Staff Spotlight: Audrey Knight
Audrey works in our ranching program as the new Grazing Lands Program Manager.
“At Sustainable Northwest, we aren’t just prescribing solutions onto people. We are listening to problems and supporting land managers in ways that make on-the-ground sense. It’s easy to feel good about this work.”
How did your childhood influence your decision to work in sustainability?
I grew up in Southern California, where my grandparents were citrus farmers and cattle ranchers. I joined the 4-H club as a kid and was sold on agriculture from then on. Raising livestock to auction off at the county fair was a huge part of my childhood.
As I got older, I became more interested in environmental issues, but was constantly struck by the divide between agriculture and sustainability. When sustainability professionals pointed their fingers at farmers for land degradation, this didn’t add up with what I had seen from the people around me who were raising and growing food.
To me, farmers and ranchers were the people who cared the most about the land. This core belief made me question why we spent so much time blaming agriculture for environmental problems instead of working together to find solutions.
How did your educational and career path lead you to Sustainable Northwest?
I attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo as an agricultural business major. I thought I wanted to work in sustainability for the produce industry, but it did not take long for me to realize that corporate sustainability was not my path.
Amid the pandemic, classes were virtual and I took the chance to move up to a cattle ranch in northern Santa Cruz County, California. I spent two quarters there taking classes virtually and working as a ranch hand, surrounded by people who used cattle as a land management tool. My eyes were opened to the importance of grazing animals, and I was shocked by the push from many groups to remove cattle from the landscape.
When I moved back to San Luis Obispo for in-person classes, I got a job as a student herdsman living on the campus beef unit where I started my days in the feed truck or pushing cattle to new pastures. We had a highly rotational grazing plan, and I got to learn a lot about regenerative rangeland management.
After finishing up my agricultural business degree, I completed a master’s program in environmental sciences and management. My early days showing cattle at the county fair combined with my time in college led me to find a passion for ranching and range management that I am happy to put to use today at Sustainable Northwest.
What do you like most about working at Sustainable Northwest?
I get to work with incredible land stewards every day. The ranchers, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and other agency folks in this part of the world are deep wells of knowledge, and it is a privilege to learn from them.
At Sustainable Northwest, we aren’t just prescribing solutions onto people. We are listening to problems and supporting land managers in ways that make on-the-ground sense. It’s easy to feel good about this work.
Passions outside of work: Hiking, photography, baking, running—or just spending time with friends and family!
One thing you think is overrated: Negativity. No one ever solved a problem by complaining about it.
Favorite thing to do on a day off: Explore somewhere new in the PNW
Favorite place in the PNW: Tough one. Maybe the Goat Rocks in Washington
Book recommendation: East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It’s a classic for a reason.
Cats or dogs? Both!
