Voices of Wyoming Landscapes: Agricultural Traditions and Living Wisdom

Knowledge of ageing agriculturalists living in rural spaces of the State of Wyoming reveals a people with profound love for their local land and the community space it offers. Wyoming community members who contribute to local agricultural productions dedicate their lives to operating their land. One quarter of Wyoming's land operators are over the age of 65 and continue to dedicate their lives to preserving Wyoming's geographical landscapes. This research sought to capture the agricultural experiences of Wyoming's ageing population. The project established communication with a rapidly ageing demographic in order to continue archiving knowledge and traditions shared by an under-represented population. This collection of information analyzed historical archives and conversations with ageing ranch and farm operators. Land conservation research that seeks to in include dialogue of people who currently operate Wyoming lands was a successful outcome of this research. Merging politically focused data with lived experiences on local land resulted in a more complete understanding of traditional wisdom. Results of this research produced an artistic model of previously documented historical photographs, correspondence and articles juxtaposed with local reflections of current agricultural practices in Wyoming. The integrity of action research is captured by representing a sense of place and environmental identity.