Clayton Brascoupé has farmed in the red-brown foothills of New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains for more than 45 years. A Mohawk-Anishnaabe originally from a New York reservation, Brascoupé married into the Pueblo of Tesuque tribe and has since planted at least 60 varieties of corns, beans, squashes, and other heirloom crops grown for millennia by the area’s Native Americans.

Each year, red flags over toxic drinking water are raised across the U.S., with reasons varying from location to location. One major problem is aging water pipes, which have become an increasingly common source of toxic exposure.

Colorado peaches could be at risk, along with the rest of the organic produce, wines and cheeses lovingly produced on family farms in the fertile North Fork Valley.

Fracking threatens this hub of organic agriculture. A new federal land management plan that was just released could spell trouble for the Western Slope peach and damage Colorado’s emerging reputation as a culinary destination.

While Silicon Hills is booming, another career path has gained traction: A number of young professionals in Central Texas have left their corporate careers, seeking work with more integrity and purpose. And now they've found their calling as farmers and land stewards, using multiple skill sets to produce responsibly grown food products and to help educate the community on why it matters.