The Bridgeforth’s Farming Legacy

Bill (Billy) Bridgeforth is a fourth-generation farmer based in Tanner, AL. His great-grandfather was a freed slave after the Emancipation Proclamation and he received 320 acres of land in Tennesse. Their family’s history is an inspiring and uplifting story – their grit, hard work, and progressive leadership have been passed down through several generations.

Billy hosted a hybrid event on his farm for the National Black Growers Council (NBGC) and for the event he told his family story and their farming legacy. The NBGC is an organization that’s mission is to improve the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of black row crop farmers. When you listen to Billy’s story you can feel that passion to be on the farm every day, care for his crops, overcome challenges, and succeed for his family and employees. Billy is a forward thinker just like his father and grandfather were. He embraces technology and looks for ways to improve efficiencies while increasing yield. Given that mindset, their farming operation relies on John Deere equipment due to their technology, reliability, and service program. The local John Deere dealership (TriGreen Equipment) has been an amazing asset to their farming operation.

He and his brother, Greg, own Darden Bridgeforth & Sons. Their company owns 3,000 acres but they farm a total of 10,000 acres of land. Today, their farming operation grows cotton, corn, soybeans, and wheat.

Our Work

The docu-style production consisted of a 5-person crew that managed a multi-camera shoot at several different locations on Billy’s farm. All the footage was shot in a sLog3 format on Sony Fx6 cameras with Sony and Leica lenses. The initial production was on a very tight schedule which didn’t allow for any producing, scriptwriting, or general tasks you’d wish to complete. As a result, our team produced this entire story during the post-production process. We worked with an amazing composer to create an original track for Billy’s story which really helped the final video! This project was designed and created for the web.

Check out the final video and project here.

A special thanks to Billy Bridgeforth, the Bridgeforth family, and NBGC for trusting our team to deliver on their expectations and for making us feel at home on the farm.