Honorable mentions
Mary Ann Renner Humboldt County Farm Bureau
Jocelyn Brown Nevada County Farm Bureau
It’s not every day that snow blankets the notoriously green landscapes in Ferndale, where Mary Ann Renner and her husband have operated a 350- head organic dairy farm for 42 years. A blanket of fresh snow last January inspired Renner to pick up her Canon camera and telephoto lens. While the image of the rustic wood barn and posing cow look like a postcard, Renner said she hopes her photos provide a real view into country life. “It’s not just a photo shoot. Every day our cows are out on pasture. This is how we raise our animals. It’s a great way of life.”
This “goat stampede” was captured on a cool, cloudy day in Rough and Ready. “That’s a real place,” confirmed Jocelyn Brown, owner of Restoration Land and Livestock, a prescriptive grazing company. Brown’s herd of 40 Boer, Savanna and Kiko goats is hired to graze on properties to help reduce fire fuel load and chew troublesome vines. Instead of providing meat or milk for cheese or soaps, the goats “eat for a living,” and Brown works to spread awareness of this other job for goats. “I want people to see goats as useful workers. They have something to contribute.”
Stan Grosz Fresno County Farm Bureau
Mariah Earl Solano County Farm Bureau
As Stan Grosz prepared to retire to his 20-acre raisin and cherry operation outside of Fresno, he dreamed of quiet mornings like this one: “feel-good time,” as he calls it. Grosz’s raisins are seen during harvest with his neighbor’s almond trees beyond, as the harvest moon sets in the background. “In this area, raisins and almonds are it, man,” Grosz said. “I wanted to show them both and represent what our area is like.” Grosz captured the peaceful scene one day before the photo contest deadline.
Mariah Earl’s photo depicts the next generation of family farmers learning the ins and outs of agricultural life. Earl’s family moved to a 5-acre parcel about 20 years ago, cultivating a large garden and adding chickens and sheep five years ago. “We have been trying to learn more about being self-sufficient and teaching my kids that you can grow your own food,” Earl said. Another fun farm lesson? Helping Grandpa drive the tractor in the front yard, of which Earl snagged a candid photo in portrait mode on her iPhone 13 Pro.
12 Ag Alert January 3, 2024
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