Last year I was fortunate enough to photograph a job at Ela Family Farms in Hotchkiss, Colorado. Over a decade ago I lived and worked in the North Fork Valley, which includes this western mountain community. I created a photo essay on how rural Colorado was changing at that time. It was nice to go back.

I love cherries. When we lived in Washington, I could buy pints at roadside pop-ups for a dollar in the summer. I got hooked. So I was fascinated to see virtually all of Steve Ela's cherry trees covered in netting.

The trees get a little less light this way, he told me - but they're also much less susceptible to pests when they are protected. Many of the delicious organic cherries we eat in the future will be grown under miles and miles of fabric covering just like this.