BRISTOL, R.I._ Joining the Planet Forward class to search for sustainable food ventures in the area was an easy choice, choosing a topic was vastly different. Following a classmate’s trip to a local farmer’s market, I was hooked on grass fed beef. Initially I was intrigued by the health benefits that go along with the naturally fed cows. While maintaining the average beef consumption per year, any person can save 17,333 calories just by making the simple switch from corn fed to grass fed beef.

The topic was chosen and it was time to locate a local farm. Contacting farmers via email can be a tricky task. Finally, Acquidneck farm in Portsmouth, Rhode Island was the first to respond. A small local farm that regains possession of the beef immediately following the butchering process, and distributes the beef themselves locally was the perfect choice. In addition, Acquidneck Farm uses the farm animals to fertilize the grass that the cows feed on.

The long winter led to a few hectic weeks for local farmers. Finding a nice day for an interview, without snow on the ground finally came together in the beginning of April. The weather broke and the cows were out in the mud, and thankfully my story came together. Many of the cows at the farm were photogenic and intrigued when the camera was presented in front of them. The shoot was organized to ensure that the cows would be feeding, which they do very often, when I arrived.

Video editing is not something that I was very familiar with. This experience has allowed me to bring my editing skills to new heights. There were many little tweaks that I made over the course of editing the cow video, which I had not previously known. This experience has forced me to look at my own eating habits and what chemicals are going into my own body. It has also led me to try grass fed beef, which will surely be purchased again in the near future.