Commercial, Advertising and Editorial Photography. Greensboro, North Carolina
It’s that time of year when farmers and gardeners are getting things into the soil, and my neighbors are busy. Michael Williams works ground near my home in Grays Chapel, North Carolina. Michael and his family run a dairy farm nearby, and will plant corn on land where they have just cut small grains for silage. The corn too will be used for cattle feed.
(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)
Neighbor Richard Whitaker in his tomato hot house in Grays Chapel, North Carolina on a warm afternoon this week. Richard and his family raise tomatoes, strawberries and other produce and run an extensive garden center at two locations in Randolph County. For info, visit their website at http://www.whitakerfarm.com/.
(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)
Cousin Thomas Routh works in his greenhouse on a warm afternoon last week in Grays Chapel, North Carolina. Thomas and his wife Lula Mae raise a large tract of vegetables they sell at the local farmer’s market. This year they are branching out into hanging flower baskets as well.
(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)
Seems like all it takes on a farm is a little warm weather and things start to get active. I stopped by my neighbors, Rising Meadow Farm in Grays Chapel, North Carolina on such a warm afternoon this week and found the sheep curious, a couple of early lambs about and farm owner Ron Fay out in the pasture doing a little dog training. I plan on going back next week for the annual shearing.
(Photographs copyright 2011 by Dan Routh)
It’s a Saturday afternoon and there is a light rain/sleet falling. Most of us are either out shopping at the mall or sitting in a warm place watching football or basketball. At Williams Dairy in Grays Chapel, North Carolina, for Greg, Rick and Michael Williams, Saturday means cleaning up the cow lot and getting things ready for milking a herd of Holsteins no matter what the weather.
In continuing with where I’ve been, I grew up on a dairy farm. My Dad taught school and farmed for 18 years. After we sold the dairy cows, we switched to raising beef cattle, which we still do today. I live in my great-grandfather’s farm house which was built around 1878 on the 150 acre family farm. I enjoy shooting agriculture; I guess it’s in my blood.
For about 15 years, I worked on contract for a large agrichemical company. I crawled through corn fields in the midwest, walked through wheat in the Dakotas, picked cotton and waded through rice fields in the South. Also had the opportunity to ride and operate some really big equipment.
(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)
Neighbor Rick Williams drills barley on ground his son Michael had worked a few days earlier near my home in Grays Chapel, North Carolina.
(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)
Neighbor Michael Williams was using a large disk harrow yesterday afternoon to prepare land to plant barley for use as silage next spring for his family’s dairy cows in Grays Chapel, North Carolina. He was working this year’s corn ground. By rotating crops, he will maximize production without wearing out the fertility of his land.
(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)
Dan Routh Photography 