Isabel Hicks reports on the future of agriculture for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. A graduate of Colorado College with a degree in environmental studies and journalism, Hicks was the editor-in-chief of her college paper. Throughout her journalism career, she has strived to tell stories about human relationships with the environment. Born and raised in Denver, Hicks worked on an organic farm in Carbondale, Colorado, where she became well-versed in challenges facing food systems in the Rocky Mountain West. While working on the farm Hicks also freelanced for Carbondale’s local paper, earning front-page coverage for her environmental reporting. Hicks also wrote a weekly newsletter about COVID-19 impacts to higher education, producing work that was featured in the New York Times, USA Today, and the Colorado Sun. In her free time, Hicks enjoys fostering kittens, hiking and tending to her many houseplants.
Beat: The future of agriculture
Cattle ranching and potato and grain farming are major industries in the area. Agriculture faces pressures not only from climate change and changing commodity markets, but from the region's explosive population growth and development. This reporter digs into the ways that agriculture intersects with population growth, development and water supply issues.