The American West has been facing a historic megadrought, and a family of Utah ranchers is confronting the water crisis head on through regenerative agriculture. We venture to the Great Salt Lake to see their solution firsthand.

The water runs like gold in Utah, which is to say it’s expensive, and increasingly hard to find. Rancher Joel Ferry says they’re in a generational drought, and scientists are calling it the worst in 1200 years. As farmers and ranchers labor to save their crops and feed their livestock, some, like JY Ferry & Son, are turning to regenerative practices to build healthy soil that retains water and produces more crops. With a 120 years-of stewarding thousands of acres where the Bear River meets the Great Salt Lake, JY Ferry & Son are conserving water, energy, and other natural resources, even in a megadrought.

When John Y. Ferry traveled from Illinois to Utah in 1900, the second driest state in the country had just installed its first canal system. He saw the potential in developing the land for farming and livestock, and he moved his family to the small but lively community of Corinne, headquarters of “The Golden Spike” – connecting the east and west via transcontinental rail. From there he built a business that would sustain his family for generations, and today they maintain a strongly diversified model, creating a symbiotic setup that benefits both their cattle and the surrounding wildlife and wetlands.

Strategic partnerships with local conservation groups, and government entities and regulators, strengthen their business while they build a resilient legacy in conservation, to withstand this drought, and the ones to come.

American Ranchers Surviving the Megadrought in the West | Farms Across America

Directed by Eric Feigenbaum

Created by Conor Gaughan and Kate Tucker

Written and hosted by Kate Tucker

Produced by Consensus Digital Media in partnership with Remedial Media

Executive Producer - Kate Tucker

Executive Producer - Jessie English

Executive Producer - Eric Feigenbaum

Executive Producer - Conor Gaughan

Featuring:

John Ferry

Joel Ferry

Ben Ferry

Filmed at JY Ferry & Son in Corinne, Utah, and in Salt Lake City.

Supervising Producer - Geoff Rock

Editor - Nick Nazmi

Assistant Editor - Dustin Waldman

Director of Photography - Isaac Rosenthal

Camera Operator - Eddie Bernard

Gaffer / Drone Operator - Fletcher Anstis

Sound Engineer - Tom Eichler

Production Coordinator - John Ryan Gage

Makeup & Hair - Nikra Centeno

Wardrobe - Hollie Van Osenbruggen

Audio Mixer / Sound Design - Dillon Terry

Color Grading - Ind3x

Motion Graphics - Yuriy Netrebyuk

Graphic Design - Stephen Lepsch