{"id":4053,"date":"2026-04-22T10:41:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T18:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klamathid.org\/home\/?p=4053"},"modified":"2026-04-22T12:22:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T20:22:41","slug":"fighting-for-farmers-brent-cheyne-advocates-as-nawg-president-amid-klamath-water-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klamathid.org\/home\/2026\/04\/22\/fighting-for-farmers-brent-cheyne-advocates-as-nawg-president-amid-klamath-water-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"A Legacy of Wheat and Grit: The Brent Cheyne Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Klamath Basin, there is an old adage that this was the one place you would never run short of water. For a century, the Klamath Project worked like a Swiss watch, turning the former marshes and wetlands into a lush patchwork of alfalfa, small grains, and cattle ranches. But for fourth-generation farmer Brent Cheyne, the “oops” of federal mismanagement has turned that certainty into a daily fight for survival.<\/p>\n

Roots That Run Deep<\/h3>\n

The Cheyne story in the Basin began in 1909, when Brent\u2019s grandfather settled on the home farm south of Klamath Falls. It was a time of frontier optimism, just three years after the first shovels hit the ground to expand the existing irrigation system that would become the community’s lifeblood. Today, Brent, 68, walks those same fields, but the landscape is changing.<\/p>\n

However, the Cheyne connection to innovative, ahem<\/i>, industry in the area didn’t stop with traditional farming. Over the generations, the family has maintained a sharp sense of humor. In 1913, Brent’s grandfather, Alex Cheyne, even managed to play a legendary satirical prank on The Sacramento Union<\/i>. He provided a detailed quote about their “investment” in a new “Skunk Ranch” industry at Klamath Falls\u2014an anecdote that apparently sailed right over the reporter’s head.<\/p>\n

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“Skunk Ranch New Industry Started at Klamath Falls… Owners Stock Farm With 5000 Odoriferous Animals\u2014Is a Paying Industry.”<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

“…Three wagonloads of skins have been brought here for shipment during the past six months…”<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

“Jackrabbits, mudhens, and scrap meat furnish excellent food.”<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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While they may not have cornered the market on skunk pelts, the Cheynes’ ability to see the lighter side of difficult times remains a defining trait.<\/p>\n

Brent isn\u2019t just farming for himself; he\u2019s farming for the legacy. His son, Rodney, is the fifth generation<\/a> to work this soil, and Brent\u2019s four grandchildren\u2014ranging from 6 to 12 years old\u2014are already learning the ropes, raising their 4-H pigs and seeing firsthand what it means to be a steward of the land.<\/p>\n

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\nPhoto:\u00a0 Cheyne and Bair families working under contract with the USRS on the Klamath Reclamation Project in 1917.<\/em><\/p>\n

Resilience Beyond the Field<\/h3>\n

To understand Brent, you have to understand his perspective on pressure. In 2017, he faced a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. He fought it with the same quiet determination he brings to a drought year, and today, the cancer is in remission. When people ask about the stress of the water crisis or the weight of national leadership, Brent brushes it off with a rancher\u2019s bluntness: “The cancer put pressure on my shoulders. These other issues are just a darn nuisance.”<\/p>\n

That resilience led him to a new mission. Realizing he was mortal and wanting to ensure Rodney had the space to lead the family operation, Brent began stepping into the arena of agricultural policy.<\/p>\n

From the A-Canal to the Halls of Congress<\/h3>\n

In March 2023, Brent took the helm as President of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG). He didn’t go to Washington D.C. for the title; he went because the voice of the Klamath farmer needed to be heard where the laws are made.<\/p>\n

His advocacy reached a peak during the 2023 Farm Bill negotiations. At a critical Senate Agriculture Subcommittee hearing, Brent stood as the voice of wheat growers across the country, emphasizing the “paramount importance” of a strong safety net.<\/p>\n

Watch Brent Cheyne’s Testimony (starting at 1:37:00):<\/b> Senate Agriculture Subcommittee Hearing on Farm Bill and Subsidy Policy<\/a><\/p>\n