After many years as an advertising photographer and then DP/Director working on commercials, it felt good to scale down and shoot a few solo documentary projects. Since moving to New Mexico and then Colorado, I’ve become deeply involved in regenerative agriculture. Small scale farming without the use of pesticides or chemicals, foods produced and eaten close to home, supporting small farmers and providing farmers an outlet to sell their products. These are all important factors in reducing our carbon footprint, eating better and not destroying soil and the environment in general.
A few years ago I was commissioned to shoot a series on small-scale producers for Cid’s grocery stores in Taos. Cid’s is a bit like Whole Foods back when it was cool, and provides an outlet for local farmers to sell their products. That project led to a state-wide series of videos for the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association, casting the spotlight on local agriculture and the farmers’ markets where produce is sold. Funded by the federal government, this project was also an attempt to get families on assistance to use their EBT and SNAP benefits to buy local, healthy produce.
Since moving to Durango, I’ve been shooting a series of documentary episodes about the James Ranch, a 400-acre spread on the Animas River that raises grass-fed and finished cattle, organic produce, and also provides a market for many other local farmers and artisans to sell their goods.
