Western Innovators: Profiles of 42 agricultural leaders who shaped the West in 2011

Since the days of the Old West, certain families and individuals have stood out. These pioneers made outsize contributions to their land, communities, industries and the field of human knowledge. Their names are enshrined in history books — and writ large on countless schools, public buildings and family businesses across the Western United States.

To celebrate these trailblazers, every week Capital Press profiles a person who is at the forefront of agriculture today. These innovators range from young people experimenting with new business plans to veteran researchers carefully cultivating the crops of the future. Agriculture is a broad and diverse industry, from mustard seed growers to national companies that bring the nation’s food from the field to the buyer’s front door. These are their stories.