I've always been a photojournalist at heart, in fact my first official paid photography job as a teenager in high school was working as a freelancer for the local newspaper (The Public Opinion, ever heard of it? Probably not.) I got to photograph everything from parades to high school proms to bull auctions. And this was back in the days of film before newspapers were digital. Can you imagine? Yes, I realize this dates me a bit.

Anyway, when my friends Joella and Tyler Neff of Mirror Image Farms asked me to document a day on their farm, I was quite excited. Oh, and the best part is we did a barter for services; 30 pounds of their grass fed beef for a photo session. Definitely a win win in my opinion! They were recently featured in the Lancaster newspaper as well so word is spreading about their awesomeness!

I take great pride in having the opportunity to tell the visual stories of local small businesses, especially ones that I can stand behind. One of the things I love about Tyler and Joella's farm is the way they are repurposing the land that was once used as a dump. It is not your typical picturesque Lancaster County farm. There are areas that are forested and where waste can still be found. Power lines run through the land and you can see a huge factory just across the river that borders the farm. Their animals are free to roam as they please (hence grass fed) and eat all organic diets. They include cows, hogs, chickens, rabbits and turkeys.

You can taste some of their meats in local restaurants, including the famed Maison and Luca (some of the best food you'll ever taste in my opinion). Food Network's Alton Brown himself visited both restaurants and named Maison one of his top two restaurants anywhere! Even The New York Times has taken notice. So yeah, you know their meat has to be good! If you are interested in eating local grass fed meat more often, you can also join Mirror Image Farm's brand new meat CSA!