John Fielder will give a program on his new book, the Ranches of Colorado, on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at the SteamPlant Theater at 7 pm. The doors will open at 6:30 pm. The program is free and open to the public, but donations are suggested.
Before and after the program, a selection of his books and calendars will be for sale. The program is also a fundraiser for the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas. The Land Trust will get a percentage of each book or calendar sold that night. The program is hosted by the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas, the Trust for Public Land, and the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust.
The Ranches of Colorado is Fielder’s newest book. In 2007 and 2008 John Fielder traveled to photograph 50 of Colorado’s most beautiful multi-generational working cattle ranches, most already protected from development. The resulting book Ranches of Colorado will play a part in the protection of other ranches. The project is a partnership of Fielder, Colorado’s preeminent outdoor photographer, and the Colorado land trust community.
Tucked into every corner of the Colorado landscape are places where legends still live. The ranches of the West, and the ranchers who run them, embody what is true about America, and what Americans want to be true: self sufficiency, determination, independence, competence, fearlessness, and an abiding reverence for the land that has blessed us with abundance and opportunity.
These ranches tell of a life that is fast disappearing. There is pressure to sell out to developers for ski areas and vacation homes and shopping centers. There are children who, legacy or not, no longer want to make a living from the land. And there are taxes that can threaten to take away what has been in the family for generations. As we watch the complex struggle of these ranchers to maintain a life that is slipping away, we also witness the inspiring way in which people are coming together to protect it. Come listen to John Fielder talk about these ranches and the people that make them so special.
The Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas will also have a silent auction that night. Items include: two tickets to the Broncos/Kansas City Chiefs game on January 3, 2010; ¼ side of grass fed and finished beef from Oswald Cattle Company; two night stay with massages at the Las Manos Bed and Breakfast, two night stay for up to 12 people at the Lost Wonder Hut, signed John Fielder print, guided fly-fishing trip on private waters at Clear Creek Ranch, lift tickets to Copper Mountain Resort, lift tickets to Ski Cooper, and one pound of coffee per month for a year from Salida Café and Roastery.
In addition, the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas would like to thank our generous corporate sponsors of the event: Pinon Real Estate Group; Master Suites; Amicas; Hake, Hart and Lintzenich Attorneys at Law; Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort; High Country Bank; and Friends of the SteamPlant.
The Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas is a non-profit, membership based organization that protects important natural, agricultural, and historical lands and water resources in Chaffee, Lake and Fremont counties to enhance the quality of life for people in the Valley. The Land Trust currently protects over 2,000 acres in the Upper Arkansas by working with land owners in the establishment of conservation easements. For more information on conservation easements and programs, or to make a donation, contact the Land Trust at 719-539-7700 or info@ltua.org. To visit the website go to www.ltua.org.
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