MONTE VISTA — The LOR Foundation, a Wyoming-based privately funded non-profit organization that works with rural communities in the Mountain West to improve quality of life, recently established a presence in the San Luis Valley with the hiring of Ivette Atencio, their Monte Vista community officer.

According to a communication from Jay Bouchard, LOR’s content manager, the foundation will soon be launching a regional initiative that, in Bouchard’s words, “could have a real impact for farmers and ranchers in the San Luis Valley."

On Feb. 1, LOR is launching Field Work — https://lorfoundation.org/field-work/ — which aims to help source — and share — solutions to the West's water crisis. 

“As you know,” Bourchard says, “the drought throughout the region means the pressure on farmers and ranchers as they contemplate their use of water is extreme. And at the same time, demand for agricultural products is increasing.”

Through Field Work, farmers and ranchers in rural parts of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming are eligible for up to $10,000 to implement innovative water projects.

“Think water diversion, storage, delivery, application, measurement, power, etc.,” Bouchard stated.

The goal of the program, he says, is "to get money quickly into the hands of people in the field and on the ranch. And, ultimately, we hope this initiative reveals the best solutions for using water efficiently to grow food in the West — and sustain thriving communities — while in the grip of unprecedented drought.” 

Look for more information in the Valley Courier about submitting applications for Field Work in the coming week.

The application period for Field Work opens Feb. 1 and runs through Feb. 22. Projects must be completed in 2023 and must include a commitment and plan for reporting learnings. Applicants will be notified by March 15.