I suppose one could import fodder for cattle but water was rare in the 1870's in the Mohave and other Southeastern California deserts. It's even less likely that sod busters using 19th century crops could grow anything there in the sand using 19th century farming techniques. Various projects have brought Colorado River and other sources of water to some places. If the story was to take place in Kansas, then film the stories there. At least the mountains in this story weren't just east of Mount Whitney which shows up in some supposed Dodge City episodes.
Review of The Sodbusters
