Smokejumpers. A BIG HEART. Family farms. The Payette River. And a film crew and PLT staff racing around West Central Idaho trying to capture it all.
Thursday and Friday last week, Payette Land Trust got a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn a local conservation story into national television.
WBC Productions brought a crew to the McCall and Grangeville areas to film a segment for Now We Know, a national series hosted by Steve Guttenberg and broadcast by CNBC.
And they packed a lot into two days.
The crew followed smokejumpers after a training jump at Huffman Pasture, filmed 2026 BIG HEART artist Kim Thompson at the Payette Riverwalk, and talked with Payette Riverwalk Alliance President Wes Keller. Then it was off to Idaho County, where they visited Uhlorn Family Farms and Stuivenga Farm and interviewed Darrel Uhlorn and Ed Stuivenga about farming, land stewardship and the future of working lands.
The production team was great to work with, and it was fascinating to watch them turn familiar places and everyday conservation stories into television. Most importantly, they weren’t just looking for pretty scenery. They wanted to understand why people care about this place and what they’re doing to help shape its future.
The segment is expected to air nationally in January or February 2027. We don’t have an exact date yet, but we’ll share it as soon as it’s confirmed. Until then, here’s a few behind the scenes moments.
