Bees, Beavers and Bears, oh my!

An afternoon of exploration and learning about the interconnectedness of regenerative practices with pollinator and wildlife ecosystems.

Gather together to learn from pollinator, wildlife and ranching experts about the interconnectedness of bees, beavers and bears on the landscape. Understand the importance of the regenerative ranching practices that promote these species and their ecosystems. Explore the restored beaver habitat at the J Bar L Ranch, and enjoy DIRT wine with Old Salt Co-op charcuterie while engaging in meaningful conversation.

*Walking on uneven ground is required for ranch exploration

Saturday, October 4 · 3 - 6pm MDT

Sweet Grass Lodge

304 Crazy D Lane Melville, MT 59055

Speaker Lineup

Hilary Zaranek with her husband Andrew Anderson and their four children live and ranch in Southwest Montana just outside of Yellowstone National Park. Here they graze upwards of 3000 cows annually.

The ranch prioritizes a strong conservation ethic, striving to align their agricultural practices with their life's principles for health, well-being and resilience. 

Every day the Anderson’s creative ranch management allows them to coexist with a high density of grizzly bears, wolves, mountain lions, elk, sage grouse and more native species. 

All the while they’ve maintained an economically sustainable business and an ecologically thriving landscape.

Malou Anderson was raised and lives on her long-time family ranch north of Yellowstone Park. It lies within the headwaters of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, where the family has raised and managed livestock for nearly 75 years, including horses, cattle, and sheep. The family’s longtime values center around adaptation, not imposition, land and animal connection, supporting natural systems, and the wonder of the wild places. In more recent years and with a continued shift toward regenerative practices, the ranch now seasonally grazes grass-finished cattle alongside thriving populations of grizzly bears, wolves, elk, and more. 

Sarah Red-Laird is the founder and co-director of the nonprofit Bee Regenerative, a grassroots, women-led nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving biodiversity, promoting coexistence, partnering in private land stewardship, and inspiring regenerative management of agricultural lands to stabilize our climate and our food system.

She currently spends her time split between her art studio in Southern Oregon and living her best #vanlife while working among the bees, buffalo, cattle, and wine grapes of South Dakota, Montana, Oregon, and California. 
 

Sponsors

The Grange is creating "the middle" infrastructure to allow for the rich storytelling of regenerative agriculture and to connect regenerative producers to a broader group of consumers

Old Salt Co-op is a salt of the earth community of ranchers, butchers, and eaters who care about wild, wide open spaces. They're here to give you direct access to healthy Montana rangelands and diverse ecosystems so that you can take part in supporting land stewardship and a regenerative agriculture

The J Bar L Ranch is a regenerative ranch in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem that operates with the health and happiness of the land, animals, and people at the forefront of all we do. The ranch believes that it is both its privilege and responsibility to nurture the lives and the lands that sustain us all.

Western Sustainability Exchange (WSE) effects change by sharing innovative techniques, illuminating value-added opportunities, and weaving a resilient community. To do this, they facilitate workshops and seminars; act as a bridge between ranchers and emerging markets; and create avenues for peer-to-peer networking and support.

DIRT: Directly Impacting Regenerative Transformation.  DIRT wine is not just making wine; they're disrupting outdated industry norms. They believe in radically transparent, nature-positive wines that empower farmers, restore the land, and inspire conscious consumers. Every bottle is a vote for a better way—one that uplifts people, communities, and ecosystems.

Join them on the DIRT path and help create a regenerative future, one glass at a time. Follow them on Instagram: @dirt_wine
 

Cover Photo Credits: Sarah Red-Laird, Ronan Donovan, Louise Johns