The Living Land Ranch is a quiet haven in Meridian Idaho that is home to a family of humans, two cows, some goats, and flocks of chickens and turkeys. It is built with love and hard work.
In so much of the discourse lately around farm land there’s a dreary and preachy vibe.
It’s a lot of “this used to be a field" or "remember when things weren't so bad…”
Time goes on and our cities have sprawled, and farming is not the same as it was 50 years ago, it’s true. And it’s true that farmers are hurting in Idaho, in ways that would take many more articles to explain thoroughly. There are countless books, podcasts and think pieces on the disappearing farmland and the slashing of profit margins and the huge corporations forcing us to trade our nice healthy local vegetables for chemical sprayed imposters from far away.
This article is not about that.
Imagine this: you’re a about 5 years old and it’s your job to collect the evening chicken eggs. You run barefoot out of your warm cozy house that you share with your three siblings and mom and dad. Your grandma who lives down the road is standing near the door. She tells you to put on your boots and pretty please slow down. You say hello to your two dogs as you race to do your job. Your favorite chickens await.
You skip through the tall grass, past the cows and look into the green field. The sun is just setting, and the sprinklers have turned on to water the pasture. You can see the drops of water reflecting in the sun. It’s a little hazy out, in the way it gets in June before the hot hot summer starts. The grass is damp and the chickens are clucking.
Can you see it?
Your family catches up to you. You and your siblings gather eggs for breakfast tomorrow and avoid the mean chickens- the ones the peck. You lift up your favorite chicken for a high five.
The sprinklers are moving so It’s time to go now. You ask your dad for a ride on the tractor. He says sure, and he picks all you kids up off the ground and plunks you in the seat with him. You giggle and wave while you ride back to the house as the sky is turning dark.
It seems idyllic. And simple. Of course there is trouble in the world and tragedy too. Plenty to go around.
But seeing the world through the eyes of a child may be cliche, but it does change your perspective. Grass can be wonderful, sprinklers can make a rainbow, and the most upsetting thing might be that you didn't get the best seat on the tractor ride.
This is a true story of what I saw when I went to Living Land Ranch.
People are people, and never perfect. Farming is grueling, difficult work. Sometimes little pay. There is much to be said about the state of things in the world.
However, imagine all of this from a child’s view who lives on a working farm: he loves to put his feet in the dirt while his parents plant seeds, he sees his aunt come pick herbs for her tinctures, and feeds chickens and drinks the milk from the cows his mom and grandma gathered this morning... it can put the wonder back into farming and working with your hands.
Learning all over again to love the land and give yourself to the working of it.
These stories are the reason I photograph. I have never called myself an artist. I think of myself more as a documentarian. I show you my perspective which I hope is filled with wonder and curiosity and grace and sorrow and longing.
The way I take photos of agriculture is the same as the way I take photos of anything else. I photograph what I see, what the rancher sees.
The photos are what you would call candid, not very many posed and certainly no one says “stay still and smile really big, no not like that”.
Most of the people who find me say things like “I love the energy in your photos” or “I want them to be casual and candid” or “my kids are wild and crazy, sorry in advance”. These are the people that I’m trying to attract. I loved the challenge of the chaos and getting something frameable out of it.
McKenzie from the Living Land Ranch told me something I had never heard “even the weeds have their purpose, you have to know which ones to pull and which to let grow”. I’ve been thinking about this since she said that.
McKenzie has gone on to found the Idaho Homestead Conference, a place where she encourages deepening connections with nature, traditional skills, and self-sufficient lifestyles. She chats about homeschooling her children and life on her farm. She has resources like garden planners and hosts classes. She’s a wife, mother, teacher, farmer, and does it all with a a smile.
I arrived at the ranch early in the morning just as the sun was coming up. I met her and her mom near the gate, ready with their pails for milk and their overalls. The sky was clear but I could see the dark clouds coming from the west. Maybe rain later. She and her mom explained the milking to me. What the ripples on the sides of the cow meant for the milk, what time of day is best, how the weather affects the cows. She and her mom do this every morning rain or shine of course.
Sometimes I imagine that living this way, the way we have for thousands of years, feels like a return home for ranchers.
It was an honor to be able to visit this place and meet this family. I hope the candid photos of my visit show you a small sliver of the magic there.
