Stanford University's Bill Lane Center for the American West

Former California Senator Toni Atkins closed out our 11th Annual Rural West Conference yesterday afternoon. "I can't tie this all up in a bow," she said, acknowledging that the challenges facing the Central Valley, California, and the nation as a whole, are immense. "We have to stand in the complexity of the moment." But Atkins remains optimistic. Though she agreed with the sentiment in the room that the dire threat of climate change demands rapid action, and that implementing solutions can be a very slow a process, she also expressed a deep confidence in the people of the Central Valley. "I understand that things have taken too long, and I think we can do better," she conceded. "But the promise of the Central Valley is right here." She continued, "As we move into 2025, I am optimistic. I am in the Valley, and the people here are resilient. You’ve brought to the attention of government the areas where you need help...[and] when I find good people coming together to try to solve these big problems -- when it comes to energy, water and climate, you are ground zero for figuring out what needs to be done." The Bill Lane Center shares Atkins' optimism, and her final remarks echo the mission and purpose of our conference in the first place. The Center's entire Rural West Initiative is about bringing stakeholders together, listening to one another, sharing challenges and collaborating on solutions. We couldn't agree more with Atkins' parting words for attendees: "I hope you are able to take what you’ve learned here and the relationships you've made, and go forward and collaborate and listen to each other." We thank the Eccles family, our partners at The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute and The California Water Institute, all of our expert panelists, and everyone in the audience who made the 11th Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference such a success. We look forward to seeing you all next year! https://lnkd.in/g7RDYcb6 ??: Toni Atkins gives closing remarks at the 11th Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference. Photo by Geoff McGhee

Our panel on Innovation and Sustainability in Our Food System starts with a presentation on "agtech," or agricultural technology. Leigh Bernacchi of VISTA F3 and UC Merced moderated the panel with talks from M. Anne Visser of UC Davis's Department of Human Ecology; Joshua McEnamey of Nitricity, a plant-based fertilizer company; and Reza Ehsani of UC Merced. Visser shared her academic research on agtech and regional economic development in rural and agricultural economies. She was followed by McEnamey who gave some background on the founding of Nitricity. The company aims to produce fertilizer more sustainably, tackling greenhouse gas emissions and making products that are better for fields, farmers, and the environment. Finally, Reza Ehsani discussed many agricultural innovations he is working on at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Merced. These include new sensor technology, AI and robotic crop production systems. Photos: 1) Leigh Bernacchi opens the panel; 2) M. Anne Visser presents on agtech; 3) Joshua McEnamey shares what he's learned from founding Nitricity; 4) Reza Ehsani demonstrates innovations in crop production systems using various technologies. Photos by Geoff McGhee Learn more about our 11th Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference: https://lnkd.in/gpnTEP4J

Our featured speaker at the 11th Annual Rural West Conference is Mark Arax, author and journalist. He has been called a “21st Century John Steinbeck” for his books, essays and journalism, often focused on California. A native of Fresno, he is a two-time winner of the California Book Award and a recipient of Stanford University's William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. His most recent work, "The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California," is a national bestseller and has been hailed by critics as one of the most important books ever written about the West. Fresno's Poet Laureate Joseph Rios also shared his work with the audience of our 11th Annual Rural West Conference, reading two poems about life in Fresno that were devastating, beautiful and humorous in equal measure. Laura Ramos of the Maddy Institute, our collaborative partner in producing this conference, provided introductions. ??: Photos 1 & 2) Mark Arax reads from his book, "The Dreamt Land"; 3) Poet Laureate Joseph Rios shares two poems; 4) Laura Ramos of the Maddy Institute introduces Mark Arax. Photos by Geoff McGhee

Trinidad Solis, MD, MPH, shares data and insights on Valley Fever in Fresno County. The illness is a fungal infection that can cause signs and symptoms such as a fever, cough and tiredness. Most cases of the disease in California are reported from the Central Valley and Central Coast region. When it rains, the moisture helps the fungus grow. During the dry season, disturbed soil propels the fungus into the air. So the Central Valley's cycles of rain and drought increase growth of the fungus in the soil. "This is a disease that is impacted by the weather, by climate," said Solis, who is the deputy health officer for the Fresno County Department of Public Health. Her duties include guiding Fresno County’s health response to disease outbreak and assisting with health programs that promote chronic disease prevention. She also helps coordinate the department’s Rural Mobile Health Program, which makes healthcare access more equitable for farmworkers and for people living in the region’s rural areas. Photo by Geoff McGhee

Tekoah Kadara on our Climate and Health panel discusses his work with the Allensworth Progressive Association, focused on climate-adaptive initiatives in southwest Tulare County. Allensworth is California’s first all-Black town, established in 1908 and surrounded by farmland. It has faced air quality, power, water, climate and soil challenges, as well as problems born out of systemic racism. Kadara, like his mother and grandmother before him, is working on several initiatives that are helping the community thrive again. Photo by Geoff McGhee

On day two of our Rural West 2025 conference, experts on climate and health discuss the Central Valley population's unique health vulnerabilities. "The pollution we make here stays here," said Dr. Alexander Sherriffs. His talk covered air quality challenges, progress, threats to further progress, how to maintain health gains, and opportunities for moving forward addressing air pollution and its health effects in the San Joaquin Valley. ??: Photo 1) Dr. Alexander Sherriff, the panel's first speaker; 2) Sarah Sharpe, the panel moderator; 3) Climate and Health panelists and moderator. All photos by Geoff McGhee

Samir Sheikh kicked off our second panel,"Tradeoffs in Scaling Renewable Energy & Carbon Removal." The first speaker was Elizabeth Betancourt who talked about state actions for scaling renewable energy and carbon sequestration. Next up was Tyson Eckerle from the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. He was followed by Stanford's Celina Scott-Buechler, a PhD student in environment and resources and a JD student at Stanford Law School. She spoke on community engagement for effective, equitable climate mitigation infrastructure.

The first panel at Rural West 2025 looked at "Transitions on Working Lands: Economic Impact & Community Engagement." It covered the Central Valley's land-based economy. Panelists included David Shabazian of the California Department of Conservation; Logan Robertson Huecker of the Sequoia Riverlands Trust; Ashley Swearengin of the Central Valley Community Foundation; and Roman Rain Tree of Seeds of Sovereignty.

It's go-time at the 2025 Eccles Family Rural West Conference focused on the Central Valley's potential in California's climate future. We're live in Fresno connecting with colleagues, students, friends of the Center and even family members! We look forward to sharing highlights from the speakers and panels throughout the day. https://lnkd.in/ga5n59ui

The Bill Lane Center for the American West is seeking applicants for the Thomas D. Dee II Graduate Fellowship, which offers three quarters of support for a doctoral student from Stanford's School of Humanities & Sciences conducting dissertation research on the American West. Preference will be given to students who will be in residence in the Stanford area during the fellowship year and who plan to complete their degree by the end of the fellowship year. The fellowship includes tuition support at the TGR rate and a living stipend for autumn, winter, and spring quarters. For 2025-26, the fellowship stipend amount will be $14,087 per quarter. Fellows also receive a $2,000 stipend to be used towards their research expenses. Additional information about fellowship eligibility, how to apply, and past recipients is available at https://lnkd.in/gfRtqHza