Frigid clouds of thick icy mist slowly rolled in from the coast over the mountains, engulfing the ancient oak forest in a frosty grey soup. As Salome walked down the winding dirt road to the farm, she became mesmerized by the intricate flat silhouettes created by massive oak branches as they disappeared into the cold heavy fog.

Salome was a Land Steward and an orphan. For decades she had been entrusted with sustainably managing one of the only remaining ancient oak forests in the hemisphere. Land Stewards functioned as a branch of the volunteer Women’s Land Army, who now protected watersheds, wildlife corridors, native species, and the few forested woodlands that remained. Members of the WLA also grew the finest organic produce and cannabis in the region.