By Joli B

22 June 2008

The Heartland of American Agriculture can be a photographer's wonderland. If you just look through the many pictures of agriculture found on JPG, you will see documentation of the richness of the land, the emotions of the people, and the many structures adding to the Heartland's heritage and bounty.

Such captures & documentation can present tricks of light, shadows of great darkness and dilemmas beyond those you've ever experienced as a photographer. Documenting the Heartland of America is very similar to the ups & downs of a farm family's life.

To a great extent both farming & photographing the Heartland is dependable upon the weather, on the equipment and on the personal determination, stamina and motivation of the individual and the support system they have around them.

All of the photos in this essay are part of my summer time efforts to document the heart of the Heartland's agriculture. I'm attempting to give not only a sense of a family farm, but a piece of the history and heritage which makes the Heartland a wonderful place.

Agriculture is hard work and detailed labor. A farm can also be a very humbling place to be. Mother Nature can devastate you quickly. Mother Nature can also bring you a bountiful harvest. For a great part of the farm life, you work at her mercy.

Needless to say, because of these risks, agriculture is a challenging place to be. The heritage agriculture holds is challenging to document. For the next 3 months, I've taken on an assignment, challenging myself through the lens just as a farmer is challenged in a growing season.

Through this assignment, I hope to document in detail the trials & tribulations of a family farmer while bringing some of Mother Nature's best as captured through my own filtered experience in farming and my challenges I experience through my camera's lens.

I will be updating through out so stay tuned . . .

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