Today I have a job, a soul-filling experience that hasn’t been expected from me before. A job, mission, to capture the relationship between Maxline Brewing’s spent grain and the animals who live on Jodar Farms. Or as I would like to think of it, the Old Beerslinger’s chance to be creative. So I pack the Marley and a borrowed camera in my fittingly older 4runner and hit the road. Headed East with the mountains at my back, I’m in search of Jodar Farms and my sanity at best. Tearing down mulberry the houses get a little smaller as the lots grow and grow. Bland faces from cows tell me to go back to the front range. I smile back and let my foot do the talking. East, East is where I‘m headed. As I’m looking for the farm, I’m taken aback by the simple beauty of the Colorado high plains. Reminiscent of the Illinois flats I grew up with, memories take my mind off of the goal. Stop. Where am I now? To the left, an open field, to the right the same. A hill! Vantage points are good, right? Marley agrees from the copilot seat, and four high is engaged. Romping through the tall grass on what was once a service path, we reach a high point in the grassy wayside. Cacti and bleached tall grass litter what the eye can see. Marley hops out and checks the area for security threats; “all clear” he ruffs. Stillness overcomes my urgency to accomplish anything. Rolling mountains in the distance remind me that it’s never that big of a deal. Larger things await. Back on the road, westward bound for this section of rampant vehicle compulsion. JODAR, oh Jodar Farms, where are you? STOP. A quaint little house on the corner, could that be? Once arrived I wrapped the camera around my cluttered head. I was here for a job; I needed information and pictures. Who, what, where, when, and sometimes why, were my biggest issues. What is that?! The largest white chickens I’ve ever seen are 10 feet from me, as I walk closer they engage me. Time to become a photo star. Snap, Snap, Snap, hey flappy face! Keep still! Snap. I’ve got the photos. Who is yelling at me now? “Hey man, how are ya?” “I’m Nic, Maxline brewing, I’m here for a job. You know Alisha?” “No.” “I’m here to take pictures of the pigs and chickens eating the spent grain.” “Well, those are turkeys…” “do they eat spent grain?” “No, is that your dog?” “Yea.” “Cattle dog?” “yea.” “Well the chickens are down the road, pigs are on the way, be careful.” First gear, Marley at my side, we head down the dirt road. Where the hell are these animals? As the adrenaline wore down, I saw the object of my cameras affection. Pretty pink pigs with a light dirt coat were grunting and pacing as I walked up. Their feed tubs full of spent grain and local feed, happy days for these roaming Snuffleupagus. Snap, snap, hold the camera at a weird angle while balancing with counter leg weight, SNAP. Unfortunately, my picture taking skills are about as good as my not drinking beer skills, lacking, to say the least. This little guy caught my attention, he was fresh from the food trough and snorting happily enjoying life on the farm. Next stop, Chicken City, where oh where could by feathered friends be? By this point I had ditched the rig, booting it down the road taking in the farm in all its glory. The sounds, reminiscent of the See and Say toy, all came together to energize my search. A few hundred yards later I found the chickens, just as the pigs had been munching away, the chickens were enjoying some of the 5000 pounds of spent mash we donate to Jodar Farms per month. I learned that day that it is easy to get lost outside of the Fort. Also, that driving up old service trails with your cattle dog riding shotgun is always a good idea. And that Jodar Farms is a great place to visit. Become a CSA member and enjoy fresh food while supporting a local farm and business! Thank you Jodar Farms for your hospitality, and all that you do for our community! In Craft, Community, and Culture- The Maxline Brewing Family