Dynasties of Californian farmers keep alive a tradition that stems from the conquest of the West. They are the guardians of a forgotten world that refuses to disappear.

Twice a year, cowgirl Diane Bohna becomes the leader of a cattle walk through California. On horseback, she leads her 300 cows from the Raymond prairies to the 12,000 hectares of high pastures at the gates of Yosemite Park. Three days on horseback through the steep lands and mountains that must be organized with the sheriff in charge of cutting tourist roads to let the cattle pass. This tradition, which goes back to the conquest of the West, when 27 million head of cattle were brought in from the Gulf of Mexico, is now an exception. Competition from intensive livestock farming is raging. Diane's farm produces 137 tons of meat a year. The huge industrial farms nearby sell 70,000 tons of it. Rural California is changing. Along with Texas and Iowa, it is one of the most productive agricultural states in the United States, producing tomatoes, avocados, almonds, artichokes and grapes. Crops that make the price of agricultural land soar (up to +150% in 4 years), depriving livestock of pasture. Not to mention the climatic disasters (drought, floods and landslides) which weaken furthermore.

In 2020, California cowboys are the guardians of a forgotten world that refuses to disappear. In order to survive, the Varian family decided to diversify their activities. On the ranch, Jack and Zee, retired 83 and 81 years old, their son and his wife and their three grandchildren produce meat that is sold in the region and in the only restaurant in the area: theirs. They have long lived from livestock farming, but agritourism generates more than a third of their income. They welcome groups of friends or wannabe riders who want to live like cowboys for a weekend. The family also relies on another gem: 13,600 young pistachio trees. Thanks to these plants, which will bear their first fruit in eight years, the family is looking ahead to ensure that their descendants will be able to make a profit from their land and will want to keep it.

This is a little-known reality of the conquest of the West: at the end of the 19th century, 45% of cowboys were black, Mexican or natif. The Bill Pickett Rodeo, the only black rodeo in the United States, is a competition that professionalizes more than 2000 champions. It is named after a champion stuntman in Buffalo Bill shows unknown to the general public largely because of his skin colour. Hollywood and Wild West shows have erased this part of the story to maintain the legend of a virile white cowboy, representing power and the American nation. The Bill Pickett Rodeo, which has been in place for 35 years, is helping to give black people back their place in the white world of American rodeo.