richardbenson.com

A WAY OF LIFE: Kevin wanted to show how farming becomes an inescapable, seductive-yet-difficult lifestyle. Urban people wanted reassurance this was still true, he said, because it implied that farmers were dedicated to producing good food for them to eat. What does it mean in practise, though, this “way of life”? Well, it partly means that the whole family is involved. Farmers wives and girlfriends do not get the recognition their partners do, but they are just as devoted to the farm – and they’re also usually the ones keeping the family going too. This photograph of haylage-turning in Devon reminded me how farm women not only work hard, but also sustain relationships by going out with the men to support them and keep them company. This is not to say they’re martyrs – most farming women would say they just love being outdoors. The ability to enjoy working countryside for its own sake is another part of the way of life thing•