Final Book- Jessica Mason

Roots

Take a moment to look around you. You might see lights, buildings, furniture, or food. Now think, where did these things come from? Behind every stitch of cloth, crumb of food, and light in your house is a hard working farmer. Though they are very important their numbers are declining, especially those of smaller farms. Just like the roots they plant, they are hidden underneath what they produce. Through the commotion of this ever changing world people have begun to forget the feeling of freedom and calmness that a small farm or ranch brings. Todd Klassy is one photographer that was able to capture this feeling. Like Todd Klassy, I took on the challenge to capture that feeling. By using the art of the land, along with the plants and animals on that land, I want to capture the feeling of freedom and tranquility that each small farm or ranch possesses.

Every farm out there counts, even the smallest ranches and farms. According to Patricia A. Daly, an economist in the Office of Current Employment Analysis, less than four percent of all the jobs in the United States are agriculture employment (1).They make one tiny droplet into a giant tank but somebody has to fill that tank. Farmers may be a small group but they feed most of America with what they do. They understand how doing small things can make a big difference in the long run. Every farmer is different. Like their own personal uniqueness their farm is just as unique. Sadly, these smaller farms have been pushed or bought out by larger operations. According to the USDA Farms and Land in Farms 2016 Summary the number of farms from 2015 to 2016 decreased by 8,000. Of those eight thousand, five thousand were small farms that fall into the $1,000- $9,999 category. Not only were farms lost but homes, lifestyles, and even culture. In his article in Range Magazine Todd Klassy wrote, “Once upon a time, most American kids grew up in the country. Today fewer than 19 percent live in rural areas and, of those, less than two percent live on farms and ranches” (Klassy).

Todd Klassy is an amazing photographer who captures the feeling of small agriculture. Most of his photos come from Montana which is a major state for ranchers and farmers. Working on a dairy farm as a child, he understands the hard work and patience it takes to run a farm. Coming from this background helped him capture the true feeling of freedom on a small ranch. In an article he wrote about the children of small farms he said, “Visit a farm or ranch. Watch the children. Their happiness, youthfulness, and innocence is infectious. And not a single one will complain about missing the trappings of urban life” (Klassy). He has felt and understands that feeling of freedom that comes along with a farm.

Through these photos I want the viewer to see the feeling of freedom and uniqueness of each small farm. Wendell berry said, “Good farming is first and last an art, a way of doing and making that involves human histories, cultures, minds, hearts, and souls”(Berry). I want to show the art that is on a farm through my photos. It is so much more than just a job. Its home, lifestyle, art, livelihood, and we would be lost without it. They are the root of everything, our nation, family, and livelihood. It’s where each of us came from and its time we realize the freedom and home that is slipping through our fingers.

Work Cited

Berry, Wendell. “The Bad Modern History of Farming.” The Progressive, 2017.

Daly, Patricia A. “Agricultural Employment: Has the Decline Ended?” Monthly Labor Review, Nov. 1981, stats.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1981/11/art2full.pd.

Klassy, Todd. “Out on the Range Country Kids.” Range, 15 Aug. 2017.

National Agriculture Statistical Service. Farms and Land in Farms 2016 Summary. National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2017, Farms and Land in Farms 2016 Summary.

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