Every minute counts on farms and ranches in the rural Mountain West facing workforce shortages and a decades-long drought. LOR’s Field Work initiative delivered money to farmers and ranchers testing innovative solutions to tackle these everyday challenges. One New Mexico rancher saw how installing remote water monitoring systems could save significant time and resources (and water!), and the results buoyed hope and provided a roadmap for a more resilient future in the region. Words and photos by Jay Bouchard. (fb)

It can be easy to fixate on the “big solve” for a persistent community problem. But LOR believes powering many small solves can be just as impactful. That’s why we invested more than $700,000 in nearly 100 locally designed and led projects in Lander, Wyoming, last year—from a program that offers residents free rides on Friday and Saturday nights, to support for academic programs and youth sports. We believe in making funding easy and accessible (no deadlines, no formal application), so locals can move quickly to launch their ideas, because even small actions can create lasting change. https://rivertonranger.com/lander_journal/news/lor-700k-in-2024/article_cf090b62-0045-11f0-bba8-f716619357d2.html#:~:text=In%202024%2C%20the%20LOR%20Foundation,West%20%E2%80%93%20is%20currently%20working%20with. (fb)