaboratism. Each is now in a different stage of the "back-to-sea" cycle, making way for an emerging fifth wave—agrarianism."
Originally published in the Quivira Coalition's Journal, no. 37, January 2012
Reflections From a "Do" Tank
"Recently, an acquaintance asked me what I did for a living. After explaining that I ran a nonprofit that worked with ranchers and conservationists in the Southwest on land health and sustainability issues, he said summarily "Oh, you run a Think Tank." Without pausing, I replied "No, Quivira is a 'Do' Tank," which elicited a nod and smile."
Originally published in the Quivira Coalition's Journal, no. 37, January 2012
Four Farms…Down Under
"I had the pleasure recently of spending twelve days in Australia, visiting four amazing farms, giving a talk to a carbon farming conference, and having my brain saturated with a cavalcade of innovation. I also drank a boatload of instant coffee. I was impressed by Aussie inventiveness, by their open, upbeat, and nonconformist ways, and by their willingness to tackle topics that Americans shy away from..."
Originally published in the Farming Magazine, Winter 2011
Walking the Talk
"Talk of ecosystem services is all the rage today among academics, activists, agencies, and policy-makers. But for ranchers Tom and Mimi Sidwell, who produce grassfed beef in the high, dry plains of eastern New Mexico this talk is old news. That's because they have been delivering ecosystem services for decades – they just didn't know it had an official name until recently."
Originally published in Acres (cover story), vol. 41, December 2011
Quivira Coalition and Conservation in the West
This entire edition of the Green Fire Times is focused on the Quivira Coalition, its programs, and effects. Articles include: New Agrarians: How the Next Generation of Leaders Tackle 21st Century Challenges; Kneeling in Mud: Conundrums of a Tree-Hugging, Cattle Ranching Human; Restoring Hozho: Building Bio-Cultural Resilience on the Navajo Nation; and The Agrarian Standard by Wendell Berry.
Originally published in the Green Fire Times vol. 3 no. 10, October 2011
Quivira Coalition and Conservation in the West
No Ordinary Burger
"Can a hamburger save the family ranch in the 21st century? If you’re Diablo Burger, a bite-sized eatery located in the busy old-town heart of Flagstaff, Arizona, serving up natural, fresh, trendy, and tasty hamburgers supplied by two local ranches, the answer is: possibly. Hopefully."
Originally published in Acres magazine, vol. 41, January 2011
The Carbon Ranch
This essay explores the possibility of large-scale removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere through plant photosynthesis and related land-based carbon sequestration activities.
Published in the Society for Range Management's Rangelands magazine in April 2011
Originally published in the Quivira Coalition Journal No. 36, December 2010
The Carbon Ranch: Fighting Climate Change One Acre at a Time
An op-ed published in the Green Fire Times and other media outlets in October 2010
Partnerships Are Key to Public Lands – But How?
An op-ed originally published in various media outlets in June 2010
Redefining Local
A profile of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative and its innovative model that links distant farms and ranches to urban consumers.
Originally published in Farming Magazine, Spring 2010
Living Leopold: the land ethic and a new agrarianism
An op-ed originally published in various media outlets in August 2009
The Gift
Originally published as Chapter Ten of Revolution on the Range, this excerpt appeared in the journal Ecological Restoration, June 2009.
The 21st Century Ranch
A brief update on the challenges confronting the progressive ranching community.
Originally published in Conservation Biology, (Volume 22, No. 6), December 2008
"Stomp" Restoration
A profile of a ‘Poop-and-Stomp’ restoration project on a mine tailing.
Originally published in Farming Magazine, Fall 2008
Why the West Needs More Ranchers
An op-ed originally published by Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News, in August 2008
Conservation in the Age of Consequences
An essay on how conservation might meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Originally published in the Natural Resources Journal (Vol. 48, No.1), published by the University of New Mexio School of Law, Winter 2008.
Land Health: A Common Language to Describe
the Common Ground Beneath Our Feet
This essay examines the language of land health as a basis for collaboration.
Originally published as Chapter Ten in Conservation for a New Generation, edited by Richard L. Knight and Courtney White, Island Press, December 2008
Chapter 10 Essay Purchase this book at Island Press
On Normality
A rumination on our chaotic world and the 'little normals' that make life worthwhile.
Originally published in The Quivira Coalition Journal No. 33, October 2008
$7 Gas and the New West
What would happen to the West if the price of gasoline hit $7 a gallon? It may not be as far-fetched as it sounds.
Originally published in The Quivira Coalition Journal No. 32, April 2008
Prologue to Revolution on the Range: the Rise of the New Ranch
in the American West
"In 1996, I had an anguished question on my mind: why didn't environmentalists and ranchers get along better? In theory they shared many of the same hopes and fears - a love of wildlife, a deep respect for nature, an appreciation for a life lived outdoors, and a common concern for healthy water, food, fiber, and liberty. That was the theory anyway..."
Originally published by Island Press in May 2008
Prologue Purchase this book at Island Press
Big Things on a Little Place Redux
What Sam Montoya accomplished with 200 head of cattle on only 93 acres of land is nothing short of amazing.
Originally published in Farming Magazine Spring 2008
Grassbank 2.0
Building on what we have learned from the Valle Grande Grassbank.
By Courtney White and Craig Conley
Originally published in Rangelands, June 2007
The New Ranch
"We need ranching, I came away thinking, because it can be regenerative, not only for the food and good stewardship it can provide, but also for the lessons it can teach us about resilience and sustainability. All flesh is grass, as the Bible reminds us, though it has often been forgotten. Perhaps it was time to consider it again."
Originally published in Homeland: Ranching and a West That Works, edited by Laura Pritchett, Richard Knight, and Jeff Lee, Johnson Books, 2007
Crossing the Divide in Malta
Ranchers, ecologists join forces to preserve economy, ecology in the coming 'Age of Consequences'.
Originally published in Headwaters News, March 2007
The Next West: Getting from Here to There
Collaborative efforts to restore watershed health can provide a template of how Americans can survive in a contracted society.
Originally published in Headwaters News, November 2006
A Corner Turned: The Chico Basin Ranch
An example of why the so-called ‘grazing wars’ faded away, thanks to ranchers like Duke Phillips.
Originally published in The Quivira Coalition's Journal no. 29, October 2006
Mugido: Rethinking the Federal Commons
This essay explores a new vision for public lands based on collaboration and land health.
Originally published in The Quivira Coalition Newsletter (vol.7, no.4) April 2006
The New Ranch: a Definition
A brief definition of a term that I coined back in 1997.
Originally published in The Quivira Coalition Newsletter (vol.7, no.4) April 2006
The Working Wilderness: a call for a Land Health Movement
Rethinking the conservation movement from the ground up.
Originally published by Wendell Berry in his collection of essays The Way of Ignorance, in November 2005
Hope on the Range
A profile of Doc and Connie Hatfield and Oregon Country Beef.
Originally published by the Rodale Institute, December 2004
An Invitation to Join the Radical Center
Twenty ranchers, scientists and conservationists wrote a declaration ending the grazing wars and inviting people to join the emerging radical center.
Originally read at The Quivira Coalition's 2nd Annual Conference, January 2003.
My Sierra Club Resignation Letter
In which I respectfully tell Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, why his organization needs to rethink its vision for public lands.
Originally published in The Quivira Coalition Newsletter, September 2002
The Quivira Coalition
Introducing our effort to build bridges between ranchers, environmentalists, scientists, and public land managers.
Originally published in Range magazine, Winter 1999.
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The Quivira Coalition's first newsletter
In which we explain the purpose of The Quivira Coalition, the idea of the New Ranch, and debut my column "The Far Horizon".
Originally published in by The Quivira Coalition in June 1997
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Adobe Typology and Site Chronology: A Case Study From Pecos National Historical Park
Between 1992 and 1995, I worked seasonally as an archaeologist for the National Park Service at Pecos NHP, near Santa Fe, NM. While documenting the Spanish colonial church and mission at the park, I initiated a research project which culminated in this peer-reviewed paper.
Originally published in Kiva, Vol. 61, no. 4, 1996.
Adobe Typology and Site Chronology: A Case Study from Pecos National Historical Park