Herrett Forum Distinguished Speaker Series Presents:
We tend to imagine public lands as the places agriculture never reached. In reality, public lands are the product of an agricultural vision for the West that never fully succeeded. This talk explores how agriculture shaped the public lands we inherited, why farming and ranching remain central to what public lands mean, and how they became one of America's strangest civic institutions: land that belongs to all of us and to none of us at once.
Time & Location
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Cost: Free
Doors open: 6 p.m.
Presentation starts: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Rick Allen Room in the Herrett Center, Twin Falls, ID
Presenter
Born and raised in Southwestern Idaho, Jared Talley has dedicated his career to helping Idaho’s rural communities thrive alongside the working lands that support them. He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy and a Master's in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management, focusing his research on how people relate to the land, their communities, and one another. Previously, Jared served as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Governance at Boise State University, where he worked with students and communities on practical approaches to land stewardship and conservation.
Today, as Idaho State Policy Advisor for The Nature Conservancy, he helps build collaborative, community-driven solutions for the challenges facing Idaho's farms, ranches, forests, and rural communities. Jared is also a writer and filmmaker whose work explores the people, landscapes, and stories that shape life in Idaho and the American West. He is the author of the forthcoming book The Shape of Idaho and Executive Producer of the feature film When the Rain Comes. Across his work in policy, writing, and film, he seeks to foster a deeper understanding of place, community, and the relationships that connect people to the land and to each other.
