Anita B. Thompson, MNRS, is an Assistant Area Agent for Navajo, Apache and Northern Greenlee Counties. She works with new ranchers and/or farmers to build and sustain operations, and studies alternative crops for northeastern Arizona. Additionally she works with small ruminants and grazing. Her research interests include agroecology, historical horticulture, organic agriculture, ethnobotany, native plants and seeds, growing hierloom, specialty and vegetable seed, and the Arizona seed industry.