FARMING. IT'S IN THE FAMILY.
This fall, I had the chance to photograph 25 year-old farmer, William Dunlow, and his family farm for an agriculture company. Although he grows peanuts, soybeans, wheat and corn, it's cotton that makes up 75% of the Dunlow's 10,800 acres.
William's grandfather, who passed away in a farming accident in 1992, was their family's farming pioneer. Despite this misfortune in his family history and after a few years in an office job, William felt called back to Garysburg, NC to continue the family tradition. "I came home and have loved every minute, although it has not been the best years in farming, nothing can replace working alongside your father, and I love being outside, and always working towards a goal, and watching the miracle of a small seed turn into a fruiting plant, all within 6 months. It's a beautiful phenomenon."
I captured these images just as Hurricane Matthew was approaching. William blames the precipitation surrounding the hurricane for a 50-65% loss of yield this year. "It's just so hard to fathom how you can have a beautiful crop sitting in the field, and for 5 1/2 months, everything has gone right to bless you with such great potential, and in 2 weeks {the rain} has done all but dissipate." Well-equipped with undeniable love and decades of experiences, the Dunlows are able to weather the hardships together.
