JADE MADE MEDIA x petersen land and cattle co.
Filming for the Family Farm
Lately, a little more of my creative energy has been pouring back into home. I’ve been doing bits of digital marketing for Petersen Family Farms as a whole, weaving media into the day-to-day of a business that’s been running long before algorithms and audio trends mattered. My dad and I operate in business in a similar way. Heads down. Figure it out. Keep moving. There’s always a lot going on, and always something new to learn when it comes to managing it all.
My dad isn’t exactly the guy asking for reels or YouTube thumbnails. Media isn’t his thing. But it’s very much mine. I’m a media girl through and through, and I see stories everywhere. Especially the ones we don’t slow down long enough to notice. This Sunday, on my day off, I made a choice. Instead of resting or catching up on the million other things pulling at my attention, I dedicated the day to something I could personally cherish. Something that would last beyond this week, this sale, this season. Something for the generations to come. Slowing down for family isn’t easy, especially when the work looks different than a typical paycheck. Right now, we’re trading services as I work toward paying off my lawn mower. It’s a swap. Time, skills, effort. I’m here for it. Nothing in life is free, and everything is a tradeoff. This one feels like it’s worth its weight in gold.
One thing you should know about me: if there’s no mission involved, the motive disappears. When I heard there were 550 head heading to Creston Livestock Market, I knew immediately this was something I needed to capture. Not just cattle moving through a sale ring, but my dad’s livelihood. His rhythm. His quiet consistency. A story told through early mornings, feed bunks, and loading chutes. This is where I thrive. The in-between. Managing family life and business at the same time. Controlled chaos with purpose. This is my bread and butter. The jelly to my PB&J. Once the mission was planted, I went all in.
I spent Sunday from about 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. capturing footage, then went straight home and edited until 1:30 a.m. When I say a one-minute video takes time, I mean it. Around five hours went into editing alone, plus another hour or so just finding the right audio and culling clips. That doesn’t even touch the time spent filming, moving around the farm, or thinking through the story as it unfolded. Caring for cattle and creating content actually have a lot in common. Both live on a hamster wheel. You feed, you care, you sell, and then you start again. One project finished, another already waiting. Every day, the grind continues. Different work, same rhythm. This project wasn’t about metrics or performance. It was about legacy. About putting a lens on the work that built our days and shaped our lives. We’re proud to be selling our cattle at Creston Livestock Market. We show up, do the work, rest when we can, and wake up to do it all over again.That’s the job. That’s the life. Film fades slower than memory, and I’m grateful I get to be the one pressing record.
Sale Information
Selling 550 Angus
x strs & hfrs | 500–700# GT LTW
Wednesday, January 14th at 11 AM
Special “All Vaccines Calf and Yearling Auction”
We show up, do the work, rest when we can, and wake up to do it all over again.
That’s the job. That’s the life.
FMI: Justin Petersen | 712-621-5489
