get to know me
HI, I AM MARLEY!
I am a 27 year-old gal from the Salinas Valley. In 2021 I graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Agricultural Business and a minor in Agricultural Education. Throughout my time at Cal Poly I pushed myself to become as involved as possible. Hands on experiences and leadership opportunities through the organizations I love taught me skills and valuable industry knowledge that I will always be grateful for. Cal Poly and these organizations are what made my love for agriculture and admiration for the people involved in it grow! Right after graduation I began working for JV Farms California (previously called Triangle Farms and JV Farms Organic), a produce grower in the Salinas Valley, as the Operations Manager where I typically spend half of my time in the office and the other half out in the fields. Best of both worlds right?! My main duties revolve around managing plant schedules, accounting, state reporting, and tracking all aspects related to seed, fertilizer, and chemicals. I also run our social media; however, I have discovered that photographing people is a lot easier than photographing lettuce!
Although I come from the "Salad Bowl of the World," I did not grow up directly involved in ag. That was until after my junior year of high school, where I spent a summer working in my family's almond and walnut orchards in Fresno, quit sports to raise a hog through FFA my senior year, and got to see the behind the scenes of my husband's (boyfriend back in high school!) cattle ranch. These experiences are what initially made me fall head over boots for agriculture and are what inspired me to pursue this lifestyle and career. My time at Cal Poly showed how little people outside the industry really know, but also how fascinated they are with our way of life when someone takes the time and makes the effort to show them. I love farming, ranching, livestock, tractors, trucks, trailers, boots, western fashion, barns, rusty equipment and so much more about this agricultural world and I love showing others why I love it all so much. That is where photography comes in! It is my way of sharing this crazy, unique industry that supports and feeds the world with those who may have never been stuck behind a tractor on a back road or mistakenly thought they got a tan when really it was just layers of dirt. Photographing others who share my passion brings a smile to my face and I hope my photos bring a smile to theirs.
Years of capturing agriculture, the western lifestyle, and the families involved in the industry has expanded my reach and I now photograph anything from high seniors, family Christmas cards, prom groups, to cattle brandings. I am so thankful for all my past and returning clients and look forward to meeting and photographing many more amazing people.
