Bear River Vigil at Steep Mountain Farm hosted by Jaimi Butler

Bear River Vigil
February 5-12 at Steep Mountain Farm

Everybody needs to do everything. Great Salt Lake is at a tipping point due to water depletion by humans and cycles of nature. The lake is not isolated, rather it is part of a vast ecosystem consisting of people and water that depend on each other for life. The Bear River and her human neighbors will be tasked with adapting to changes if we decide to save the lake. I will spend my week in vigil connecting the River to the Inland Sea and creating conversations between people in this ecosystem. 

Steep Mountain Farm is a revolving community of land stewards, volunteers, plants, animals, and a living ecosystem. Nate and Tara Stireman are the primary land stewards overseeing the ecological agriculture project using native wisdom and regenerative principles and practices. Cooperatively, a small community from Cache Valley and beyond work together to increase the health and diversity of the [Shoshone] land and benefit from the surplus products the farm and animals produce. Fruit, vegetables and eggs are also raised at Steep Mountain Farm and sold through CSA and custom ordering.

The primary mission of Steep Mountain Farm is to build healthy soils, increase biodiversity, conserve resources, and build community while producing nutrient dense food, promoting education and providing experiences.

Speakers & Events

  • The Lake to the River: Agriculture and Bear River.  We will gather on the banks of the Little Bear River at Steep Mountain Farm In Wellsville Utah to have a conversation with folks that work in agriculture and water in Cache Valley. February 5 at noon. ( Event is now full.)
  • Great Salt Lake: Inseparable from Bear River Darren Parry, former Chairman of the Northwest Band and the Shoshone Nation, and Great Salt Lake-loving scientist Jaimi Butler.  They will engage a community conversation about Bear River’s essential relationship to the vitality of the lake at Steep Mountain Farm. Darren and Jaimi are both residents of Cache valley, deeply connected with the life of Bear River, their neighbors, and local farms. Part one of a two part conversation on Kinship, Restoration, and Repair.   When: February 11 from 11am - 1pm.  Space is limited to 20 people. Register for free here.
  • Meditate in community on behalf of Bear River, Great Salt Lake, and the life of our watershed daily from 7am-7:25am via Zoom with the River Writing Collective. More information and registration here.

Keep vigil at Steep Mountain Farm anytime during the week of February 5th-12th. You must be 100% self-supported. Bring your own shelter, farm and weather appropriate attire, food and a porta potty. It is colder than shit on a shingle here.  Contact Jaimi at for more information.