The Switzers have been ranching cattle in the Nebraska Sandhills for more than a century, but will they be able to keep ranching on their land? Cattle ranching has never been very lucrative, and it’s more challenging today than ever. To keep the family together, the Switzers take a gamble and start an ecotourism business. An unlikely ally, the Greater Prairie-Chicken, quickly becomes their star attraction. If the Switzers can manage their ranch to preserve the native grasslands, their prairie-chickens will thrive and attract nature lovers from far and wide – and ultimately keep the family on the land they love.
Produced by Day's Edge Productions for World Wildlife Fund.
Ranchers are the guardians of America's grasslands. Cattle, when managed properly, play the role once filled by the American Bison. But economically speaking, the deck is stacked against ranchers and cattle. Every year, more and more native grassland is plowed and converted into crop monocultures. What is causing this massive land conversion, and how can we stop it and protect America's grasslands?
Produced by Day's Edge Productions for World Wildlife Fund.