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Sarah King is a rancher, conservationist, wife, and mother of two who lives and works on her family\u2019s 55,000-acre cattle ranch in southern Arizona\u2019s Altar Valley. The King's Anvil Ranch was established in 1895 and has operated successfully within their family for generations, setting an example of how to run a financially viable agricultural business, while simultaneously protecting the long-term ecological health of their vast desert ranch. The Kings understand that in order for their business to thrive, the land must thrive, and they are leaders in pursuing a variety of outside-the-box land stewardship techniques, including the focused use of prescribed fires. \u2022 The King family spearheaded the creation of the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, a cutting-edge land conservation organization that collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders, including private landowners, ranchers, government entities, conservation non-profits, and environmental advocacy groups. Thanks to focused, diligent efforts over the course of two decades, the AVCA has managed to bring together groups that have historically been at odds, allowing them to focus on shared goals and creative solutions to complicated challenges, rather than dwelling on their differences. As you\u2019ll hear Sarah explain, AVCA understands that open, honest, face-to-face communication has been the key to tackling the Altar Valley\u2019s complex challenges, and their success gives me hope that other organizations throughout the West can adopt their approach and enjoy the same success. \u2022 This was a very enlightening episode for me, because I personally just don\u2019t know enough about the landscapes and heritage of the deep southwest. We dig into many of the details of the King's Anvil Ranch and its operation, including the unique climate and ecology of the Arizona desert. Sarah explains how the AVCA came to be, and offers some insights into exactly what they do and how they\u2019ve managed to have such success. We discuss Sarah\u2019s personal background, specifically how an east coast native ended up on an expansive cattle ranch in Arizona. We talk about the benefits of raising children on a ranch, and the lessons she hopes to impart as they grow up closely connected to the land. Given that the ranch is located less than 40 miles from the Mexico border, we discuss how illegal border crossings have a significant effect on the ranch\u2019s operations. And, of course, we discuss favorite books and documentaries, with links to everything in the episode notes. \u2022 I had such a great time chatting with Sarah, and I walked away from the conversation with a much deeper understanding of ranching, conservation, and life in the American southwest. She and her colleagues at AVCA are doing important, groundbreaking conservation work, so I encourage you to follow them and learn from their efforts. Also, be sure to follow Sarah on Instagram\u2014on top of everything else, she\u2019s a talented photographer, too. Enjoy! \u2022\u2022\u2022 http://mountainandprairie.com/sarah-king/ \u2022\u2022\u2022 Topics Discussed: 3:30 - How Sarah describes her work 4:10 - King\u2019s Anvil Ranch 5:20 - History of the ranch 7:10 - Details on the ranching operation 10:30 - History of Altar Valley Conservation Alliance 13:15 - Events leading to the Alliance\u2019s formation 16:30 - Importance of fire in the Altar Valley 20:00 - Examples of AVCA collaborative projects 25:20 - Why has AVCA been able to be successful where others have not? 31:15 - The importance of private land in the West 35:30 - How Sarah ended up in the west, working in ranching 39:00 - Sarah\u2019s college thesis on women dude ranchers 41:15 - Realities of moving West from the east coast 42:30 - Benefits of raising children on a ranch 47:15 - Illegal immigration and its effects on the King\u2019s ranch 55:50 - Favorite books 57:55 - Favorite documentaries 1:00:30 - Most powerful experience in the outdoors 1:03:30 - Best advice ever received 1:05:00 - Sarah\u2019s request of the listeners 1:06:00 - Connect with Sarah online