Agriculture is one of the most important industries in the world, providing the world with a constant supply of food which is becoming even more important during this unusual period. The nation's reliance on farmers is something I have recently found to be underappreciated by people who have never experienced what life on a family farm is like. Whilst the lifestyle offers constant challenge filled with long hours in an untamed, unpredictable landscape, the rewards for the love of this life often times keeps the farmer running on.  

 

 

This has never been a job for the faint-hearted; the long hours, unpredictability of the working conditions and constant problems occurring always leave the farmer wondering where to start. In what may even be seen as an archaic way of farming, when compared to commercial farms, family run independent farms employ physical labour over mass production and machinery often striving to help in the  development of local, rural communities.

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This photo series is about farmer Stephen Bailey who continues to work on the farm despite the lock-down. A career many might not realise is as essential as it is, the importance of farming is quickly being realised as playing such an integral role for feeding the people of the nation. Beginning his day's at 5AM without fail, he often doesn't get to bed till just before midnight most nights. Never seen without the unique cap featured in these images, his daily ritual begins by making his way up to the farm and doing his morning milking at around 5AM. With a herd of over 100 cattle, this is no small task alongside the numerous other animals that occupy the holding from pigs to ducks which also need to be tended to daily. 

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"Farmers not only feed the nation, but also shape the landscapes of Great Britain. This pandemic might have finally opened people's eyes to that dual role."

Ben Briggs, Editor of the Farmers Guardian

 

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With the lock-down striking during the high point of spring, the farm was busy being overrun with buoyant lambs and newly born calves. This meant that contact was already at a minimum other than the occasional weekly trip to market and, despite seeing family, only getting phone-calls off his brother checking in on how lambing was going. Working on his two-hundred acre land, the farm manages to maintain a steady income, living a mostly stable and quaint life.  

 

 

The future of the farm is always uncertain, especially with the looming impact of the Brexit vote, even despite the perseverance and tireless effort that goes into maintaining the holding. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words and I hope that, with the message portrayed through my images, that changes can be made for the better to help realise the importance of this integral way of life.    

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“Photography is a small voice, at best, but sometimes – just sometimes – one photograph or a group of them can lure our senses into awareness. Much depends upon the viewer; in some, photographs can summon enough emotion to be a catalyst to thought.”

Eugene Smith

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