Legacy Session

Pulling up to the Ropelato farm was so idyllic. It’s in a beautiful little area of our valley and it was lush! Spring looks good on the farm, everyone. Weeping willows that felt like they were almost dripping with leaves, green hay pushing up through the dirt, and happy pups running around.

This farming lifestyle shoot was a legacy session. You see, the dairy cows were being sold the next day so the Ropelato’s can move onto the next phase of life; SLEEPING IN IN THE MORNING! As the daughter-in-law of a dairy farmer, I knew how big this change was going to be. The three times a day milkings were coming to a close and the family wanted a record of it.

Cows & More Cows

We weaved in and out of cow stalls and laughed about farm life while the dry hay for the cows crunched beneath our boots. Mr. Ropelato himself tossed his pitchfork into the bales of hay and smiled as he told me about the new baby calves. Then we hopped on 4 wheelers and trailed behind as he scooped up loose hay in the tractor bucket to dump in front of more cows. We paused and admired his tall, steady horse. There were neighbor chats, more hay pitching, and lots of joyful running from his dogs. Their favorite spot in the river is along his cow feeding trail, and they ran over for a drink as naturally as the sun rises and sets. It all felt so normal and peaceful.

The milking bar was our last stop. A Christmas light laden elk head greeted us as the sounds of pumps pulsed in our ears. The cows shuffled along, ready for their routine. We slipped out and grabbed another tractor to mix up some more feed for the last set of cows. Mr. Ropelato took the time to explain all the different nutrients that got mixed in and even let me climb up on the truck to watch it all blend up. One last big truck dump finished out his chore circuit.

I spent a lot of those steps wishing we had photos of my late father-in-law doing this. The Ropelato family chose a farming lifestyle shoot to record history that day. I know they’ll cherish that for generations. Thank you for allowing us to capture it!