Introducing the Farmers

The authentic voices of farmers and ranchers across America have been uncovered by Cynthia Vagnetti and are the basis for the collection of oral history, black-and-white photography, and contextual video titled Voices from the Field.

Each person represented in the pictures and stories of Vagnetti's collection embodies a transformative story that is a model for shaping the future of agriculture. Vagnetti found that the stories of farm families informed her shooting script and picture-taking process. From the stories, she has been able to reveal a farmers' past, thus providing a historical context to each individuals present understanding of their role in sustainable agriculture.

The Risdall Family, Roland, Iowa - Story County. Photo by Cynthia Vagnetti from People Sustaining the Land, 2002.

"Somebody has to go into farming. Somebody has to do it, it's a good life. It takes a lot of money these days to get going. It is not a get-rich scheme but the lifestyle is great. There gets to be too many people owning to much farm. Doctors and lawyers have the money to buy land and they hire somebody to farm it. We need family farms; more people need to own the land. I guess I would rather see 10 people own a little bit than one person own a lot. We need more voices in agriculture."

"I retired $150,000 worth of harvesting equipment when I went to this system of 12 Aprils. $150,000 worth of equipment I no longer need. I have a conventional farm crop. I sow millets, soygeans and small grains. I sow them all to be harvested. The big difference is I don't sharpen knives or grease the bearings or whatever. I harvest them with a cow. She takes it from a crop to the rumen to the milk. I don't have to spend $477 a month on my harvester or a big silo or tractors or choppers. My cows enjoy what goes on here and so do I."

Tom and Linda Trantham, Pelzer, South Carolina -Greenville Count from People Sustaining the Land by Cynthia Vagnetti, 2002.